Sheep Esports - HLE Delight: "Us pros always have to improve, else we are doomed to fade away. I will keep grinding to survive and prove myself once more"
HLE Delight: "Us pros always have to improve, else we are doomed to fade away. I will keep grinding to survive and prove myself once more"
Coming off a crushing loss against Bilibili Gaming, the South Korean representatives must now return home empty-handed. An exclusive interview with the team's support.
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Yoo "Delight" Hwan-joong, support of Hanwha Life Esports at Worlds 2024, South Korean representatives.
"After ON's Game 2 on Rakan, I felt like I was having déjà vu from last year"
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Coming off a crushing loss against Bilibili Gaming, the South Korean representatives must now return home empty-handed. Although Hanwha Life Esports had a relatively successful year, primarily due to their LCK Summer Championship victory, the team remains disgruntled after their elimination from the League of Legends2024 World Championship, as many expected better results from them. In an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports, the team's support, Delight, discusses the reasons behind the loss, his future expectations, and reflects on his growth.
I imagine this loss must be really frustrating, especially since it's your third in a row to BLG at an international tournament. How are you feeling after the defeat?
Yoo "Delight" Hwan-joong: "Losing is always a big bummer, but I'm also the type of person who doesn’t really tilt. So, I think I’ll be able to bounce back pretty soon. Still, you know, it’s disappointing that we lost, but I think it will only make my revenge even sweeter.
This was only your second time at Worlds, and you're still a young player. Do you feel that 2024, despite this loss, has been a positive year for you?
Delight: This year, I was able to level up a lot as a professional player. Us pros always have to improve, else we are doomed to fade away. I will keep grinding as hard as I can to survive and prove myself once more.
You were seen as one of the best supports this season. Do you feel like you are on your way to becoming the best support in the world, and do you think 2025 could be your year?
Delight: I’m more the type to live in the present, so I don’t look too far into the future. But becoming the best in the world takes a lot of effort. Like I said, I’ll just keep grinding as much as I can until I reach that goal.
HLE Delight in an interview with Armand from Sheep Esports. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
How close do you think you are to reaching your goal of being one of the best?
Delight: I don’t really evaluate myself that highly, it's just how my personality is. But I think what most people say about me is pretty accurate. I prefer not to rate myself too much—I’d rather let others decide based on my gameplay.
Even though Hanwha Life had mixed expectations, many envisioned better than a quarterfinal exit. Do you think the pressure of these expectations contributed to today’s loss?
Delight: I’m not the kind of person who gets affected by expectations or pressure, so I don’t think it impacted me. But overall, since League of Legends is a five-player game, I would just attribute our loss to an underperformance from all five of us. We just didn't play well enough.
Do you think today's loss was related to how your team approached the meta? Luo "ON" Wen-Jun emphasized Rakan a lot today, which we didn't see much of from you. Do you feel that HLE should have prioritized picking or banning Rakan more?
Delight: We came into the match with what we thought was a well-prepared strategy, but it didn't really work in-game, right? As the games went by, I definitely realized that Rakan was a really good pick. After ON's Game 2 on Rakan, I felt like I was having déjà vu from last year, and I saw the same scenario flash before my eyes. I should have been more vocal about ON's Rakan; it's one of his best champions, and it gives him so much agency to carry.
HLE takes one last bow in Paris. Credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games
Even though your run is ending early, you've still had the chance to travel to Berlin and Paris. Do you see this year as positive, and did you enjoy your experiences at Worlds?
Delight: Worlds is very special to all the players because they get to perform around the world and play against talented players from many regions. This is the kind of tournament that helps one grow a lot. If I hadn’t won the LCK Summer Championship, I think I would be much more frustrated right now. But since I won, I'm more relieved. Imagining myself not winning the Summer Finals, I would feel more crushed right now.
As you look toward 2025, how do you plan to regroup and perform better? What are your expectations for next year, and do you have a message to hype up the fans?
Delight: Thank you so much for your support throughout the year. Sadly, I’m stuck at quarterfinals once again, which is very disappointing. Still, I feel like I have many more days ahead as a professional player, so I’ll keep challenging myself and working hard to reach a greater stage."
Armand Luque is an interviewer and journalist with deep roots in the EMEA League of Legends scene. A veteran of the esports world, they hail from France and are best known for their work on Leaguepedi...
