MAD Lions Shad0w on jungle Evelynn and his goals at Worlds

Jared Wynne Published 25/09/2020

MAD Lions had a mixed first day at the 2020 World Championship. The team found victory versus Brazil’s INTZ of the CBLOL, but the win wasn’t as clean as some had expected. This would prove a grim omen for later in the day, as MAD Lions fell to Team Liquid in closing out the first day of competition.

The team is still very much in the running to advance to the main event, and its chances will largely depend on the performance of Zhiqiang “Shad0w” Zhao. Our partners at wanplus have translated his interview on-site in which he discussed his performance and his expectations for Worlds 2020.

Q: This is your first time at the World Championship, and you got your first victory versus INTZ. How do you feel about that?

Shad0w: I’m very excited and quite nervous actually. I made some mistakes, but I think we are ready for the next [games].

You used to play for an LPL academy team. Are there any differences in playstyles between the LPL and LEC?

It’s quite different. LEC junglers focus more on ganks and helping teammates to gain advantages [in lane]. Meanwhile in the LPL, junglers tend to be the carry of the team.

So what type of jungler do you think you are?

I think I more like to be a carry, since I feel good about outplaying my opponents. Ever if I don’t, I can farm to carry.

Why did you choose Evelynn jungle today? Do you think it fits the meta or not?

I think carry junglers like Evelynn, Graves, and Nidalee are the meta right now, they all could be very powerful.

When you tried to gank the top lane versus INTZ, you were countered. But you survived due to Urgot‘s errant teleport. How did you feel about that?

I felt bad about that gank, since the way I flashed is actually kind of awkward. I could have gotten killed but I didn’t, so I’m very happy about that.

In the mid game, Urgot seemed to be the carry for INTZ. How did you and your teammates handle the Urgot with a Guardian Angel?

We decided to focus the other members, especially Alistar. Because Alistar is easy to catch, and once Alistar is down, the others [have a hard time dealing] as much damage.

In the second Baron fight, you engaged pretty aggressively and got killed. But your team still won the fight. How did you communicate with the team there? Did you worry that you were too aggressive?

Actually, I didn’t pay much attention to my team. I was just thinking about how to kill the enemy carry myself. And I [used my ultimate] in the wrong direction, otherwise I could have survived. But my distraction worked, since it allowed my teammates to deal more damage.

You are being the guide and interpreter of your teammates in China. Do you plan to have them try out some Chinese cuisine?

Sure, if we have time to. They really like Chinese foods.

What is your goal at Worlds this year?

One step a time. We want to get into groups first, to see what we are capable of. We will be really happy if we can get into the quarterfinals and further.

Jared Wynne

About Jared Wynne

Jared Wynne is the Editor-in-Chief at WIN.gg, overseeing its content. He has been working in digital media for over two decades, most often in and around the gaming industry. His all-time favorite games include Baldur’s Gate, Doom, and Counter-Strike, but he’ll play just about anything that seems interesting. His previous credits include The Daily Dot, The Esports Observer, GameLand, and more.

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