T1 Keria: “I didn’t know that so many people liked me — I really appreciate that most Western fans see me positively.”
Q: I want to start with some fun questions. I want to know what’s your favorite K-pop group, idol, and song right now and why?
Keria: I don’t think I have one group I like right now, but I used to like BLACKPINK years ago.
Q: Do you have a favorite soccer team? You’ve worn different jerseys on stream, so people want to know what your favorite soccer team is — either one of those or another.
Keria: Barcelona and Manchester City
Q: Have you and the team gotten to hang out and explore Beijing at all yet, or is it all prep for the series?
Keria: Since we only arrived in Beijing a few days ago, we haven’t had much time to hang out. We have an important match, so we are focusing on practice and scrimming. Also, we have to shoot teasers so our schedule is quite full.
Q: Have you made plans with any players from other regions or other teams? I remember hearing you and Quad hung out at the gym but didn’t really work out — is that your usual way to hang out?
Keria: I went to the gym during MSI season, and originally we were going to train seriously with Quad. But when we met each other, we couldn’t help but laughing, so we ended up just having fun while doing a little bit of practice.
Q: If you had to pick 5 players from Worlds to defend you, and the other 80 attack in a zombie wave (but you get prep time), who would you pick?
Keria: Oner, Zeka, Kingen, Life, and Grizzly.
Q: Oh, sorry, out of Worlds players.
Keria: It’s too hard to pick.
Q: After MSI, when you guys lost in the finals, I asked you what you were thinking about because you looked very down. You’re known for being emotional after losses but also for bouncing back. What helps you reset your mental and approach the next season strong after those heartbreaking losses?
Keria: I know I had a very big emotional reaction, but it doesn’t really affect my daily life or my matches. Even though I lost in the MSI finals, I think it was fun to play, and we had lots of things to learn — we could fix the problems and move on. So I don’t think that’s a really bad thing.
Q: In the West, many support players say they want to be like you — that you’re their favorite support and an icon for the role. Do you know about this? How does it feel being one of the most iconic role players in League’s history?
Keria: I know a little bit about my reputation, but I didn’t know that much. I didn’t know that so many people liked me — I really appreciate that most Western fans see me positively. I’m thankful that I can have a positive impact on them, and I’ll keep working hard.
Q: Speaking of Western teams, with so many regions rising up to try to beat LCK and LPL, which Western team do you think will place the highest in this tournament?
Keria: Since Worlds is where the strongest teams from all regions come together, I think they’re all strong. But if I had to choose one, I’d say FlyQuest.
Q: You’re going against IG soon. Where does your confidence come from, and what kind of performance do you expect?
Keria: My confidence comes from how hard we’re practicing. I think the practice process is very important. Many fans are looking forward to the T1 vs IG match, so we’ll practice even more and make sure not to let the T1 fans down. I don’t want to go home so early.
Transcript edits by @midjglsynergy
