Labrov on G2’s Worlds chances: “I’m confident we can go far”

So, Labrov, the first thing I want to know: we’ve heard some rumors that scrims haven’t been going particularly well for G2. Is there any truth to that?

I think we had a few days where scrims were not going well, but we bounced back from that. Right now we’re actually very strong, I would say, and learning a lot.

You were a slow starter, maybe?

Yeah, it was at the start, before we were even in Texas. But now I think we’re in a good rhythm.

And are you getting good practice? Do you actually find good teams to practice against?

Right now we are scrimming a lot of Asian teams, and at the start we were scrimming any teams. I feel like we are learning a lot and focusing on the concepts we want to work on, so I’m happy with how scrims are going.

For the first time in quite a while, it feels like people have genuinely high expectations for G2 internationally, though you’ve consistently been ranked pretty highly. Some even see you as the West’s only hope for Worlds. Do you think those expectations are justified, since you probably had the strongest season overall of all the Western teams?

I think it’s normal to have high expectations considering we won playoffs and had a really strong finals as well. Even last year we had a really good summer split and ended up winning quite convincingly, just like this year. But the difference is that this year we won everything in Europe, so it makes sense for us to be strong going into Worlds. I also feel like with Perkz, our form became better, and he has a lot of experience. I’m personally very confident going into Worlds.

Does it put any pressure on you, being so expected by the fans?

No, not really. It’s fun seeing people believe in you. It was not the case last year, so it’s nice to experience both sides.

I also want to talk about you, because you ranked third in this ranking, miles above all the other Western supports. Why do you think you’re that good right now, and how do you explain it?

I always had this belief, even last year, after playing against a lot of Asian teams and scrimming and so on. I was always very confident in myself. Last year I couldn’t show it, but this year so far I think I have.

You started to show it, right?

Yeah. I meant more internationally, but this year I think Hans and I had really good showings, we did well at international tournaments, and hopefully we can do the same at Worlds.

Even back at Team BDS, you already had that clutch factor and incredible mechanics. I could feel it even though they weren’t big games. But now I feel like you’ve become a much more complete player. Your laning phase is arguably one of the best in the world, and even the little things, like how you manage your tempo and place your wards, I feel like you’ve improved massively on that. Where does that growth come from, in your opinion? I imagine spending two years alongside one of the best bot laners we have in Europe helps.

Definitely thousands of hours of practice. I think it’s also easier to do it in G2 when you have insane players like Hans and Caps. Especially Hans helped me so much in the laning phase. We talk a lot about our laning phase, how to always do more, and we review a lot. So I think it starts from there, and then after that comes macro. Caps is very smart about the game.

So he helps you a lot on that?

Yeah, he helps me understand the game better, and the same goes for Perkz. I think I’m also lucky to have these talented teammates around me who helped me grow a lot.

Was there a particular turning point when things started clicking, whether it was an adjustment in your gameplay, a change in mentality, or developing better habits?

I think it was after last year’s MSI, when we got stomped. It was our first international tournament with this team, and we felt like we really needed to change something because it just wasn’t working. I’m glad we managed to bounce back.

Everyone I talked to used to tell me that back in the day you were affected by bright lights. Nowadays it feels like the opposite: in the regular season you tend to underperform, while in finals you play well. Do you think that comes from the habits you’ve created outside the game as well? I’ve seen the thing you do with the bowl of water. Do those kinds of things help?

I think all these little details definitely help. I would also say experience and confidence. Experience really helps a lot. I’ve now played a couple of important games and finals, and I have the mindset to treat them like normal regular games. I don’t put too much pressure on myself, I just look to do the best I can.

I’ve seen quite a few people comparing you to prime Hylissang. What do you make of that comparison?

I take it as a compliment. Hylissang was a support I really looked up to back when I played against him. I always thought he was very good. He was very aggressive and smart about the game, and it made it really hard to play against him. So yeah, I want to become like him.

I actually asked him about it, and he told me he agrees that you’re very good, but he feels like you’re more LCK style and he’s more LPL style. What do you think of that?

I think he was definitely more crazy. LPL style for sure. I do some crazy stuff, but I think he was next level.

What are you personally hoping to achieve at this Worlds, and what would you consider a successful tournament for you personally and for G2 as a team?

Besides that, I just want to focus step by step, getting out of Swiss first. I think we’re way stronger than last year and it can be possible. Obviously it’s not easy, I would give us a low chance, but I think we can do it. I wouldn’t say we’re the favorites, but I’m confident we can go far.

What are your personal ambitions at this tournament? Do you have a specific goal you want to achieve, or a player you want to beat?

I just want to win, that’s my goal. And I want to do better than last year.