"I think my performance today was pretty bad. I need to play better if I want us to get out of Play-Ins."
After a hard-fought match against paiN Gaming, Yu "JunJia" Chun-chia and PSG Talon are now looking ahead to a challenging opponent: the MAD Lions KOI. Despite having dropped one game against their Brazilian nemesis, the Taiwanese team is now advancing at Worlds 2024, hoping to prove the strength of the PCS. Here’s an exclusive interview with PSG Talon's jungler before this exciting matchup.
How do you feel after today’s hard-fought 2-1 win against paiN Gaming?
Yu "JunJia" Chun-chia: "I think there are a lot of things we didn’t do well today; we made a lot of mistakes. I hope we can adjust well for the next game.
Do you feel stressed going into Worlds, especially with high expectations of your team's status?
JunJia: I think because we played pretty well in MSI, everyone has high expectations for us. But I think my performance today was pretty bad. So I hope I'll have a chance if I play better. I need to play better if I want us to get out of Play-Ins.
What do you think went wrong in game one?
JunJia: Personally, it's really simple—I just think I didn’t play well in the first game.
As one of the last PCS teams at Worlds before the merge into APAC, how do you feel about representing your region on the international stage?
JunJia: We really need to perform for the PCS. It's the last time that our region, as it is known today, will compete, so I want us to perform for the PCS
What are your thoughts on the upcoming APAC region merge next year, and how do you think it will impact the region and the league's overall level?
JunJia: I personally believe that the merge will make us stronger as a region, especially with VCS joining APAC. They have a lot of strong teams, so I think it will help improve us all together.
You're widely regarded as one of the best players from the PCS and one of the top junglers globally. Do you agree with this sentiment? Do you feel pressure from those expectations?
JunJia: I personally think I still need to improve to meet those expectations from the fans. I don't see myself at that level just yet.
Are there specific teams you want to face at Worlds 2024?
JunJia: Personally, it’s MAD Lions KOI. Luckily, we’re playing against them next match. I think Elyoya is a really good jungler. I've seen him play at Worlds for several years, and I'm super excited to face him. I think this match will be phenomenal, but I can't tell who will win.
How do you feel about the current meta change, especially with your two Skarner games today? Does it favor your team, and are you confident in it?
JunJia: I think Skarner is pretty good in this meta. I'm not familiar with many junglers in this meta, so I need to practice more. There are champions that I'm still not comfortable with in this patch, so I will try my best and perform well in the future. I think the meta is not particularly good and not particularly bad for us though. It really doesn't impact us as a whole that much.
Today, you picked Vayne, which was an interesting choice. Was there a specific reason for that, and can we expect any other unique picks in the future?
JunJia: Azhi is comfortable playing Vayne, which is why he picked it. He also has other picks we haven’t shown yet that we’ll use in the future.
How has your experience been in Berlin, and how does it feel to be on the stage?
JunJia: My body doesn't really like the German weather so far, and I'm not used to the food either. But the LEC stage has been really nice, and I'm super happy the arena has table tennis too [laughs]. So yeah, it's pretty cool.
Have you had any trouble with or found any food you really liked in Berlin so far?
JunJia: I'm not really a picky eater, but if there's one thing I want to mention, it's that the hamburgers here are too huge for me.
Do you have any message for PSG fans and your followers before we finish?
JunJia: Thank you all for your support, and I'm sorry that I didn't play the best today. We'll try to improve next time. Thank you."
Header Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games