Gen.G Ruler on his future: “I think I might be retiring in three years”

You’ve spent so many years trying to get back to a Worlds final, and you’re finally here. How much does that mean to you?

I was able to prove and show that Ruler as a player can do really well for a long time, continuously. And for Gen.G too, that this team can also make it to the finals.

Looking back, what’s been the biggest reason you didn’t manage to make it happen in the past, despite playing for so many super teams? What changed this year?

In the past, I think we were pretty slow with the meta read. And I’d never felt like all five players were performing as one team. But right now I feel like all five individual players are playing as one team.

I asked a lot of the Gen.G players and they told me that rather than aiming for the trophy this year, you decided to aim for the process of getting there and enjoy the moment. Do you think changing that mindset, and the pressure you put on your shoulders, was key going into this Worlds?

Yeah, I think enjoying every moment and focusing on the process was the biggest change. And because of that change, we were able to make the Worlds final.

You came back in game three and stayed calm despite the game going back and forth. Do you think the Gen.G from last year would have lost that game?

I agree.

Duro told me the biggest lesson he took from last year’s Worlds was how important bot lane priority is. Would you say that’s been your main focus as a duo this year?

Of course, bot lane priority is really important. But there have to be some games where you don’t really get to have the prio picks. So I think it’s more important to know how to play when you’re on the weaker side when it comes to lane priority. So I don’t think having lane prio for the bottom lane is always the answer.

As a team, Gen.G have been known for playing slow, controlled games in the past, and this year it looks like you’ve completely changed that approach to be much more aggressive in the early game. Was that the most important focus this year?

Oh yeah, absolutely. I think one of the main focuses this year was to fight for early fights and skirmishes. And if we can’t take fights, we have to keep thinking about where we’re going to start the snowball. So I think our tempo has become a lot faster than before, and we prioritise fights.

You also came back from not making MSI, and from losing First Stand and the EWC. Looking at your career overall, would you say this year might have been the most challenging for you as a player?

This year was really, really difficult for me. Looking at the tournaments we participated in, or the ones we tried to qualify for, the whole process was really difficult. However, we never gave up. We always worked in order to make improvements, and because we did so, we were able to make it all the way here.

Many times this year we saw the West catching up with the East, but when Worlds comes around it doesn’t look close anymore. As a very experienced player who’s faced both for many years, where does the biggest gap lie? Is it player quality? Draft and meta read? The whole package?

This is my personal opinion, but I think the Western teams are very cautious when it comes to making plays. So the difference between them and the LCK, a region that has been getting a lot of success at Worlds — I think that kind of cautious approach slows down their tempo. I think it’s the biggest difference.

The last time you faced Faker in a Grand Final, you were the one walking away with the trophy. Is Faker the one you want to face again, nine years later?

Yes, I want to face Faker in the final.

You’ve had a very long career. Have you ever wondered when you want to retire, what you want to do when it happens, and what you’d want your career to be remembered for?

When I first thought about retiring, it should have happened about two or three years ago. But when I was watching my own performance, I figured I could give it a little more time. I can still perform as a player. Right now, I think I might be retiring in three years, and after retirement I could maybe start streaming. But if it doesn’t really fit me, I might start doing part-time jobs, or maybe work at a butcher shop.

I wish that all the Ruler fans remember me as a player that was worth supporting, and that they just had so much fun supporting me. I hope their memories of supporting me are unforgettable.