The Pandas continue to impress at the
2025 Mid-Season Invitational, having just taken down the last hope of the LCP, CTBC Flying Oyster.
Anyone's Legend now presses forward with one goal in mind: to win it all. In an exclusive interview, mid laner
Cui "Shanks" Xiao-Jun reflects on his journey as a pro player, his unwavering confidence, and his dream of lifting the trophy.
You are advancing once more in the lower bracket. What do you make of today's victory and who do you expect to face next between FlyQuest and BLG?
Cui "Shanks" Xiao-Jun: "Personally, I'm really happy about our team's victory today. As for the next round, I believe BLG will advance and face us. It will end with AL's victory.
What did you think of CFO’s performance today? Were you surprised? And what’s your impression of Tsai "HongQ" Ming-Hong as an up-and-coming midlaner?
Note: Answer from the post-CFO press conference.
Shanks: CFO definitely met our expectations. They played a very close five-game series against T1, so they were definitely a strong opponent. HongQ is a great mid laner. We prepared a lot for this match, and specifically focused on his champion pool. Honestly, we did really well predicting his picks.
You came into this tournament wanting to be a positive force. How do you reflect on your growth—from the bottom of the LPL to now being one of the top players in the world?
Shanks: Definitely, my past hasn’t been great, but to succeed, you have to go through failure first. I’ve been through a lot in my career already, taken a lot of hits. But right now, I have only one goal: to make it to finals. My career has been like a roller coaster—it takes you down, but it also brings you to your peak. That’s just life. If I had to use one word to describe my life and my career, it would be: fantastic.
You were already denied a match against T1, and I know you're a big Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok fan—you even exchanged jerseys with him. How excited are you to potentially face him later in the bracket, and is proving yourself against him a big goal?
Shanks: I really love Faker, and it’s hard to be a pro player and not like him. There’s only one way I’d use to describe him: the greatest. He’s the greatest player in all of esports. As for facing him, I won’t put too much pressure on myself. I just want to be myself, play in my best form, and bring a fantastic show to the audience in the upcoming matches.
Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
After your previous match, Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon told us he believes Anyone's Legend is the most likely team to make it to the finals and spoke very highly of you. What does that mean to you?
Shanks: It’s definitely some extra encouragement, even though we lost. But yeah, I still believe we’ll make it to the grand final. Faker and T1 are good, so are Gen.G and Chovy—but AL is good as well.
One day, when you retire from esports, what story would you want to tell your kids about your time as a pro player?
Shanks: I’d tell them about the journey of playing in international tournaments, and about facing the best players from each region. Maybe I’ll just show off a bit and share my experiences with them.
What’s been your favorite moment at MSI so far, especially since it’s your first time here? What have you enjoyed the most?
Shanks: The most unforgettable moment was definitely the series against Gen.G. It was really sad that we couldn’t get the win, but I’ll put it all behind me and focus on the next stage ahead.
Any final words for the fans or the teams you’ll be facing next?
Shanks: To my opponents: your MSI journey is about to end here."
Header Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
