With a 1-1 score in the League Championship Series (LCS), Team Liquid remains cautiously optimistic heading into the second week of competition. Prior to their matches, we sat down with the team's support player, CoreJJ. In this exclusive interview with the 29-year-old player, we discuss expectations for the team and thoughts about the new 2024 season.
Team Liquid's 2024 roster, readying up for the LCS.
| You went into the 2024 off-season as a free agent. Did you have any specific reasons for re-signing with Team Liquid?
CoreJJ: “I believe Team Liquid is one of the best organizations in esports and stands as one of the best teams in the LCS. As long as Team Liquid wants me, I'm always happy to play for them.“
| How did the break go for you? Did you have time to rest?
CoreJJ: “After Worlds, I returned to NA and almost immediately started working towards 2024. I had time to rest and work simultaneously during the off-season.“
| Did you have enough time to explore the new season and its gameplay changes?
CoreJJ: “Yes, I learned a lot about the new map and items while playing in the Champions Queue. I think I have a few ideas on how to make it work, but they're not perfect yet. It's still a work in progress.“
| I did see you reached rank one there!
CoreJJ: “Just for a little bit, yes.“
| How do you feel regarding the changes to bot lane?
CoreJJ: “I think the bot lane is one of the easier lanes to play around. There are several ganking opportunities and diving options, so if you fall behind, it's not as easy to catch up as before.“
| Do you feel confident the changes will favor you?
CoreJJ: “I always enjoyed playing strong bot lane champions so I'm quite happy with this.“
| The LCS will be playing on live patches this year, what are your thoughts on that?
CoreJJ: “I like it. I enjoy playing on the new patch, adapting to changes and discovering new champions. I think that I can take advantage of these adjustments and gain an edge, so it's a good change in my eyes.“
CoreJJ, posing at the LCS 2024 Media Day.
| We've seen the addition of Impact and UmTi to TL's roster in 2024. How have they been integrating? Is the atmosphere good?
CoreJJ: “Right now, all the players are quite active. There's a lot of communication happening among us. While the feedback sessions may sometimes be very long, I'm genuinely enjoying the process of discussing strategies and improvements with my teammates. It's a collaborative effort, and we're focused on enhancing our individual skills and what we can collectively achieve.“
| Are you happy to re-unite with Impact?
CoreJJ: “Yeah, I've known him for a while. Even outside of playing together, we're also very good friends. We've always hung out together, so having him as our top laner brings a sense of comfort and reliability.“
| Last year brought both highs and lows for your team. Are you feeling particularly hungry to improve your results in 2024?
CoreJJ: “Yeah, I'm not thinking too much about comparing to last year. I just want to win, do better this year. I'm having fun with my teammates right now. I hope that, at the end of the year, we'll still be having as much fun.“
| What are your goals with Team Liquid?
CoreJJ: “My goal for this year is for us to improve every day and for us not to regress. I want us to be the kind of team who can keep up from start to finish.“
| Where do you see Liquid end in the Spring Split?
CoreJJ: “I think we have a really good chance to win it. I'm confident to say that we're going to win.“
| Do you have any players or teams which you want to beat in particular?
CoreJJ: “I think that a lot of teams are actually quite close in level. I want to play against Cloud9 though.“
| They definitely are the main rival for most of the league, aren't they?
CoreJJ: “Yeah, people do see them as the league's 'Super Team'.“
| Do you believe in the notion of super teams?
CoreJJ: “Definitely, but I'm not sure yet if C9 is the super team fans make them out to be.“
| Anything to say to the fans?
CoreJJ: “I'm always grateful for the fans' support, and I'll do my best to meet everyone's expectations. I hope everyone continues cheering for us.“
CoreJJ, competing in the 2024 LCS.
What's next?
As the team works on improving and fixing potential shortcomings, CoreJJ is now poised to continue his ascension through the LCS 2024 Spring Split. With the second week of matches beginning on January 27th, the veteran support and his team will have to face strong opponents in FlyQuest next weekend.
Week 2 Team Liquid LCS Schedule:
- Saturday 27th - TL vs FLY
- Sunday 28th - TL vs IMT
