MKOI Jojopyun: “You have [one] night, basically, to draft for a Bo5. It’s kind of hard”

Q: Not fun to lose like that, but you did get a game. Caps is always very strong in playoffs, did you feel like it was hard for you to get through that wall of experience?

Jojopyun: I think G2 played very well as a team, and of course Caps individually played very well. I think just us as a team weren’t as sharp and as decisive as we were yesterday. So I do think that G2 played very well, but they looked better because we weren’t playing our game today, and we were a bit off today.

So if we were in our standards and we played the way we played for example versus KC, the matches would have been definitely much more close, and we would have played our game, but we didn’t. The enemy team played well, but also we didn’t play how we usually play.

Q: How much harder is it to prep for Fearless drafting when you have one day of warning?

Jojopyun: It’s very hard because we’re prepping versus KC for the past two weeks, and then we only had one day to draft versus G2. Of course, we didn’t lose because of the draft, but we just had less preparation.

I think even the coaches said it was harder to draft because we only have one day, right? But still, our gameplay [level] did not show. So yeah, of course, in Fearless — and you have not even a day, like, a night basically to draft for a best of five. It’s kind of hard, you know, so I understand.

Q: Melzhet mentioned that your scrims have been bad this week, do you think those bad habits came out today?

Jojopyun: Yeah, definitely a lot of bad habits came out today. I think, one, we didn’t play our standards. When we don’t play our standards, we go to our bad habits easier if we’re not really on form. So it showed today by everyone. And yeah, scrims are pretty bad, but we acknowledge that we just have a cycle. Like, we’ll play really well for a couple of weeks, and then shit has to go bad just to go bad, and then we get motivated again, and then it’s good.

So it was at that cycle where shit’s going bad, and then it was like the perfect ramp-up for playoffs where we’re now cycling up. I think next week will be much better. That’s just how the MKOI cycle goes, you know. I think everyone acknowledges that at this point.

Q: What do you miss most about NA – not game or teammate-wise?

Jojopyun: I would say, like, personal relationships. Of course, moving to Europe, I’m not gonna know anybody besides my teammates and the team. So they’re very far away now, which is, of course, harder.

And yeah, I would say, of course, some of the LA and NA restaurants are really good. Like, there’s no In-N-Out in Berlin, no Shake Shack, no Chipotle. But at least my chef is really good. But if it’s an off day and there’s no chef food and I have to order, then it’s kinda — you know, the options are not too good.

Q: Did you see the PROS podcast where Inspired and Impact and Vulcan were all talking about you?

Jojopyun: I’ve seen clips of it on Twitter, but I haven’t watched it. But I’ve seen, like, the clips where they talk about me yeah.

Q: They sent you well wishes for winning EU and making it to MSI. Do you have any well wishes or messages to them? Do you have one you’re rooting for to see at MSI, because they’re all on different teams now?

Jojopyun: Yeah, I mean, it’s hard to root for somebody now, you know? Because they’re like — for example, Impact’s on Team Liquid, Vulcan’s on C9, Inspired’s on FlyQuest, and even my old head coach Earl (Rigby) is on Dignitas now. So there’s too many teams. At least if one — and there’s only one spot now in NA, right? If one of the four make it and we go to MSI, then it’ll be fun to vs any one of them. As long as one of them make it, it doesn’t matter. And I wish them all luck since it’s playoffs right now.

Q: Who do you think will win? Are you also of the opinion that FlyQuest is the strongest? Have you been watching?

Jojopyun: I’m not watching LTA that much, but I heard that FlyQuest and C9 [are] the strongest right now, right? So I would say probably either FlyQuest or C9 because I’m not watching, and people just say they’re the two strongest, so either one of them.

Q: Why did you switch your in-game name from lowercase to uppercase last year?

Jojopyun: Oh, did I? I didn’t even know I did. My name used — I don’t know why my name is uppercase. I never — I don’t remember changing it. I don’t know.

Q: What? I like the lowercase name so much more, it had aura.

Jojopyun: Yeah, I have no clue. I don’t know. I don’t remember asking them to change it. Maybe I did ask, but I don’t remember asking. So maybe I’m just stupid or…

Q: KOI players and staff call you Dodopyun. Is this an insult? What’s going on?

Jojopyun: It’s just a joke. I remember in scrims, I think we’re just — I don’t remember. I think Elyoya started it randomly as a joke, and then it just became like, a saying. But it’s just like, it’s nothing crazy, you know, it’s just a joke.

Q: What does it come from? Do you remember?

Jojopyun: I think Elyoya just one day — it’s like in EG when I think Impact, Inspired, and Vulcan used to call me nicknames. I don’t know, I guess my name is easy to make nicknames [with] and shit. So [Elyoya] just said “Yo Dodopyun,” and then it sounded catchy; then everyone started saying it. So I think that’s how it started. I don’t remember too much.

Q: Between KC and FNC, which team do you think is stronger?

Jojopyun: I think KC is stronger, but… I don’t know, we just played really well yesterday, but they’re also choking. So if they’re both playing to their level, I would say — actually, it’s kind of hard. They have their own strengths. If they play their own way, they’re both good at their own strengths.

Honestly, I think it’s a 50-50. Like, I know it’s a generic answer, but I would say, if no teams are choking, I’d probably choose KC, but I would say it’s close.

Q: Have you been particularly impressed or noticed much about EU mids vs NA mids?

Jojopyun: Not really. I mean, of course, Caps is very good. I think this split, he hasn’t been playing his usual form, but today’s series, I was very impressed with how he was playing. He got — he was very comfortable and got the champs he wanted, and he seemed very locked in.

Of course, when Caps is on his peak, he’s the best in Europe. I think Vladi has been playing well the whole split overall. But I do think compared to NA mids, at their peak, it’s just Caps that’s the best. But I would say on average, it’s pretty even.

Q: Do you have any message to to fans in Canada, fans in NA who are waiting to see you come in person?

Jojopyun: Yeah, I mean, I’ve never played in Canada. It sucks especially that it’s not in Toronto too because I think Valorant’s playing in Toronto, but of course I’ll take Vancouver.

And to all the Canadian fans watching, I really appreciate it. We’re trying our best to make it to Canada. Of course, I really wanna play in Canada too. It’ll be the dream. So yeah, we’re just gonna really try and lock in for the next weeks to try making it to Canada. We just need one more series.