In a
move which many European fans did not expect, South Korean bot laner
Yoon "Ice" Sang-hoon was recently
announced to be taking over the position of
Juš "Crownie" Marušič within
Team BDS in the
2024 LoL EMEA Championship (LEC). Dominant in the Polish regional league, the 22-year-old AD Carry quickly sparked the interest of several members of the scene, notably through his
very aggressive play-style. We sat down with the team's new prospect and asked him a few questions about his entry into the league and his expectations.
| After a split in the Ultraliga, you're now entering the LEC for the first time. Ice, how are you approaching joining a major European team, are you confident?
“I'm very confident in my abilities to perform well in the LEC. My main priority at the moment is to build synergy with my teammates in order to get more comfortable with my team. I really want to improve my English as soon as possible so that our team communications can improve as well.”
| European fans were really surprised to see Crownie be replaced after 2023. How would you compare your play-style to his?
“I watched him play, notably at Worlds, and I came to the conclusion that he seems very dependent on the meta he plays in, whereas I think I can thrive in any given meta. Personally, I don't really care what is being played, I am very confident with any picks.”
| Do you think you'd be a top player in the league regardless of what's played then?
“Yes. I would say that my best play-style is a very aggressive one though, I hope that I'll be able to show it off!”
Ice started his career with SANDBOX in 2020. He spent most of his time under the org's challengers team.
| You started your career in Korea during the pandemic in 2020 and competed with SANDBOX until 2022. How have things changed since moving to Europe? Do you feel yourself integrating well into the culture?
“The staff behind BDS have been very kind and helpful to me so far. They've been investing resources to help me learn English fast, and I feel like I'm making great progress.”
“One of my biggest concerns when I moved to Europe was that I thought I wouldn't adapt well to local food. [Being very used to Korea's food], I thought that I would maybe even have a bad reaction to foreign cuisine. Luckily, BDS have been preparing really nice food for us and I feel very satisfied, so this isn't much of a worry for me anymore.”
| Last year, you seemed quite confident on social media. I recall you saying "only Carzzy is playing well, other ADCs I can beat" and also "I agree that noah is great, but I can do better than him!". What do you think about players in your position and where would you rank yourself in the league?
“At the moment, I don't have a lot of experience playing against current LEC bot laners, so it's hard to say. I recently played against [G2] Hans Sama and, though I don't know a lot about him, I think he is still better than me for now.”
| Since you solely mentioned Hans Sama, do you see yourself as the second best bot laner in the league?
“I think that if we win our first game against G2, I could even be first.”
Ice, joining as BDS' new AD Carry.
| With the new season beginning so late, have your practice been impacted by the absence of a 14.1 ranked ladder? Do you feel confident about your team's read on the meta?
“I don't think that the changes have impacted our practice too much. Right now, I'm very confident from how things are looking that we can end the group stage in the top 3. The Winter Split will most likely depend a lot on how our first week goes and how we'll carry our momentum.”
| Overall, what are your goals with BDS?
“My first goal is to win the LEC, but the most important will be to qualify for Worlds. When we get there, I'll do my best to go as far as possible, but we're still quite far from reaching that goal.”
| BDS is being ranked quite low on most tier lists and some fans seem to be doubting the potential of the team. What would you like to say to them?
“I will do my best to achieve great results this season and I hope to make BDS fans proud. Please support us and believe in us.”
What's next?
With the LEC 2024 Winter Split beginning on January 13th, Ice and his team are currently set to play in the league's opening match against G2 Esports. Being put against what could be, in his eyes, the strongest bot laner in the league, the South Korean player will have a lot to prove against what is objectively considered to be one of the best current European teams.
Week 1 BDS LEC Schedule:
- Saturday 13th, 17:00 CET - G2 vs BDS
- Sunday 14th, 17:00 CET - GX vs BDS
- Monday 15th, 17:00 CET - BDS vs VIT
BDS Ice, posing with Adam during the team's promotional shoot.
