The reverse sweep did not find its place this time. LW Blue’s road to Season 2 APEX Semifinals was not without bumps, but the team eventually defeated KongDoo Panthera 3-1 and secured its spot in the upcoming match. KongDoo Panthera managed to stop LW Blue's early winning streaks and take away the third set, but soon had to give way to LW in the following fourth set.



Today's first set took off in Oasis, where LW Blue had a rather decisive victory by winning two consecutive rounds. The team had to face its weekest map King’s Row in the following set, but still managed to grab another victory thanks to some of KongDoo’s sloppy ult managements and Saebyeolbe’s Tracer. KongDoo's Rascal played Sombra again in King’s Row, looking to bring back the aggressive and stylish Sombra from the team’s previous match. He managed to pop the EMP and open way for his teammates in the first control point, but that was the furthest he could go with her this time. KongDoo did make a comeback in Temple of Anubis thanks to a solid defense in point B, but went back downhill in the following set in Route 66 as the team had about 2 minute-and-half disadvantage in the time bank. LW Blue became the last team to join the APEX semifinals this season, and the team will go against RunAway next week.



Although Tracer and Roadhog were not the only heroes Saebyeolbe played tonight, he did show how far he can go with the two heroes that gained major spotlight today. We saw some intense Roadhog and Tracer plays from him especially in the 4th set in Route 66 as he pulled a killstreak on KongDoo’s supports with accurate hooks that even sneaked through KongDoo’s tanks and pulled Rascal that was hiding behind. His Tracer did not give the 5k Roadhog EVERMORE a chance as he continuously dodged the hook and shots while dealing a significant amount of damage to him and his teammates.



Below is the post-match press interview with Jongryeol “Saebyeolbe” Park.

Congrats on advancing to semis. How do you feel?



We fought desperately today. We fought as if it was our last chance. It’s just too hard to describe in words how happy I am right now.

Your team went down after a reverse sweep from KongDoo Panthera in the recent matchup. What was the team atmosphere like when you lost the set in Temple of Anubis?



We already fought against KD Panthera both in IEM and in APEX, and we thought there was still enough chance for us to win because our win rate against KD Panthera is pretty high. We promised ourselves that we would not let the same thing happen again, as also said by EscA of Lunatic-Hai. We did not get distracted like we did last time.

Your Genji seemed solid in the previous season, and your Roadhog today was fantastic.



I changed my role to tank as I joined LW Blue, and I started playing Roadhog. I learned a lot from EVERMORE’s videos. I cut out his weaknesses and streamlined the advantages to make it more suitable for me.

Your next matchup is against RunAway, the team you already defeated once in the last season. What are your thoughts about that?



I think the team did surely well when they defeated Lunatic-Hai, but I also believe that there are certain elements that make one team strong against a certain team but weak against another. I think we can win, because we are better.

Haksal seems to have improved a lot recently. Do you think that will make a difference?



I think the entire RunAway improved in general. I don’t care as much about him because our paths do not cross so often. I am sure, however, that Fl0w3R will never lose in the Genji duel.

You also did a lot with Tracer today. When do you decide to play Tracer?



I usually swap to Tracer when my Roadhog doesn’t work out as well. Things went well enough for both heroes today, so I went back and forth in between.

You showed some sick dance moves at the end of the match. What is it?



I just come up with random dance moves when I feel excited. I do that often when I hang out with my friends. It’s something like Talchum. [traditional Korean mask dance]

About all the hugs after the match is over, do you think it’s a form of culture unique to Overwatch among other eSports?



A lot of people usually think that doing handshakes after the match is the right thing to do. We are usually friends also with other team’s players, although I’m not sure if this is just because there are not as many leagues and teams in Overwatch yet. I personally think we are close friends with KongDoo.

Any last words?



I think it is the best to just chill and enjoy your life.