G-Rex came into the Play-In Stage as the LMS representative, predicted by many to fail. Despite that, G-Rex put together strong performances on Day 1 against both Gambit Esports and Kaos Latin Gamers. For Western fans, G-Rex’s arrival at the World Championship also signals the return of Season 2 World Championship legend, Kurtis “Toyz” Lau. Nowadays, Toyz is a team leader and coach for G-Rex.

We had the opportunity to talk to Toyz at the end of Play-In Stage Day 1 about G-Rex, his return and his dreams.

A lot of people have been talking in North America about how you’re involved with G-Rex. What exactly do you do for G-Rex?

Basically, I decided every roster decision and was involved in the ban/pick. I have also been coaching… I was the coach in the spring season and passed the coach position to my assistant coach Wei. I am just trying to help the company now since so I am no longer the coach, but I’m still doing some work. In this Worlds, I am still around all the time and basically still a coach.

You’re still working as a coach so you had to decide the roster for Worlds. I saw your Facebook post about choosing Candy and Empt2y, while leaving Raise and Wuji — can you explain more about that decision? It was a hard hit for your team.

Raise joined for the Summer Split. Basically, the reason I found Raise was because NA said they would be allowed seven teams for their finals. So I thought Worlds would have the 7-man roster limit too. I found more players so mid and jungle could swap, but then I heard it would be the same rule as last year and only six people would be allowed.

That’s why I choose Candy and Empt2y… basically Candy is a little better than Wuji in lane, champion pool, and everything. I was thinking about the fact that if we are at worlds, we are going to face many top mid lane players. We don’t always want to be losing mid all the time. That’s why we chose Candy and Empt2y.

Last year, HKA failed to get out of the group stage so many pundits speculated that G-Rex would be just as weak since Flash Wolves is the only good team. How do you think you compared to Flash Wolves and MAD?

Flash Wolves is in a completely different world from the LMS region. Teams like RNG just scrim Flash Wolves all the time so that’s why. All the people in the past years, it’s always like “LMS Is always losing.” When they see LMS teams, they think they’re weak, that’s why its tougher to make scrims with the top teams.

After all this time, that’s why LMS haven’t made a strong team. Flash Wolves is always scrimming with the top team and we’re always scrimming with the 2nd tier team. It’s normal that people will think we are weaker, but I think this year, we will get into the group stage.

In the event that you guys make the group stage, are they are any teams you’re looking forward to playing or a group you want to draw?

Every group stage is going to be tough because there are many good teams in each group. In this moment, I think we would like to get into Group D, which is probably what we will go into.

This is your real return to Worlds since you won it all in 2012. What does it mean for you to be at the World Championship with G-Rex and how different is it now, compared to when you were a player?

It means everything to me. After all these years — almost six years — I have never come back to Worlds. Of course, I helped Fnatic four years ago, but that was not my team. That’s why this year, I have been putting a ton of time into coaching and managing my team. From now on, this is my team. They are a new team, but before they were Raise Gaming that I also raised. To me, it’s like raising a child to get into the groups. This just means everything.

Lastly, you have a ton of fans in Taiwan, but also a lot of fans in NA…

Wait, really?! No way.

Yeah, people always say how much they remember you and…

Yeah! They just remember me, but they’re not really my fans! Still, I’d love to thank everyone that remembers me. (Laughs)

Photo: (Riot Games, Lolesports)