The historical kings of the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) have arrived at Worlds 2025, but this time, they enter as their region’s third seed. Having narrowly qualified, PSG Talon comes in with low expectations, aiming to play spoiler and upset any unsuspecting opponents along the way. In an exclusive interview, legendary midlaner Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss his return to professional League of Legends, his expectations for the tournament, and his upcoming military service.

How has your experience been in China so far? Are you excited to be back at Worlds now that you’re back from retirement?

Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang: “It feels great reuniting with all my old teammates. Last year, I retired on a loss when we ended the Swiss Stage 1-3, so I felt like I needed to give this another shot. It feels great to be back on stage again. Training and everything else have been going well so far, and we are looking forward to the matches.

How does it feel to attend Worlds without being your region’s star this time around? Tsai "HongQ" Ming-Hong has been gaining attention and taking your spotlight.

Maple: I do think that HongQ is a very talented player. He's mechanically skilled and has a great overall skill level. He did perform below expectations at the start of the season, but he's been picking it back up, and he's in a great state right now. We are a team that performs best when people look down on us and don’t have expectations. It’ll be the case this time as well.

Earlier this year, HongQ said he didn’t want to just match your career—he wanted to surpass it. Do you he’s close to reaching this goal, or does he still have a way to go?

Maple: He has a lot of potential, but again, League of Legends is a team game. In order to reach that level, his teammates will also have to have the kind of synergy with him and work alongside him to help him get there. I do hope that he can reach his goal someday.

You only played the Summer Split after being away for most of the year. How do you feel about your level now—do you think you’re back to your standard form?

Maple: I do think that I've adjusted pretty well. Our team has also been practicing well. The scrims are going decently, so the most important part is just to get a hold of and have a good understanding of the meta right now. Matches are starting tomorrow, so I do hope that we're on the same page when it comes to learning the meta.

Wong "Chawy" Xing Lei mentioned you often win the first game in best-of-threes. Does that mean you’ll start the Swiss Stage with a 2-0 record in best-of-ones?

Maple: The rumors are true. We are better at best-of-ones, whereas CFO is better at best-of-threes or best-of-fives. So I am looking forward to the series of best-of-ones that's going to happen soon. I do think that we have a chance at starting out with a 2-0, and we're going to work towards that.

Now that you’re returning after a break, should this be seen as a “second start” to your career, a new story separate from your past legacy?

Maple: I do hope that people see this year as a continuation of my career. This time around, I don't really have many expectations or hard goals set for myself. I just hope that I can leave without regrets.

Have you thought about your future plans? How long do you see yourself continuing?

Maple: This time is the last dance, the last time, because after this year I'm going to have to go serve my military service. Unless there's a surprise third chance coming up, I don’t really think it’s going to happen. This is my last time.

If you make it to the bracket stage or even win Worlds, would you wear a maid outfit again like you did on stream before your comeback?

Maple: [Laughs] I would much prefer if everyone just forgot about the maid outfit situation. It's a little scary for me.

How do you feel about the Worlds meta? You’ve played a lot of mages—are you comfortable with other champions if they become popular?

Maple: Champions like Orianna, Ryze, and Azir are all going to continue to be popular picks, and I’m confident on these specific champions. I have a lot of mastery on them.”