If you were to ask who is the strongest down-to-road combination among the League of Legends pros? Then there is only one answer, and that is Bang and Wolf, who helped SKT win the world championship for two consecutive years. Time flies, these two have long ceased to be brave, Wolf announced his retirement and transformation into an anchor a long time ago, although Bang has gone to North America to play games, and returned to LCK for a while, but in the end it has been smoothed out by the years.
Not long ago, T1 held an online retirement ceremony for the two former meritorious players, and at the retirement ceremony, the two players also answered a lot of questions about the two of them.
Q: How did you feel about this retirement ceremony?
Wolf: It's been almost three years since I retired. At first I thought, "Why now?" "But I'm glad they can still take care of me like that."
Bang: I'm excited to end my career that way.
Q: Due to the epidemic, the retirement ceremony can only be held online, and you can't see fans, will you be sad?
Wolf: If we could meet with our fans and talk to them, it would be fun for us, but it wouldn't work out, and it wouldn't work, but at least we could communicate online.
Bang: If there's an event like this, we can meet with fans or do interviews with journalists, but in this case, we can't do that, and I'm sad. However, it is important to ensure safety. Since the pandemic has been around for quite some time, I'm used to doing things like this online, so it's not a bad thing.
Q: When did you decide to retire?
Wolf: Well, I did retire for a while. Back in 2019, I thought my mental health would improve if I played abroad, but things didn't go the way I thought. I started thinking about retirement when I was in the Turkish league and I thought about it throughout the whole process there.
Bang: Wolf retired earlier than I did, but in the last 2 or 3 years, a lot of the players I've played with have retired. I think I'm probably going to retire soon. When I found out I couldn't play next year because of my military service, I felt the time had come.
Q: The two of you had a long time at your peak, which game was the most memorable?
Wolf: Since I started doing live streaming, a lot of fans have been talking about some of my matches. The matches they mention the most were against EDG, the low I used, and my Jellya at MSI, which were the most memorable.
Bang: I don't remember those games very much, I just think of some highlight moments. Some of the games we've won really make sense. Most of the time, the highlights I see in posts about me are the most memorable. I've played too many games, there are so many meaningful games – I can't just pick one moment.
Q: When did you feel satisfied with being a pro? Have you ever regretted it?
Wolf: My salary is going up every year and I feel good. [Laughs] Since my debut, my goal in life is to live without complaints and regrets. I don't think I've ever regretted being a pro.
Bang: I think the life of a professional is a little bit different from other jobs. Then, given my profession, there are also some jobs that I can do in the future. I also have no regrets about becoming a professional player. In the process of doing this job, I met a lot of great people, so this is where I feel the best.
Q: If you had to pick someone you would appreciate the most in your career, who would it be?
Bang: I think we'd say the same person.
Wolf: Who? KkOma？ yes. He made us who we are today. He always helped us in the game, and also outside the game. Definitely KkOma.
Bang: For me as well. Whether in-game or off-game, kkOma always takes into account our feelings and I feel deeply loved. He's a great guy and a guy with a lot to learn from.
Q: Besides being a professional player, what do you most want to do?
Wolf: I've done almost everything I want to do in the last two years, so for now, nothing. When I retired, the pandemic hadn't yet emerged, so I wanted to open a PC café. If the pandemic goes away, I might open a café, do live streaming there, and host events. 、
Bang: When I went back to school, I wanted to go to the military academy. [Laughs] I want to be an officer.
Wolf: Maybe you can still...? (Wolf here refers to returning to the professional arena)
Bang: No, it's too late. I'm too old now. So what I want to do now is help others. If I hadn't become a pro, I might have become an officer, which is something I still want to do.
Q: Are you planning to become a coach in the future?
Wolf: I don't want to be a coach yet. I do have some backup plans about becoming a coach, but my life right now is very satisfying. I wanted to live a life that was more free, not a life full of wins and losses, so I didn't want to be a coach yet.
Bang: So do I. When I was a professional, I saw what it meant to be a coach. The pressure is similar to what the players experienced, and it wasn't long after I retired. I do think I can be a good coach, but I still don't want to do it. I don't know if it will change after a while. My goal is to complete my military mission by Next November, so maybe by then maybe? I do think it's going to be fun, but there's also a lot of pressure.
Q: If you had to pick the hardest player or team to face, who would it be?
Wolf: For me, it's mata. I remember that his performance in vision made me feel bad, and I learned a lot from him, and the strengths I learned from him helped me very well, and Deft was difficult to face.
Bang: Of those teams, I have to say it's ROX Tigers. When we perform well, they are our biggest opponents and it is difficult to face them. As for the contestants, I think it's Pray and Deft. It's hard to choose because there are different situations almost every week, depending on the version. I won and lost to so many players.
Q: Is there a special hero who has made you who you are today?
Wolf: There are a lot, but I have to choose the Bull's Head, I play the Bull's Head very confidently, he's also the hero I play the most, I think it's comfortable to use this hero.
Bang: I think of several heroes, some of which I'm good at, but there's one hero who puts me in that position. One of the reasons I became a pro was the male gun. When I first started playing ADC, I mainly played the male gun, and I believed that the male gun was the hero who made me.
Q: It is not common for joint decommissioning ceremonies to be held. How do you feel about that?
WOLF: I'm thankful that T1 and Bang had this opportunity. The chef made us a good table, so I appreciated it too. I'm very happy because I'm full now. [Laughs]
Bang: It's been over three years since I left SKT T1, but I always thought it was my home and I could come back here. I'm really happy that I can end my career in a place where I think it's my home.
Q: There are a lot of professional players who follow your example, do you have any experience or experience to share with them about a successful career?
Wolf: It's really difficult, there are a lot of players who are remembered, there are a lot of players who are forgotten. There will be difficult times in your career, but if you close your eyes and focus on what you're going to do, it will help you improve yourself. I used to think the most important thing was to work hard, but in retrospect, luck was also... [Laughs] Several things have to go well. The most realistic advice I can give is to just work hard and not think about things that might shake you.
Bang: In the professional gaming world, effort is something that everyone does, and it's a must to survive here. I think it's important to play in an environment where you can play well.
Q: What was your happiest moment as a professional player?
Wolf: There were a lot of happy moments, but the most exciting and satisfying moments were when I was sitting there talking about paychecks. [Laughs] When we sign a contract, even if we have complaints, we just have to move on and try to perform. Getting compensated in the next salary negotiation was the happiest moment of my career. This happy atmosphere lasted for about a week.
Bang: My happiest moments are at the end of the season, when I'm traveling with friends. I was able to rest without feeling the pressure to be competing all the time. It was fun wherever we went, and it made me feel fresh.
Q: Do you have anything to say to your family who has supported you for years?
Wolf: It's been a long time since I was 17. I didn't make a lot of time out of my family, so I'm sorry. Still, I would like to thank them, they always encouraged me, cheered me on, and loved me. Even after retiring, I didn't see them very often, and I'm sorry about that. I would also like to thank those who took care of me like family.
Bang: I also came to Seoul when I was 17 years old. I also didn't spend a lot of time with my family, but they always created an environment for me to come home comfortably. Because of them, I was able to go all the way. Thank you
Q: Is there anything else I want to say at the end?
Wolf: LCK will start on January 12, when I will resume my show. Please stay tuned to me. Thank you to those who like Wolf as a player, and please continue to support Wolf as a host.
Bang: Thank you guys for cheering me on and following me throughout my career. All my memories and experiences are so precious. After such a long period of hard work, I am very happy to see me. I don't know if I've had the chance to meet the fans and I want to thank all of you. The last thing I want to say is that I was very happy during this time.