deokdam talks about the G2-DK rivalry, his first Worlds appearance

Damwon Kia’s AD Carry deokdam talks about the rivalry between G2 Esports and Damwon KIA, his first Worlds appearance, and the strength of the LCK at Worlds.

The LCK has been a dominant force in the League of Legends esports scene. With LCK teams winning several of the last World Championships, they are once again heading to Worlds with their heads held high. One of the four representatives is Damwon KIA who are looking to earn their second Worlds title. Making his debut on the international stage is Seo “deokdam” Dae-gil who looks to stamp his name as one of the world’s best AD Carries.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. We’d like to thank the team at Riot Games for providing translations

deokdam, thank you so much for speaking with us today! Congratulations on the win versus G2. Can you tell me how you think the game went?

So we’re really happy with the win but I had some mistakes and I’m a bit upset about it. But mainly, I’m happy that we won.

As you may know, G2 have a bit of a rivalry with Damwon KIA. As a newer player in the DK organization, what does the rivalry mean to you?

I was aware of the rival relationship between G2 and DK. But it doesn’t really matter to me and I don’t really care much about it.

You’re the first person to lock in Jhin in this World Championship. So I know we’ve seen a lot of different ADCs in this tournament so far, but what makes Jhin particularly good in this meta?

So first of all, it is a really good pick to bring against Caitlyn. Jhin was a good selection for the opposite composition because we lacked CC and we needed one so that’s why I picked him.

But I have to ask, you used Dark Cosmic Jhin in this game when Damwon Gaming Jhin exists. What made you choose this particular skin?

So I personally like the Damwon skin for Jhin, but I just prefer this one. You know how Jhin has his four-shot passive? It just goes really smoothly when I use this specific skin.

This marks your first appearance at the World Championship after narrowly missing it when you were a part of Nongshim RedForce. What does attending Worlds mean to you?

I’m really happy about it. I was really upset and frustrated when I missed out on Worlds last year. And then at that moment, I just decided I just made up my mind saying that I really have to go to Worlds and so I just made my dream come true. So I’m really happy right now.

This roster is composed of a lot of veterans and World Champions as well as yourself and Kellin who are a very respected bot lane duo in the LCK. How do you feel like you’ve been able to fit in with this particular team throughout the course of the spring and summer splits and now heading into Worlds?

So throughout LCK Spring and Summer, we weren’t like 100% happy about the results and we weren’t 100% satisfied with our place. But we try to improve our mistakes or any other place that happened back in Korea. So I have my hopes high and I’m really happy to be at Worlds.

Thoughts on different teams

DK is placed in Group B with JDG, G2, and Evil Geniuses. What are your thoughts about these teams?

Specifically, JDG and EG are one of the strongest opponents that we’re encountering right now, and if we lose a game in the group stage, I think we might not win the final so we’ll try our best to win every game.

There is also a lot of bot-lane talent in this group. You played against Flakked and now face Hope and Kaori. Is there anyone in this group you look forward to playing against?

They’re all good players but I don’t think I’m gonna lose against them.

I want to ask about the LCK in general. The LCK is in a very strong place right now with four of the best teams in the world. What do you think of the overall strength of the region of the LCK coming into the World Championships?

So overall, all three teams are really strong. Gen.G, the winner of LCK Summer is obviously the best one. And then T1, I have high expectations of them as well. And then for DRX, they have been here for a longer time than we did. So they must have, you know, got themselves into Worlds so I think they’re gonna do well.

Two final questions for you. Worlds is being held in North America at this stage. Have you gotten a chance to explore NYC and if so, what’s your favorite thing you’ve done?

It’s a cool place, but I didn’t get to see around the hotel because I was a bit intimidated by New York City at night. But I think I could hear the crowd in my practice room or in my hotel room and I think it’s a good city. I think it’s an amazing city.

Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to fans of DK?

Thank you for the support and since we made it here we’re gonna do our best and win.