TL Spawn: "The top two teams in Europe are still good, but I think NA has leveled up more than Europe"

Jake "Spawn" Tiberi, current head coach of Team Liquid in the LCS 2024 Season.

"We don’t want to go to Worlds or MSI and feel like it's doomed; that'd just be a holiday. We want to go there with the belief that we can do something."

Continuing their recent dominance in League of Legends, Team Liquid has yet to lose a single series in the Summer Season, proving to be the most dominant team in the LCS 2024 Championship. In an exclusive interview, head coach Jake "Spawn" Tiberi discusses the team’s improvements, his multi-year goals, the strength of North America versus Europe, the rise of MAD Lions KOI, the G2 slump, and his aspirations for Worlds 2024.

How does it feel to defeat 100 Thieves in such a convincing 3-0 fashion and qualify for Worlds?

Spawn: Yeah, obviously I feel really good. Coming into the matchup, we knew we had to take 100 Thieves really seriously. They're a very scrappy team. We like to play the game clean, so if they controlled the game's pace, who knows what would have happened. But... to be able to come out and play our brand of League of Legends, enforce our will on the game, and qualify for Worlds—it means our first objective for the split is done. We wanted to get back to international competition, and now we're there. Now, we can focus all our efforts on winning the LCS.

You're on a 12-series regional win streak since losing to FlyQuest in the Spring Playoffs. After a slow start this year, you've been dominant, looking like the best team in NA, even performing decently at MSI. How does it feel to be this dominant locally, and are you confident about your chances at Worlds?

Spawn: I didn't even know about that dominance, so thanks for the stats. That's something to share with the boys over dinner tonight. But obviously, we just take every week as it comes. We're not really looking too far ahead to Worlds yet. Sure, there are some aspirational goals, but right now, we need to focus on beating C9 and proving we're the best NA team. Securing that side selection for the upper bracket final is key.

Honestly, the way you stay number one is by training like you're number two. You probably notice my facial expressions, but the better we play, the more I sometimes look unhappy. I need to find things for us to work on and keep us humble. When everything's going great, that's when the real work as a coach begins. So, I've been focusing on that—keeping us humble, making sure we're training like we're number two, not skipping steps or cutting corners.

Because the difference between being the best team in the LCS, which I think we are now, and being that fourth-place team, the one people were calling shit and calling for roster swaps, isn't that far away. We just have to keep working.

Casters often joke about how other coaches, like Reignover, are very expressive and happy when their teams make good plays, while you seem very serious and it's hard to even make you smile. Can you tell us more about this difference in perception between you both?

Spawn: Yeah, we actually have a joke that whenever Reignover's happy, I'm like really upset. And then on the plays that Reignover is unhappy about, I'm usually laughing because when Reignover is unhappy, it means we're doing something obviously silly. Whereas when I'm unhappy, it’s usually because we probably won the fight, but the execution wasn't as crisp as I wanted it to be. So, that’s why you probably see my facial reactions. I'm really focused on the minute details of what we're doing and making sure we’re playing to our standard, not just winning because the other team is kind of trolling a bit.

Spawn and Yeon, readying for a match. Credit: Steve Wisnoski/Riot Games

With the ongoing discussion about NA versus EU, especially with APA making headlines, what’s your current opinion on the strength of NA compared to EU and other regions? Do you think teams like Cloud9, FlyQuest, or other North American teams can compete with those from other regions?

Spawn: So, I actually think what happened is that when we went to MSI and EWC, we got a really good read on the meta and kind of mastered it. Even though that didn’t necessarily show at those events, we brought a lot of it back to NA. The scrims have been pretty high quality lately, and we’re getting pushed by teams like C9, which has elevated NA.

I think G2 has such a unique style that it’s hard for other European teams to learn much from them. G2 sits at the top and doesn’t get pushed much, so other teams have to figure things out on their own. I’m a big fan of Fnatic, and I haven’t kept that a secret. I think Noah is one of my favorite players and a pretty clean AD carry. When I look at Europe, the top two teams are still pretty good, but I think the level up in NA has been bigger than the level up in Europe. That’s why people are talking about it. A year or 18 months ago, it might have been heavily one-sided, but now, with teams like FlyQuest, C9, and others, NA looks more competitive.

I don’t think we’re going to go internationally and completely dominate, but our meta read is really good right now. All three top teams in NA are in a strong position. When we go internationally, we can make an impact. We don’t want to go to Worlds or MSI and feel like it's doomed; that'd just be a holiday. We want to go there with the belief that we can do something. That way, when you end up facing teams like T1, it doesn't feel insurmountable. Last year, we were like 'God has abandoned us', but this year, it feels much better. Maybe we'll win one game, maybe two... We'll see!

Spawn, on stage with his team. Credit: Steve Wisnoski/Riot Games

You mentioned Fnatic and G2 as the top two teams in the LEC, but MAD Lions KOI have also been rising recently. What are your thoughts on them as teams?

Spawn: Yeah, MAD Lions KOI are such a funny team, aren’t they? I actually can’t take them seriously because they drop so much random stuff. As a fan, I like watching them play. You sit there, watch a MAD Lions game, and you're entertained for hours. But is this team actually good? I have no idea how to break down what they’re doing in game. It looks like Elyoya and four friends running around and just having some fun. It’s so funny. I really like that team. Fresskowy in the mid lane, when he was playing Tristana today and had that crazy InSec play in the bottom lane—man, what a mad scientist. That was so funny.

If Team Liquid faces MAD Lions KOI at Worlds, do you think you'd know how to play against them?

Spawn: We would treat them the exact same way we treated 100 Thieves today. If they get the game on their terms, yeah, we might end up super dizzy, running around the map trying to chase them and dealing with something like Nidalee top. But if we get an early lead or manage a good lane swap and control the pace of the game, I think they'd find the game quite difficult to play.

There’s no doubt that it’s hard to play against unorthodox League of Legends at times, and I think MDK are doing a really good job at that right now. As I said, it’s super entertaining to watch. As a coach, I sometimes dread turning on a stream to watch a team that plays slow and methodically because, while it’s useful, it’s not very exciting. But when I watch a MAD Lions KOI match, it's like, I probably don’t want my players to do any of the things they’re doing, but god it’s really funny.

You previously aimed to make Team Liquid the G2 of North America. Given that G2 has been underperforming recently, how do you think Team Liquid is doing in reaching that goal? Do you feel you're close to achieving it, or have you already surpassed it?

Spawn: I don’t think we’ve surpassed that. People are probably over-analyzing G2’s current slump. They’ve had a long year with MSI, EWC, and playing through three splits, which is a lot of games. I assume there’s some burnout, and they’re likely just taking it easy now, but they’ll probably kick it into gear soon since they’re already qualified for Worlds.

What I really like is hearing teams like FLY or C9 say that while they could be the second best, the team to beat right now is TL. That feels similar to how teams in Europe used to talk about G2. So, I think we’re on our way there, but G2 hasn’t just been dominant for a year; they’ve been that team in Europe for a long time—Caps joined them four or five years ago.

Our goal isn’t to be a team that’s great for just a split or a year. I want Team Liquid to be great for one, two, or even three years. That’s my goal and what I want my legacy to be. So, that’s why I’m serious about the game. Even though it’s great now, I want it to be great for the long term—18 months, two years, and beyond.

Spawn, lifting the LCS Spring 2024 Playoffs trophy. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Do you have any messages for the fans of Team Liquid or your followers?

Spawn: Yeah, absolutely. Shout out to the fans. When we played badly, you kept us motivated. When we're playing well, you push us to go even further. And if we slip up, you help keep us humble. I love our fans. Thank you to our sponsors, especially Honda right now. They’re doing everything they can to help us achieve victory. And a big thank you to my beautiful partner, Jenna, and my two boys, Henry and Jasper. I love them so much, and everything I do is to make sure they have a good life. So, shout out to my family.

Header Photo Credit: Stefan Wisnoski/Riot Games