Huni on big Dignitas contract: "I proved myself, I'm worth it"

Olivia Richman Published 26/01/2020

The new Dignitas lineup entered their first 2020 LCS Spring Split match as underdogs, but had little trouble against Counter Logic Gaming. Despite their concerning off-season, the veteran squad proved they still have a lot to offer and Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon is here to bring it out of them.

The former Clutch Gaming top laner told WIN.gg all about that fateful off-season and how he plans to lead his new teammates to victory this year.

You were seen as the underdogs going into this match. How does it feel coming out on top?

Huni: I agree that we were underdogs. It did seem like we were, but it was unpredictable for me. We had no info on how good CLG were. Every single player on this team, Aphromoo, Froggen… They are much better than what people expected. Including me. But when I played with them, I saw they were much better. They were better than what I expected, too.

At that point, we had the confidence to beat CLG. I was feeling pretty chill. We take those.

What were some of your concerns coming into this match?

I had a lot, honestly. It was the first game we played on the stage together. Johnsun, he never played in the LCS before. That’s a massive difference between the scrim and the stage. We were playing well in scrims, but it’s so different on the stage. We could lose our focus. But we ended up being pretty chill. We still didn’t show 100%.

Why not? Were you holding back on purpose?

Just because it was our first time. It was my first time with a new roster. As we play more, it’ll build our confidence level and it’ll be even more comfortable playing on the stage. Hopefully.

What do you think helped Dignitas take the win?

First of all, based on our draft, we just trust each other. As long as we’re together, building each other up and synching well. We had some weaknesses in scrim and weren’t in sync as much as we could be, but today we focused a lot on overcoming that and stablizing the game as much we can. That got us the win today.

How does it feel to be the team bringing Dignitas back to the LCS after all these years?

It’s pretty cool. It’s better to be on a big team as well-known as Dignitas. They’ve been in the esports scene for 20 years. It feels pretty cozy. I feel I found my home.

Did you feel any pressure to prove yourself because of Dignitas’ former absence from the League scene?

Yeah, definitely. That was my first concern, the pressure. They only kept me from last year. That’s a lot of pressure, too. I even have to prove to my team that I’m worth it. I had a lot of presusre to prove myself. Talking to staff, including the CEO, he told me not to stress. He said I was fine. Just do what you did last year.

Last year, I did a lot honestly. I’ll be happy if I do what I did last year.

Everyone was making a big deal about your contract in the off-season. Why do you think you were seen as such a desirable player?

I proved a lot of things last year. I did a lot. There’s a result and everyone can see it. Huni was there, smurfing just every game. My CEO loved me. That’s what happened. I just deserved it.

Were you worried when you were the only player on their roster for a while?

Yeah, pretty much. Since I’m not from the US, I wasn’t in Los Angeles with the staff. There were big time differences. Because of that, there was a big problem with communication. I was kind of scared but we got something going. There was nothing we could have done better.

How are you feeling about your teammates?

Honestly, I didn’t know any of them beforehand. They were better than what I expected. I was scared during the off-season, being alone and not knowing who would come. It didn’t sound like the best team they could have gotten, but they tried hard and are motivated.

I can make them better. I feel I can make my teammates stronger. That’s how to build a team. I should be leading the team a bit and helping them to be stronger. That’s my responsibility. I’m 100% trusting they can make it happen.

How is this team’s atmosphere compared to Clutch Gaming?

Unfortunately, since I got here late because of visa processing taking a long time, this is my second week. I came here January 15, not even two weeks. But scrims are going well. We’re winning in scrims, doing well. That’s how we started to get along well. We’re gamers. We play the game.

So you all have that same mindset of just wanting to play. What are your thoughts on the new schedule, with Monday Night League?

Personally I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll have to see. The changes to the Spring Split are more interesting with the circuit points. That’s the more important change.

Spring Split is only about MSI. But still, whoever does well in Spring Split, they’ll do better in the Summer Split. You’re still aiming to go further, do the best you can. I think it will be better for us. I feel like my team is going to be stronger as time goes on. We’re hungry.

Which team are you looking forward to facing this season the most?

Seeing Cloud9 today, I’d say C9. Team Liquid was probably not fully ready yet with Broxah not here. But still, C9 or Liquid. Liquid has been winning. Everyone would like to take them down.

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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