Hauntzer, Closer, FBI talk Damonte and the LCS teams they're targeting

Olivia Richman Published 09/06/2020

Golden Guardians finished sixtth in the Spring Split, falling short in the playoffs. But with a new roster and a new focus, the Golden Guardians squad is looking forward to a more successful Summer Split.

WIN.gg chatted with Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell, Can “Closer” Çelik, and Victor “FBI” Huang about their goals for the LCS Summer Split and which teams they’re looking forward to beating.

How has practice been?

Hauntzer: Scrimming’s been good. Nothing’s changed, really, since Spring Split.

Closer: We’re used to being focused on the game. But it feels bad, what’s happening what’s outside of the game.

How has it been practicing with Damonte?

Closer: Damonte’s been my friend. I’ve seen him in solo queue as well. I always thought he was a good player. Playing on same team, it feels good.

FBI: It’s been really cool. He’s a really good player. He’s a really chill and funny guy so he’s been fitting really well into our team. I’m really excited.

How do you think he will impact your Summer Split?

Closer: I think his communication and individual skills are really good. He will definitely help our team to get better.

FBI: I think he’ll have a large impact. As a player, Damonte is really willing to roam and sacrifice himself for the team. That kind of strength is something that’s really OP, honestly. I’m excited. I think we’ll be doing really well in the summer.

How are you feeling about the most recent Spring Split?

Hauntzer: It was a frustrating end. It was overall just not a great split for us. A change in middle of the split that kind of derailed us a bit until we got back on track. Overall, it just wasn’t the greatest.

Our performance in playoffs was the most disappointing, against FlyQuest. We had a really good chance, but underperformed that day.

FBI: I’m pretty confident. Last season we defied expectations. But I do think we could have made it a lot further in the playoffs run. I’m hoping we can show that in the next Split.

Closer: I’m feeling good. I just want to play the official game again. We won’t be on stage probably, but it’s still LCS. I want to go to Worlds.

What’s your focus on for this split?

Hauntzer: We just want to focus on the fundamentals. How we want to play early game, having a better game plan. We learned a lot from Spring and we just want to be more open minded to having other people carry the game.

Closer, you were considered the second best jungler in the LCS this Spring Split. What makes your style different than other junglers in NA right now?

Closer: Even though I come from a minor region and even though I’m a rookie, I play every day. My micro game is really good. When I entered the game, I started to be a shot caller. I managed our macro game. It’s made my job easier, to plan for myself. That’s one thing I do really well I think. When I’m a shot caller, planning everything, that allows me to really play the game the best I can.

What’s the main difference between NA junglers and Turkish junglers?

Closer: In Turkey, I knew I was the best jungler by far. There wasn’t much to improve against the opponents. We played European teams in practice, in scrims, once a week. That was my only chance to improve against good players. When I came here, we scrim against good players every day. I get to learn from them and improve.

What are your thoughts on the new TSM roster?

Hauntzer: They have some good individual players, that’s for sure. Whether they have success or not is up to them.

What team are you most excited to face this season?

Hauntzer: I’m not really excited to play against any team. But I’m excited to prove myself and prove that my team is good and try to do our best.

Closer: I’m excited to face TSM. Brokenblade is my friend. And I want to beat him.

FBI: For me personally, it’s 100 Thieves. They have Ryoma, a good friend of mine, also from OCE. We lost when we played them last few times in the Spring Split.

Do you think you can take them on now?

FBI: 100%. Without a doubt, we’re taking Ryoma down.

Closer: Yeah, of course.

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.

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