BLG Viper: “G2 is a whole different team now — I will prepare a lot.”
Q: Did you watch the G2-GEN series or were you prepping?
Viper: Yes, yes I’ve seen that. Watched the whole series.
Q: At what point did you realize that G2 was gonna win?
Viper: First of all, [from the start] I think today, G2’s drafts were better than Gen.G’s drafts. […] I was really surprised — because I didn’t expect [G2 to win]. I thought Gen.G was gonna 3-0.
Q: Since we’ve been speaking in English, do you have a message directly for G2?
Viper: I actually have no message, but I would like to say I’m going to win this FST 2026.
Q: JDG and G2 are teams you’ve beaten before — does that raise your confidence for the G2 match?
Viper: No, it doesn’t feel so comfortable, because I realized that G2 is a whole different team now — I will prepare a lot.
Q: Did BLG do something specific to maintain condition after all the travel?
Viper: I’m not sure if it’s okay to say this, but we’re in the same boat as other [Asian] teams. We came a very long distance to travel here.
I would say it’s a rough environment that you have to adapt to in a short period of time, [but] I wouldn’t say there’s something special that we did to maintain our condition. I think the mindset was just to prepare how we usually do and play as well as we normally do; if other teams make mistakes, we just focus on not making mistakes and increasing our chances of winning.
Q: Does G2’s result prove that the gap is smaller than people think? Is it just top teams like GEN and BLG above the other regions?
Viper: I don’t think the gap is that big. In the end, this game requires five players plus the coaching staff. It involves emotion, there can be mistakes, and you can’t be perfect. Anything can happen, and that’s what the professional scene is about.
There might be a gap in knowledge — and you could say it’s big — but when you look at the whole process it takes for a team to win, I don’t think the gap is that big.
Q: Western teams are known for creativity, but today ON smurfed on Anivia support again. How do you feel about those kinds of picks?
Viper: I think it’s like a joker pick. It comes from a specific perspective a player has, like a certain angle or read of the game. That’s important — but more important is that the whole team understands it and is on board with it. You need trust and coordination.
If that pick goes through, I just think about what I can do to support it and what is the best thing I can do in that situation. Regardless of the pick, I just focus on doing my best.
Q: You won First Stand last year and now you’re the only returning champion — and you’re in the finals again. Do you have a message for fans hoping you win back-to-back?
Viper: It’s an honor. Making it to my second finals is already a huge achievement, and it’s thanks to the fans who supported me. Even after a full year, I want to work even harder to repay that support. I’ll do my best in tomorrow’s match.
Header Image Credit: Riot Games
