DCG Pop9: “I’m a chill guy. I just made a scary face in the photos.”
Q: Coming from Tier 2 so recently, how does it feel being at your first international?
Pop9: Well, it was feeling kind of surreal the moment that we realized that we were qualified for 2026 MSI. And then, yeah, [it felt good] to know that we did it, and coming here, being on the MSI stage, I just feel excited.
Q: Have you been to Korea before? How are you enjoying Daejeon?
Pop9: I haven’t been to Korea before, but spending several days over here, I’ve already adjusted to the environment here. I like it.
Q: ShiauC has been to international events before — did he give you guys any tips?
Pop9: Well, he only told me, “Don’t be nervous.” That’s it.
Q: How much do you know about your first opponent, KC? Do you watch much LEC?
Pop9: I’ve watched games from all the major regions, and I definitely watched the whole [LEC] regular season and the finals as well, so I can tell you I’m very familiar with this team.
Q: You watched the entire regular season and finals of LEC? Who’s your favorite team?
Pop9: Can I only pick one team? […] As many as I want? I watch G2 and KC’s junglers in terms of their jungle pathing and decisions. I think they’re definitely creative and powerful.
Q: Speaking of, DCG is known for being a lot more aggressive and skirmish-focused than teams like KC, who are better at macro. Is that skill a concern for you?
Pop9: I feel like they haven’t played against too many teams like us because we have different playstyles, so I think maybe we can catch them off guard.
Q: Who’s the player you’d like to do a jersey swap with at MSI?
Pop9: Hmm… I think all the junglers at MSI are pretty strong. I want to meet them all. One-by-one jersey swap with all of them. [For one], I’ll pick Kanavi. I’ll go with Kanavi.
Q: You have such a scary face in all of your official LCP photos, but you’re smiling so wide right now. I thought you would be much more quiet.
Pop9: Yes, I’m a chill guy. I just made a scary face in the photos.
Q: Have your scrims given you confidence about DCG’s level? How are you feeling about your tournament outlook?
Pop9: We’ve played some scrims after we got here, and I only have one thing to say: Just please don’t underestimate us. I would put ourselves on the level of a team that cannot be underestimated.
Q: You’re also likely to face TL at some point. Do you watch the LCS? Are you familiar with their style?
Pop9: Mostly, I’ve watched LYON, so I’m not that familiar with the others. But I also heard that the TL jungler is playing a very aggressive playstyle, so I’m looking forward to it. We will definitely get well prepared.
Header Image Credit: Riot Games
