MKOI Jojopyun on his own Worlds: "It sucks that I didn't perform to my standard"

How are you feeling? I saw you were very emotional backstage.

I mean, yeah, same. Not so good.

What would you say went wrong today? Take your time.

I think we just choked.

I feel like at this Worlds the story kept repeating itself. Every BO3 you went through, game one is very close, you lose it, and then you kind of boom out in game two. Do you feel that way too?

Yeah, I mean, I’m very disappointed in myself, because I think this Worlds I played really bad. So I really tried to fix my form for today. I really tried to figure out why I’m not laning how I’m usually laning, why all these things, why I’m teamfighting weird. I felt I had it all figured out and I was very prepared for today. But I still could have probably… I mean, we should have won game one. I could have carried. But it feels like shit, because I really wanted to go to the quarterfinals and either get a rematch versus the top Asian teams or just any top team, because I felt like I wasn’t playing like myself the past games. So yeah, it sucks.

When you say you found it, what was it that you think was missing in your first series and games at this Worlds?

Just my own ideas of how to lane and everything. I felt like everyone was going a certain build path, or certain runes, and even if I didn’t think it was good, I just tried it and I would just be following. I didn’t play my way, really. So I felt like I played my way today. And even in scrims it was going good yesterday versus the Asian team. So I felt like I kind of found myself again, instead of trying to copy what other mids are doing. So it really sucks that I didn’t do it earlier, because I think we should have beaten DK game one. If my Anivia was how it usually is — normally even T1, game one, we should have… I mean, I can’t say we should have won, honestly, because we lost every single game one when we were ahead. So I can say it was close, but realistically, we lost all the game ones, right?

Melzhet told me you were getting away with a lot of stuff in the LEC. Do you think there’s a question of bad habits too, things you can get away with against weaker players domestically and then get punished for when you arrive on a stage like this?

I don’t think so. I just think I wasn’t playing like myself, how I was playing in the LEC, because I did it yesterday in scrims, even against the top mids. I just wasn’t playing like myself. I think that’s the biggest thing.

Do you feel like there was a mental issue with the team, with how the script kept following the same way in every series?

Not sure, because at least for me, I was very ready for game two. I don’t know about my team, we just came from the game. Yeah, I mean, probably, right? Because game two, after every game one, we got hard stomped. So probably it’s mental.

The stakes weren’t only the quarterfinals today. Does that make it a bit worse for you, or do you not care at all about what happens on socials?

I mean, it’s just entertaining. I really couldn’t care less about the KOI–KC rivalry. I just think it’s funny. It’s just fun, and I think it’s good for the league. I just really wanted to make quarterfinals, because I was very confident in myself going into the quarterfinals.

Compared to today, what was different back in Nice when you played KC? Were you two different teams?

I think they played the same. I don’t think they changed too much, to be honest. They’re a good team individually. As a team, I think they’re not as strong as us. I think they have really strong individuals, so if we just play the team game, we’ll win. But I think we just really fucked up in the fights, or just some weird things, you know. We got too overconfident. I don’t know if it was emotional plays or what, but there were some things in game one that felt very strange, what we were doing. Maybe we were just emotional, or nervous. I don’t know.

I know it’s very early, but do you still feel proud of what this team achieved from summer onwards, despite everyone doubting you?

I mean, of course I wanted more. I’m disappointed in myself, because I think I could have had such a better showing this tournament. Such a better showing. But at the end of the day, we almost didn’t make playoffs and we came all the way here, so that’s something. But we shouldn’t even be in that position to begin with. I don’t think we should be seventh place fighting for playoffs to begin with. But at least we climbed through the adversity, I’ll say that.

KC will be the last representative of the West. Do you think they can do damage here?

I think so. Honestly, it’s the same when we play the Asian teams. It’s not like in the past, because in scrims against the Asian teams you get stomped a lot of games, but it was very competitive and it felt very back and forth. So I think for sure they can do damage.

You told Caedrel that one of the reasons you extended your contract with MKOI was that you were excited about the project for next year. Does that mean this was maybe the last dance of this roster?

I mean, to be honest, that was just a PR answer. I have no clue what’s going to happen next year. I don’t know. I enjoy the team, so yeah, it was just PR — because even if it’s the same roster, I’ll be happy.

A last word for the NA fans, and the MKOI fans watching?

Yeah, I mean, obviously it sucks, especially losing to KC. At least there’s still a European team going to the quarterfinals at the end of the day, so I’ll still cheer for them. Or LYON — I hope LYON beats LØS. If they don’t, I don’t know, because Inspired just has the best passive in the world, at getting all the free teams to face at Worlds. So yeah, I hope the West has a good showing. I appreciate you guys for supporting me and the team. It sucks that I didn’t perform to my standard. I’ll reflect on it for next year.