The return of the LEC is just around the corner and with it the return of the best European teams in the top European League of Legends competition. After an action-packed split full of strong emotions, reaching the LEC final and making it to his first MSI, Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz Jiménez joins us for an interview to reflect on this and the previous split and give a bit more light on Fnatic.
Hi Óscar, thank you very much for your time, I hope I won't catch you too busy.
Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz Jiménez: Thank you for the invitation.
Before we start talking about the MSI, the defeat against Team Liquid and all the rest. Óscar, I would like to ask you about the split as we noticed big improvement especially in you. What do you think this is due to?
Oscarinin: I think the previous split I wasn't in the best mental state to be honest, I got into a very bad streak of SoloQ, scrims and personally then I started to play worse, to have less confidence in myself and above all to play worse on stage.
A little birdie told me that SoloQ is very important for you and that it defines how you will do in official games.
Oscarinin: Yes, the truth is that for me playing SoloQ is very important, to practice match ups, to feel comfortable with the champions I play, to be mechanically fine and so on and if I don't play a lot I have less confidence and then it can affect me a little bit. I simply value SoloQ too much, I think.
Something that I want to come back to from what you said before is the mental state you were in at the beginning of the year. How did that evolve in you, especially in a team as demanding and as exposed to social pressure like Fnatic?
Oscarinin: I would say that the first split was a disaster and I was going through a bad patch at the time *laughs* and I said okay, we have to change things a bit. I started to be more serious about everything, routines, sleep, SoloQ and so on. I started to focus a lot on that and I think it's very important to learn to manage your emotions and I wasn't doing that very well to be honest *laughs*.
Was it something similar to your rookie split in Fnatic or would you say worse?
Oscarinin: My first split in Fnatic was much worse *laughs*, I looked at myself in the mirror and said: It's not me playing, I don't play like that. I have to wake up.
I started to work even harder, but I swear I don't know what I was doing, I felt it wasn't me, it was a bot playing for me *laughs*.
Is mental toughness something you have worked on a lot during your time in the LEC or did you already come with a mentality of not paying attention to other people's comments and stuff like that?
Oscarinin: Well, the truth is that I have never cared much about other people's opinion about me, since my debut in Superliga when I had a bit of beef with Antonio and people were throwing a lot of shit at me. Since then, I learned to deal with it and the truth is that I don't give a shit about people's opinions *laughs*, I know what my potential is and if I'm good or not and I don't need validation from other people.
Before talking about the MSI, I have to ask you about the final against G2, a final that is still in the pipeline. What do you think it takes to take away this aura of invincibility they have?
Oscarinin: Well, it's the first final I've played in *laughs*. I don't feel they are invincible to be honest, I think we could have won that final, but we weren't well enough prepared against the lane swap. The truth is that I'm confident that we can stand up to G2. I think they have a very good team structure, and they know what they have to do both inside and outside the game, which I think is the most important thing and we still have to work a bit more on our structure.
I think the gap between G2, and the rest of the teams is discipline, like between the Asian teams and the rest of the regions really.
It's a hopeful answer for Fnatic fans for sure, what was not so hopeful was your time at MSI Óscar, how did you experience your first MSI?
Oscarinin: *laughs* Well, it was really cool, I've played Worlds before, so I didn't have those first-time nerves. I enjoyed it a lot, I always like to play against top laners from other regions.
I imagine that for you then the announcement of a third international event and the Esports World Cup is something positive.
Oscarinin: Yeah well... the truth is that the EWC they're putting in now catches us between the split and the playoffs which is really weird... You travel to another country, play the competition and come back for the playoffs, it's a bit weird *laughs* but in general, the League of Legends calendar is weird.
Moving forward, you can't really escape this question, let's talk a bit about the MSI. You started off pretty well I'd say and then things went downhill, and you ended up in disgrace against Team Liquid. What do you think caused the MSI to end like that for you?
Oscarinin: That's a complicated question... I think we had some problems in the team, what Noah said on Twitter, Razork was sick the day before which is not an excuse but well, problems accumulate and in the end the day against TL was a very strange day. We didn't come out with our usual intensity, and I don't think there wasn't as much confidence, maybe the pressure as well.
Then there was Razork's 8-minute talk, which has gone viral.
Oscarinin: Yeah, it's a normal thing to do. Obviously at the beginning it makes you feel bad *laughs*, but it's normal if you want to win. When a team has a problem, you need to listen to them, you're not going to change things with the power of friendship and love. After the tournament we were all very frustrated that we didn't live up to expectations and clearly, it's a good time to say what you think and change things, it's one thing to play badly and another to have it be a recurring thing. It's something we've been doing more than once but I think it was the first time it came out in a video.
Let's put MSI aside now and move back to the LEC, everyone's favourite league is back with a huge patch. How did you take it after coming back and seeing that Riot had made 30 changes?
Oscarinin: Well, it hasn't affected me that much, it hasn't changed the top lane that much, such as ADC or jungler for example. I personally like this kind of changes and I think it's necessary, otherwise the competition would be very boring. Playing the same champions for the same year is boring and, in the end, people lose the desire to see competitive LoL and even players sometimes get tired of playing the same thing all the time *laughs*.
Do you think lane swaps are over?
Oscarinin: I don't think they are over but you see a lot less of them, in some situations you can do them but it's quite difficult to see them anymore. For me, I don't dislike the lane swaps meta, you have to adapt and think a lot but you are also taking away a lot of skill from good players as you reward less play and punish the lane phase. I don't mind playing it for a month but not much longer really *laughs*, but it's fun to adapt and have to make different decisions based on that.
The ones who have made a lot of decisions have been the other LEC teams while you were in the MSI, have you been surprised by the amount of changes this split?
Oscarinin: No, the LEC format is f*cking sh*t *laughs*. The teams at the bottom need to make a good split because any team can go to the Worlds I still don't know why *laughs*. You don't have time to see much of the teams either. There are teams that you see for three weeks, teams that play the whole thing maybe you see them for two months. Then if you finish last like KC and Rogue, they don't see anything, and you don't have time to develop as a team in three weeks. I personally don't like the format at all, and I think the two splits format was much better.
I don't think you're a big fan of the three splits.
Oscarinin: I personally don't like the format at all and I think the two splits were much better. This LEC format sucks, it's like if something doesn't work in a month it's not going to work at all, so fuck it *laughs*. A bit weird, isn't it? *laughs*.
Oscar, one of the most changed positions is the top lane, Canna and Th3Antonio will make their debut in the LEC. How was your reaction towards the signings?
Oscarinin: *laughs* To me they seem like very cool signings actually. Honestly my hair fell out a bit because I wasn't expecting it at all *laughs*. You've traded Cabochard for a player who has been one of the best in the world and it's going to be quite interesting to play against him.
The duel against Th3Antonio that we have already seen in the Superliga and has given us so much to talk about is also revived.
Oscarinin: *laughs* I just want to beat him a little bit for the past duel we had, he is also another Spanish top laner, we don't stop bringing up Spaniards to the LEC *laughs*.
Oscar, we've finished all the questions about LoL, but I would like to ask you as the last part of the interview about the injury you had last year. It is rare to see injuries in Esports players and when they usually happen, alarms usually go off, I would like you to tell us a little bit about your experience in general with the injury, the confidence after returning, the discomfort and everything that has derived from it.
Oscarinin: It has been a difficult stage in my life, I was a bit afraid that I would not be able to play at my level again. Just before the accident I was playing very well, I had a good routine and I felt very good and just after that or playing Worlds, I had doubts. I doubted my level, if I was playing like before or not and that also affected me during my first split.
They were hard months at the beginning but now I'm much better, I've worked on it and I'm clear. I have no sequels and the hand is already perfectly functional *laughs*.
The last question Oscar is always what advice you would give to the you of 5 years ago. You can only give him one advice.
Oscarinin: When you become a father you will eat eggs *laughs*. To do the things you were too lazy to do before and neglected. Focus more on aspects outside of the game, that it's not all about playing the game but to establish a balance and structure in your life to make it easier for you so that when you get to the office or match day, playing the game is your only concern.
One last word for all those Fnatic fans who think this is going to be the year.
Oscarinin: I think we are improving a lot guys, we have things clear, we are working on what we need to work on, and I sincerely believe that this year is going to be the year we win again. I personally believe that we are the team with the highest ceiling in the LEC and we will prove it.
