HLE Zeus on the MSI final and facing Bin: "Hopefully tomorrow I get my revenge for MSI 2022"

You went for Swain in game four. I thought that angle wouldn't be easy for you, yet you made it work. What was the idea behind it?

Swain is a champion I love since a long time ago. When I was in school, I actually won a PC bang tournament with Swain top, so it's been my favourite champion since then. And right now, the current meta isn't about hyper carries or damage dealers — it's more about being tankier, surviving longer, and still spreading your influence. So I think Swain is a really good fit in the meta.

Did you expect LYON to fight back that well? You were clearly the favourites, so it was a bit unexpected.

Honestly, I was expecting G2 to make it yesterday.

Then I found out LYON managed to sweep them, and their performance was really good, so I got a little scared last night. Even in the games today, I could tell they know how to play — even when they're falling behind, they know what to do to buy more time and find their angle, and they know what they're supposed to do in-game. So it was definitely a very tricky opponent.

You face BLG next. Last time, a lot of people were waiting on the top-lane matchup because of your history with Bin, yet it looked like the match was settled through jungle-support synergy and skirmishes around midlane. Did you expect the top lane to be that calm against Bin?

In that last BLG match, I think we also had a really bad day — our performance was way below our expectations. Now that we know so much more about BLG, their tendencies and their style, I think we'll be able to do a better job.

Against Bin, honestly, the tempo of the game last time was really fast — we were basically skipping the laning phase, always grouping for teamfights and skirmishes. So we didn't really have that typical top-lane 1v1 laning moment.

But even in that match, I think I had the upper hand in the laning phase.

So next one, I'm expecting something similar. I hope I can get lane priority just like last time and spread my influence all around the map.

If you win tomorrow, you and Zeka will be the only players to have won every international tournament — the only one, if we take the EWC into consideration. Is that something you have in the back of your mind?

That would definitely make me feel amazing. But not just that — if we win MSI as a team,

I think it's going to start off a great momentum for the upcoming EWC, LCK and Worlds. So it's going to be a great energy boost for us.

Hopefully we can win and start a great run for the rest of the year.

Your last MSI final was in 2022, as a rookie at your first international event. Looking back at that rookie now, what's changed the most for you, in game and as a person?

Gameplay-wise, back then I was just going for the play, thinking "we'll figure it out." Right now I give a lot more thought to the plays. As a person, I'm taking a lot of stuff more easy now, and I'm feeling a lot more comfortable.

You also helped stop JDG's Golden Road back in 2023, against an LPL super team. Are you confident you can do it again tomorrow?

It's only MSI — it's too early to talk about or think about the Golden Road already. I just want to say this: tomorrow we're going to have a final between me and Bin.

Four years ago I lost to Bin at the MSI final and ended up runner-up. Hopefully I can win tomorrow and get my revenge.

Any last words for your fans?

I know our performance today wasn't up to the level, so you must be worrying for us. But I'm looking forward to the final tomorrow, because I'm confident we're going to come back with a stronger performance. We're going to make it a day where we win the title — a great day for the Hanwha Life fans.