MISSING and Oner open up on the 2023 MSI experience
JDG’s Lou “MISSING” Yun-Feng and T1’s Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun spoke to the media after the former won out in their hotly anticipated MSI 2023 upper bracket matchup.
JD Gaming took the series in a 3-2 battle that had little to split the sides on paper beforehand and even less to separate them on the day. The LPL winners now qualify for the tournament’s grand final, while T1 will drop to the loser bracket and face the winner of Bilibili Gaming and Gen.G.
Oner was quickly asked which of the remaining lower bracket sides he expected to go up against, but he didn’t fall into speculation, confirming he has “no idea who’s going to win.” Elaborating, he explained that “it doesn’t actually matter who wins tomorrow because we have just got to play better than the opponent and keep winning.”
On what needs improving moving forwards, the jungler singled out T1’s tendency to “keep making mistakes” as their current crux, adding that “just getting rid of all the mistakes we were making is the key.”
T1’s lineup is currently on an unwanted streak of international game-five losses stretching back to 2021, though Oner “personally doesn’t feel any pressure or mental block regarding that record.”
“I think my teammates are feeling the same way as well. It’s all the same for everyone. We were on 2-2, but our opponents were also on the same score.”
MISSING’s JD Gaming has spent years challenging at the top of China’s LPL but has consistently struggled to make that transition into international success. After today’s “very close, insane matchup,” they’ve now made it to the MSI 2023 final. MISSING was asked how they’ve managed this rise in fortunes.
“First of all we reviewed our roster this year and then did a really good job in LPL Spring. We have improved a lot at a very fast pace and improved our team synergy as well.”
He’s playing in a bot lane alongside legendary AD carry Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk, who now chases his first international title since winning Worlds in 2017 with Samsung Galaxy. “He can do everything himself,” MISSING said of his duo partner. “I have kept improving due to the experience playing together.”
Asked by WIN.gg about his experience peeling for Ruler during the hectic team fights in both the T1 series and tournament as a whole, MISSING was fairly nonchalant about his responsibilities.
“I don’t feel nervous, actually. I just had to utilize the strengths of the champions I had.”
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