Cloud9 Nisqy expects to face Team Liquid in LCS Summer final

Olivia Richman Published 05/08/2019

Cloud9 had a good weekend at the LCS. The dominant team took down OpTic Gaming and Golden Guardians, securing a spot in the playoffs. Then 100 Thieves surprised fans by easily defeating CounterLogic Gaming, which gave Cloud9 a bye in the playoffs, sending them right right to the semifinals.

WIN.gg spoke with Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer about his team’s strengths, who he thinks will be in the finals, and how North America will fare against other regions.

How were you feeling going into the match against OpTic today?

Nisqy: Good. I don’t think we were scared of them at all. Beat them really easily in the past as well. They haven’t shown many good performances lately, and they were losing random games.

You guys pulled ahead really early, and kept that lead. How were you able to pull ahead like that?

They made a lot of mistakes in the early game. Once we got a lead with our composition, it was hard for us to lose the game. The champions had to scale, but we got such an early lead. Theirs were so fucked. They were trying to contest and force the early game.

What were some of their mistakes?

They tried to gank in mid when they didn’t see my jungler, Sejuani. Crown tried to kill me at the tower, but they both died.

I don’t know. They were just not sure of what to do. They just seemed to be doing random stuff, so I don’t know.

You also beat Golden Guardians yesterday.

Yesterday’s game was kind of weird. First of all, I saw Froggen pick Karma. He never played him before I believe. I was kind of confused. He’s also not that good at supportive mids. His champion pool is so weird, but then he just picked Karma. They weren’t doing much on the map.

I don’t think they did much, to be honest. It was weird.

Why do you think Cloud9 has been so strong in the Summer Split?

I think we’re not really scared of taking risks. And we only take them when it’s worth it.

We also rely a lot on our mechanics. At least me and Licorice. It gives us an edge in lane. Knowing when to fight, and knowing when to play it slow is one of the huge things we know.

How are you feeling about your guaranteed spot in the playoffs?

It’s normal for us. It’s not a surprise. It’s just casual. We should be in the playoffs. But I’m still happy we made it.

Are you confident about a match against Counter Logic Gaming?

Last time we played them, our comp was kind of weird. I played Vladimir, which was weird for me. It wasn’t my usual playstyle. Since then I’ve been changing my playstyle a lot. I’ll have some plays in that game for sure.

Which team are you most looking forward to facing in the playoffs?

I think Team Liquid is one of the big ones. They’re still the best.

You guys haven’t yet lost to them this split.

Yeah, but best-of-ones don’t mean as much. Best-of-five is when it matters. I do believe they’re still the best team. They have really good individuals, and they’re not that bad as a team.

Impact is just really good right now.

Do you think you guys have what it takes to beat them in a best-of-five?

I think if we play our game and aren’t scared at all, I do believe we’ll win. TL plays better in the playoffs usually. When it matters a lot, they give 200 percent. That’s when they do riskier stuff as well.

Who do you think it will be in the finals?

I think it will be TL and one other team. Us or maybe TSM, but they’ve been doing pretty bad. CLG is looking pretty good lately, so maybe them or us.

How do you think North America will do against other regions right now?

I don’t really know, to be honest. I think the top teams for sure, like us and TL, can take on other regions. In Rift Rivals, I don’t think it showed what NA really is. And we also learned a lot from that.

What did you learn?

Have more champions in our pool and be more aggressive. EU teams take a lot of risks that often pay off. Korean teams play slower compared to EU, so I think we will do well against them.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile