FNC Noah: "I knew that if I kept getting fed, we'd win [against BDS]."

An exclusive interview with Fnatic's bot laner Noah. The South Korean AD Carry discusses MSI, facing G2, and his reverse sweep victory in the semifinals against BDS.

Oh "Noah" Hyeon-taek, bot laner of Fnatic in the LEC 2024 Spring Playoffs, after winning versus Team BDS in the semifinals.

"Every day, I'm pushing toward my goals and future."

Fnatic exceeded all expectations and achieved a reverse sweep victory against Team BDS in the LEC 2024 Spring Playoffs on Saturday. After earning the title of series MVP, Noah sits down in an exclusive interview to discuss his victory, facing G2, going to MSI, and much more.

| Fnatic has just reverse-swept BDS in the LEC semifinals. After showcasing absolute cinema and being crowned MVP of the series, how are you doing Noah?

Noah: "Well, I'm just doing my thing, you know? I always thought we would win so, we did."

| You've just qualified FNC to the Mid-Season Invitational for the first time since 2018 by reverse sweeping BDS, just as they had been last year against the MAD Lions. Does that mean anything special to you? How do you feel about this?

Noah: "Last year, MAD Lions reverse-swept them and probably knew they were the better team. Today, I took that mentality as well. I knew that we were better even when we went down 0-2. In the end, we played better than them and, we knew that we were going to win. I'm very excited to go to my first-ever Mid-Season Invitational too."

| Are you happy to play internationally again? Are there any players or teams you wish to face?

Noah: "I'm really happy! I want to face JD Gaming because of Ruler. Otherwise... I'd say I want to face Gen.G as well since I competed against Peyz back during my LCK CL days; I want to face him again. Although, Ruler is the best! [laughs]"

| Do you feel like Fnatic is ready for MSI? The last series against Vitality did not feel very clean and, although today was better, maybe there are still aspects you need to work on. Do you feel well prepared?

Noah: "We are definitely not ready yet. We were playing really well about 3 weeks ago but, at the moment, our scrims and official performances are not good at all. I know that we can fix them before MSI and, maybe we'll be able to fix them for the LEC finals too. We'll try our best!"

| How did you keep your calm today after game 2? Achieving reverse sweeps is not an easy task!

Noah: "I think that my teammates definitely felt the pressure after that second game but, I knew that if I kept getting fed we could win. We took things differently afterward and focussed on one game after the other."

| Today, you faced Ice who also went through Zero Tenacity in the ERLs. In a way, you two have the perfect rivalry set-up due to your similar trajectories and history. Did beating him feel different than other ADCs or would you say it was just another opponent on your way to the top?

Noah: "Ice has been playing really well these days and since he also was from Z10, I'm really happy to have beaten him and feel proud of myself. Hopefully, people will realize that Noah > Ice!"

| Unfortunately, the best bot laner in the league, Supa, is no longer competing in playoffs so, you cannot face him for the title of the best ADC in the league [Noah laughs]. Do you believe you'll be able to beat Hans Sama and at least claim the title of second-best bot laner?

Noah: "It's my dream, you know? I want to win against G2 and earn the title of second-best ADC in the LEC. I will try hard to win and achieve this."

| You faced G2 earlier in the playoffs and lost 0-2 against them. Do you feel confident that you'll get revenge in the finals?

Noah: "For sure. Everyone wants to win really badly and, we have confidence but, we are not always on the same page. We're trying to fix this but yeah, I want to beat G2."

| Have you prepared against G2's lane-swap strategies if they decide to pull them out?

Noah: "We've played scrims against them and, they've trained their strategies against us so... We've been reviewing their lane swaps very closely and, I think we are ready to emulate their strategies and respond to them accordingly."

| Fnatic hasn't won a title since 2018 either; Not having won a title since your entrance in the LEC, how hungry are you to beat G2 and earn your first trophy this split?

Noah: "I'm really hungry but, not as a person or team. In the past, I had a bad mentality where, if I won, I would feel incredible but, the moment I lost, I would blame other factors and think that I couldn't have done anything more. Now, I'm no longer like that. I'm ready to play at my best."

| Are you excited to fly to China? Have you ever been there in the past?

Noah: "I've been to China once when I still was an amateur player. This will be my second time there so, I'm excited!"

| Can you give me any specific points which excite you about going to that country? Will you be able to meet your family before heading there?

Noah: "I'll get to meet my family for a short period and then, I think I'll be heading to China directly from South Korea. I heard that this country has a very nice culture and plenty of good food. I'm definitely happy to head there."

| I saw that you recently posted on Twitter "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Could you share more of your wisdom with us today?

Noah: "Every day, I'm pushing toward my goals and future. Leading my teammates... It motivates me to be positive and try hard."

| Could you say a few words for Fnatic fans? I have a feeling that they're going to love you after today!

Noah: "We are trying very hard every day to win the LEC and make our fans happy. Sometimes we stumble, and it's hard for our fans to watch us, but we are trying really hard to make you all happy and win for you. Our fans' support and cheers make us stronger, so please keep doing so! Thank you all for your support."

Header Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games