T1 Oner: “I learned to take care of myself”

LoL Esports

May 18, 2024

Davide Xu

With T1 losing to BLG in the loser bracket final, we talked with Oner about the series and his overall experience with this MSI.

Photo Credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games

T1 Oner and his post-match interview

Hey everyone, we are joined by Oner after his match against BLG. Firstly, it was unfortunate that you were not able to secure the win today. Before we begin with the interview, could you share with us how you’re feeling right now?

Well, we lost the game so I’m sad and even a bit resentful.

How do you feel about today’s match?

We’ve played against BLG twice in MSI and lost both times, so I think that’s the most disappointing thing. But as a whole, I believe that what we’ve experienced will be of help in the future.

What would you say to each one of your teammates at this right moment?

We made it all the way to MSI here in China and we played so many games in so little time. It was difficult to take care of ourselves while practicing really hard so I think we did manage to finish our run here well and I’m so thankful for them.

You indeed have been having a tight schedule with matches one after another. How do you manage to keep the stamina after so many matches and what have you been working on the most prior to today’s match?

I definitely worked the hardest on trying to win and it’s such a shame that we didn’t manage to win today. In terms of taking care of myself, I’ve been making sure that I get good sleep.

Oner talking about the series

You looked very tired after Game 4. Could you share what you realized then?

After Game 4, we were going to have to play the full set of 5 games. We also played yesterday, so it was hard on us mentally. After Game 4 we immediately had to go on to Game 5 so I was really exhausted. Additionally for us, we felt that BLG were playing a bit hastily so we tried to keep that in mind going into Game 5.

We would like to quickly jump on Game 1’s draft. This was Faker’s first game on Tristana – what made you decide to pick her today?

For Tristana, she is very valuable in game. When we played against BLG, they banned a lot of mid champions so according to our draft priority, Tristana was next in line (to be picked) which is why we went with her.

In Game 2, you have decided to shake things up by bringing back the double-ranged bot lane as well as Akali in the mid lane. What did you discuss during the break after Game 1?

Well… There were many mid bans so that meant that there weren’t as many bans on the bot lane champions. The option to play aggressively came about and since it’s something that we’ve done a lot before, we felt that it would be beneficial for us and went ahead in that direction.

Can you explain to us what was the reasoning behind the Zac pick in Game 3?

To be honest, it wasn’t something that we decided on beforehand. It was something decided on the fly… We suddenly felt that it was a good angle (for Zac) and that’s why we picked him.

Blue side had a clearer advantage. Did being on red side have an impact on your drafting?

It’d be a lie to say that there isn’t an impact to a certain extent. But I feel that this difference is something that can be made up for with skill.

What were the most important things you learned throughout MSI that you will cherish going forward? It can be both personal or related to the game.

Taking care of myself. In order to continue playing, it’s important to ensure that I’m in good health as it affects how I am in game. So taking care of my body well is the most important thing and this was something that I learned and felt very strongly this MSI.

Who do you think will be winning MSI between Gen.G and BLG? We would like to hear your reasoning on who’s going to be the winner.

Since Gen.G beat BLG 3-1 in the previous match, I think Gen.G has a slightly higher chance of winning. Even so, I don’t think BLG will lose like last time. So I think it’ll likely be a Gen.G 3-2 win.

What are your goals for the rest of the year?

To be honest, we haven’t really had the time to rest since we won last year at Worlds. We weren’t able to rest while preparing for this year’s Spring and MSI so I want to spend the rest of my May resting. My biggest goal would be to mentally prepare myself and prepare well for Summer.

Fan questions time

Which jungle player at MSI has impressed you the most so far and why?

From the teams I’ve played against, Yike is a jungler that’s really unique and has left an impression on me.

What’s your favorite champion this meta?

Well, I got to play Nidalee for a game today and I think she would work well at MSI so I’m going to go with Nidalee.

Has the lane swap meta affected the way you communicate with your teammates? For example, the type of information you have to tell your teammates.

I wouldn’t say that there’s anything that changed specifically. But I think there are a number of changes (in the way we play) if we have to lane swap, as compared to what we normally do and that’s something that I felt was regretful.

When you’re at tournaments, your gym routine gets affected. As someone who likes going to the gym, how does this affect your performance?

Recently, my neck and back have been hurting so I’m resting for now. Even if I haven’t been exercising much lately, I do hope to start exercising again when I get better. As you exercise, you become healthier and your stamina gets better so even though we’re gamers, I think exercise is a must.

Is there anything you would like to tell your fans? If possible, a message in English!

I’m not good at English so… While it’s disappointing that we placed third this MSI, I think the fans are as equally disappointed. But there’s still Summer and Worlds and we’ll have the chance to see each other in the future so I hope you continue cheering for us. Also, thank you so much for supporting us during our run at MSI. I’m sorry that we weren’t able to beat BLG, but I hope that you continue supporting us. Thank you.