Bjergsen, who was once the number one single in North America, returned to the field after a year of retirement. Bjergsen, who coached TSM in 2021, had good results in the spring and summer regular seasons, but he broke through in the playoffs and did not make it to the world. This time, he chose to make a comeback at TSM's old rival TL, and his goal is still to become the strongest player in LCS.
Q: Let's introduce ourselves to you first.
Hello everyone, I'm TL's Bjergsen.
Q: Recently you were training in Korea, which is not an easy decision under the current IMPACT OF THE NEW CROWN epidemic, why did you come here?
I've been working as a coach for the past year, and while I've always had a really good mindset about gaming, I also know very well that I have to do more practice to get back on the field. So if conditions permit, I would like to come to Korea very much. Single rows have higher levels and lower latency, and there are more pros and shorter queue times. The higher the rank in the U.S. service, the longer it takes to queue up for the game. Because I want to improve my status quickly, I want to play a lot of games quickly. But coming to South Korea is not an easy decision.
Q: Did you come to Korea alone?
I originally wanted to come with my friends, but for various reasons my friends will arrive later, so now I am here alone. But I also know people in Korea, and Huni, a member of my coaching team, is also in Korea. But all in all, I'm living here alone now.
Q: Many people are surprised to see the photos you uploaded on social media, did Jongno and Kiyohe-cheon have done their homework in advance to find them?
In fact, I didn't know that it was a famous place, I wanted to jog out of the door, there were many people near the Kiyokei River that day, and I also knew that it was a very famous place after I went back.
Q: Everyone was surprised that you returned to the player after coaching, what was the biggest opportunity for you to do this?
During the offseason, I was also torn between whether to continue coaching or get back on the field. Because I am a free man, I have the opportunity to choose between both. Some people say I'll continue to be a coach, some people say I'll go back and be a player. So I also keep playing games to determine if I still have enthusiasm. The days of high practice lasted for three weeks, and watching the World Championship also determined that I wanted to be on the field as a player. After confirming my ideas on this basis, I also realized how much I loved this game and the arena. So it was decided to return as a player.
Q: Players often say that they gain confidence by taking a single row during the break, what do you think of that statement?
I think that gaining confidence from a single row depends on how well you play in the game, and there will definitely be a less smooth game, so you can't judge it by a certain game. Sometimes teammates have bad luck or can't get the hero they want to use, but if you really do a lot of practice and understand how you operate through a single row, then it is very helpful to gain a sense of confidence through a single row.
Q: What was the reason for choosing TSM's long-standing rival, TL?
As far as I know, TSM should have had quite a few opponents in these years (laughs). I think the reason why TL is TSM's biggest opponent is because it breaks the number of consecutive TSM championships in LCS. (TL has won four consecutive LCS titles from spring 2018 to summer 2019) and TL has also performed better than TSM in the past three years.
TL especially wanted to complete the big list I expected to assemble this year, so after looking at this year's big list, I made the decision to make a comeback as a player.
Q: There are a lot of people who say you appreciate CoreJJ, can you tell us what you think of him?
I don't know him very well, and although I've met him a few times when I went to TL, I don't know him very well yet. From the history of playing against him in recent years, I think he is really a very good player in the LCS. And he also won the 2017 global championship at LCK, really a very good player and colleague.
And from a lot of people I've worked with, I've heard a lot of things about him being very nice, so I'm looking forward to playing with him and I'm curious about how he and I will work together.
Q: How is the current state recovery, and what do you want to gain from this off-site training in Korea?
I really played a lot of put the game. In the first week of arriving in Korea, I didn't even open the door and kept practicing. In addition to going downstairs to get takeaways, I have been practicing drinking coffee every day. Although it may seem a bit monotonous, because it is something I haven't done in a long time, I am in a good mood and think it is funny.
My goal in off-site training is to get as high a ranking as I can, because I haven't practiced regularly as a player for a while, so I have to get back in shape in all parts. I haven't played professionally for a year, so I have to practice more with the new heroes Yong'en, Akshan, and Vigus who appear during this time. And in case Aksan becomes a very popular option in the next season, so I also have to prepare in advance, and I have to adapt to the version changes as soon as possible.
Q: What did you learn from the past during your career since your debut in 2012?
Personally, I believe that if you really want to win, you should learn how to rely on others or help others in an influential, positive direction. Because when I first started my career, I was too focused on myself for 3 years, I would blame my teammates when they made mistakes, and I thought about "why my teammates can't do what I do".
But I think it would be better if I did better and smarter in those areas, helped them, let them do better, and thus won the game. Moreover, I also learned to make up for each other's shortcomings in the game, help each other, and communicate more. Each player's strengths and weaknesses are different, and it would be nice if I could make up for the weaknesses of other players, but I had the opposite tendency for a long time. Because of these parts, I felt for a long time that this was not my profession. I learned that if I really want to win a game, you have to make a certain amount of sacrifice.
Q: Returning as a player, what are the goals for the 2022 season?
First of all, I want to be proud of my performance. I haven't played a game in a year, and there are still many places to learn. And in order to still become the strongest single in LCS, you still need to practice more. My first goal is to be the best player in the LCS, and then I want to win the LCS championship and show a good look in international competitions. So when I came to Korea, in order to be the best player again, I will try. This is my first goal.