Tactical Moves to LCS Roster

There is no question that Tactical is ready to compete in the LCS. He made that crystal clear with his own performance with us last split and we know he is eager to make his official debut as Team Liquid's new ADC. As we prepare to face new challenges in the upcoming Summer split we're looking forward to learning and growing along side Tactical as we tackle those challenges together. With that said please give a warm welcome once again to Tactical.

First of all, congratulations. What were your first thoughts when you were told you’d be getting your start in the LCS?

That it was very cool. When I first heard it, I was very happy that I would get to have a chance. It’s what I’ve been trying to get for a bit here, for about a year now. I feel like it’s finally my chance to prove myself and not a lot of players get this opportunity so I want to make it worth it. I’m just really excited, that’s one thing for sure.

What has the last year and a half playing in the Academy system taught you / what have you learned?

My first year when I first joined TSM Academy at the beginning, I knew literally nothing but then I learned the basics of the game like macro, playing around objectives, making sure you provide realistic info about your lane matchups. Also just that being a better player provides a lot of benefits while playing the game. For example if you’re just a better player you’ll just get some random opportunities that usually won’t show up during a game. Like maybe since you outplayed them in a certain way, in a small spacing battle or you got one extra auto attack in a trade, you can snowball off that. These are some of the things that the best players snowball off of. These small things if you’re really precise and thoughtful about what you’re doing, these small things can lead to bigger advantages over time. This also lets you present opportunities to the team that you wouldn’t be able to do and outplay potential.

When you played in those matches last split, I think it was very clear that you’re an LCS calibre player. Granted there’s a lot left to learn by actually playing in the LCS against the best players there but did it boost your confidence to play at such a high level and with such great teammates?

So, before I played I was a bit nervous because I had this thing in my head where I was like “oh my god, it’s LCS” and it’s high level play, I have to do very well if I want to show anything impressive you know? But then I guess I realized the gap isn’t as big as I thought in my head and for myself. I felt pretty good after those games because it definitely makes me feel more assured that I can compete.

You’ve been playing a bit with CoreJJ right? Did that help you ease into your position?

Yes. So we’ve duo’d a lot prior to my LCS games and it helped me feel more comfortable and less nervous because for me personally I’m able to play better with teammates who trust me or like, I’m closer with and he helped me do that. At the beginning when I first duo’d with him I was super nervous but that feeling is not there anymore at all.

Why do you think you felt nervous? Was it because CoreJJ is a world champion, was it the level of play expected of you, or something else?

I think… I definitely did feel some nerves because I’m playing with a world champion and obviously he has high expectations because he has been playing at such a high level for such a long time. But I realized he’s actually really nice and patient, he’s great to work with and a pretty good teacher I think.

How much did those couple of games you played last split help you prepare for the upcoming one?

I got a feel for how the LCS is. Scrims don’t always have the same feel as matches because some teams may play more calculated or less risky and not make those high risk high reward plays. For me it also helped me start working on my nerves. It was useful to be able to play some games before my actual split, I’d say it slowly transitioned me in. Right now I’m way more calm if I were to play a match now compared to back then. I remember my first day I was pretty nervous in the first few minutes of the game but eventually I shook it off and on the 2nd day I was completely fine. So the goal now is to just feel as comfortable as I can during the official matches.

What are your goals now that you’re in the LCS be it in the upcoming split or trying to make it to Worlds, what are you trying to build towards now?

I want to show that I’m a top AD Carry. At least top 3 this split and yeah I want to make it to Worlds. That would be my bigger picture plan.

Do you have anything you’d like to say to fans of the team and fans of yourself who will be watching you play in the upcoming split?

For fans of the team, I’ll make sure not to disappoint. I want to meet your standards and that’s something I want too.