MDK Elyoya: "I don’t see us losing to G2 or FNC in Munich. We can learn a lot from our last two series [...] We just play better League of Legends"

Javier "Elyoya" Prades Batalla, jungler of MAD Lions KOI in the LEC 2024 Season.

"I don't really care about our haters. Keep doubting; I don't mind. We're gonna keep on winning and shutting mouths. It's so funny how every time they say we don't deserve to be here when we’re the only team in Europe that has beaten G2 this year"

Despite suffering setbacks, MAD Lions KOI has continued to impress and surpass expectations in the LEC 2024 Season Finals. After defeating G2 Esports and nearly overcoming Fnatic, Javier "Elyoya" Prades and his team are headed to Munich for a rematch. Their goal is to claim the title of European champions before heading to the League of Legends 2024 World Championship. With confidence, the team's jungler discusses the lessons learned from their recent matches, their chances in Munich, his confidence, and addresses his critics.

What are your first thoughts after your loss to Fnatic?

Javier "Elyoya" Prades: "Well, I feel like there is so much to learn from this game, so in that regard, I'm obviously quite happy. Right now, I have a lot of anger and frustration that I'll have to deal with and use as motivation coming into next week. But yeah, it obviously feels bad to lose. Still, it was a very close 3-2. In a way, I think that it was a really helpful loss for us. There are many things to take away from this series. So overall, it's not the worst.

MAD Lions KOI have had a big resurgence, going from 7-8th place to nearly reaching the Grand Finals. What do you think are your chances of winning the Season Finals though the lower bracket?

Elyoya: To be honest, in my eyes, we're already winners. I don't see us losing in Munich against either G2 or Fnatic. We can learn a lot from our two last series. I think we're better than both teams. We just play better League of Legends, so honestly, I'm really confident going into Munich.

We need to fix just some little things, because I would say in pretty much every game today, we had an advantage. Obviously not in game 2—that one was a disaster, we forget about this one. That game, we'll just call it a draft gap and we blame it on our coach. But except for game 2, all the other games were more than winnable.

It's really frustrating that we lost like this, because I know we are superior. Honestly, I don't care that much. I know we're gonna beat G2 in Munich, and I know we're gonna beat Fnatic in the finals. So, I'm really happy.

Do you think you and Ivan "Razork" Martin are the two best junglers in Europe right now?

Elyoya: I think there's no doubt about it. Honestly, Razork and I are one step ahead of any other jungler right now in Europe when it comes to official matches. There's a bit of a gap between us and the others. In my eyes, it's really exciting to play against him. I hope I can meet him again in the finals.

Do you have a message for Razork that I can pass along in the next interview?

Elyoya: Yes, tell him to pick Nidalee in Munich.

Is Nidalee a pick we might see from you as a flex option in the future?

Elyoya: It's what I'm currently working on to have it ready for Munich. So, for Munich, it's definitely going to be a flex. It just gives us more edge in the draft.

Elyoya and Razork: A Long-Standing Rivalry. Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games

How do you expect MAD Lions KOI to adapt to the Worlds stage with four rookies, and do you think you’ll maintain your creativity and explosiveness against LCK or LPL teams?

Elyoya: Yeah, for sure. We're going to keep that explosiveness no matter the opponent. I think it's going to be a really good learning experience for us. I want to see how far we can make it. I'm really excited for this Worlds. I think it's the first time I'm really motivated just to have this experience for the team. So, I'm really happy.

Bartłomiej "Fresskowy" Przewoźnik said at the start of season that he would aim to be the best midlaner in the LEC by the end of the year. Do you think he is close to reaching that goal?

Elyoya: For sure. Honestly, the only opponent he has right now is himself. No joke, I think the only one who beats him in lane is himself. If he plays like he knows he can, he stomps Caps (Rasmus Winther), he stomps Humanoid (Marek Brazda)—it's not even close. The only one who can beat Fresskowy in lane is his own mind. So, it's just a matter of time before he becomes the best.

How has being a captain and evolving with your teammates affected you this year, and how do you feel about the current state of leadership and team dynamics?

Elyoya: I think this year has been the one where I've learned the most. It's one of the years where I played the worst, but at the same time, I was learning a lot about myself. I've always had it easy with myself—coming into the league, winning it twice, and then winning again. I hadn't really experienced a hard or devastating loss until this year. It was a big learning experience, and I’ve grown a lot as a player.

Right now, the team situation is really good. We really like each other and enjoy spending time together. I think we also have the best players in Europe, so I'm really happy with the current situation. Now, we just need to enjoy the last few days; we've done all the work, so we just have to enjoy.

Fresskowy has grown considerably alongside Elyoya in 2024. Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games

What do you have to say to people doubting MDK, especially after your recent performances against both G2 Esports and Fnatic?

Elyoya: I don't really care about our haters. Keep doubting; I don't mind. We're gonna keep on winning and shutting mouths. It's so funny how every time they say we don't deserve to be here, even though we're one of the only teams in Europe that has beaten G2 this year. It just happens over and over. I honestly take it as something funny. I keep qualifying for Worlds in these weird ways, so I'm happy. I get more practice and experience, and it makes people mad, people I don’t even like. So it’s a win-win.

Are you excited about going to Munich's roadshow for the Season Finals?

Elyoya: To me, it's such a good experience to get to know myself better on a big stage. It will be really useful coming into Worlds. So it's a great opportunity. Hopefully, if we can play ten games, that would be the best scenario. If we beat G2 3-2 and then beat Fnatic 3-2, we’d get ten games of stage practice. That would just be a massive win.

Are you intentionally going to five games in every series to play with the hearts of MDK fans?

Elyoya: I'm not, but I think Supa (David Garcia) is. I think he really wants us to play five games every time. Like, in game 3, he made sure we weren't going to win that one; he really made sure. So yeah, I have to thank him for that, that we always play five games. So, thank you, Supa.

Elyoya and his team after a victory against G2 Esports. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games

Was the Christmas-themed skin team comp in Game 5 intentional, or was it just a coincidence?

Elyoya: Yeah, yeah, of course it’s on purpose. We build the Christmas comp. Yeah. We do it every time we can. We just like playing with the same skins. I don’t know, we are just like that.

Do you have any final words for the fans before we end the interview?

Elyoya: I'm sorry for the heart attacks, guys. I promise you, playing five games on stage is really helpful for us. I'm sorry that every series goes to game five. We usually win it, but today was not the case. It doesn’t matter. In Munich, it will happen again, and we will beat them this time. That’s what matters. So, thank you for the support and for being so close to us. Thank you."

Header Photo Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games