TL UmTi: "I definitely could’ve done better [...] I had a lot of emotional issues this year [...] I'm sorry for this year. I'm just really burned out"

Um "UmTi" Sung-hyeon, jungler of Team Liquid at Worlds 2024, LCS representatives.

"Individually, some of us got stuck at certain points, and we didn’t improve from there. That made the trust go down, and it worsened our individual performances."

Struck down by the soaring FlyQuest, Team Liquid has now sunk and drowned, resulting in their elimination from the League of Legends 2024 World Championship. With the team's flame now extinguished, a painful return home awaits the North American representatives. In an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports, the team's jungler, Eom "UmTi" Seong-hyeon, provides an emotional retrospective on his team's year, the reasons for its failures, and opens up about his difficult year and emotional struggles.

What do you think went wrong against FlyQuest?

Eom "UmTi" Seong-hyeon: "In the first game, we picked a comp we had been working on for two weeks, but we ended up losing with it. We've been here for about a month, and losing with what was our comfort strategy became a catalyst for our defeat. After that, we lost our one trump card, which killed our momentum from the start.

This year was your first time going internationally to MSI and Worlds. How was the experience for you? Do you feel like you learned something from MSI and Worlds this year?

UmTi: I feel very lucky to have been here. I learned a lot from Spawn, Reignover, Impact, and CoreJJ. Even though I’ve been playing for seven years, I felt like a rookie with them teaching me everything they know as pro players. When I look back at my year, it was really enjoyable, but I think I need to improve more, especially in terms of how I balance my life with pro play—like handling my emotions better.

Do you feel like you performed as well as you wanted at Worlds, or do you think you could have done more?

UmTi: I could have done more for sure. My scrim performance at Worlds was really good. Somehow, I improved a lot compared to three weeks ago. But when it comes to the actual games, I only showed up in maybe two or three of them. So, I definitely think I could’ve done better. I have some regrets, and I keep asking myself: "Could I have played the early game better? Could I have managed the mid-game better? Could I have done more to pay back my team?" That’s what sticks with me.

Worlds 2024 Swiss Stage Final Bracket. Credit: Sheep Esports

Do you have any specific regrets about this year?

UmTi: Honestly, I don’t have a specific moment that I regret. I feel like I used all the energy I had, grinding as much as I could. Now, I feel extremely tired. It was all exhausting.

Team Liquid had a mixed storyline this year, starting off with low expectations but winning the LCS, performing well at MSI, and then struggling at Worlds. What do you think caused Team Liquid to underperform towards the end of the year?

UmTi: Probably trust, I would say. Trust is always important. Individually, some of us got stuck at certain points, and we didn’t improve from there. That made the trust go down, and it worsened our individual performances. That was one of the big issues for us. By the time we tried to come back during the last week or the last day, it was kind of too late. That’s why it was a really tough Worlds.

Many people commented on the meta at Worlds, with Eastern teams surprising Western teams by bringing their own meta late. Since NA and EU teams didn’t get to scrim Eastern teams beforehand, they had to catch up. Do you think your team’s meta read wasn’t the best?

UmTi: For sure our meta wasn’t that good. We prioritized mages more, and we thought dive comps were weak. But in the end, dive comps became very popular, especially in the Swiss stage where they really popped off. I still believe that if a team at 100% plays against another team at 100%, mages are going to be better. But some dive champions are just OP, like Nocturne.

Most picked champ at Worlds 2024. Credit: Sheep Esports

Do you think you'll look back fondly on this year with Team Liquid, and are you happy with everything that happened still?

UmTi: I’m not sure. I had a lot of emotional problems this year, feeling bad or in very low moods at times. But Spawn did a really good job leading me and keeping me from sinking too deep into those feelings. This was the first time I felt that way, so it was tough. If I look back 10 years from now, I might say, "Oh, that was a great year." But right now, I just keep asking myself, "Could I have done better?" I don’t know.

Did you feel stressed going into the matches at Worlds?

UmTi: I mean, for sure there was a lot of stress. You know, if you get shit on in scrims, it really affects you. Like, in the last stage, I got destroyed in Game 1. Levi was just completely wrecking me. I was so stressed, but I kept thinking I had to bounce back. Spawn told me, "You need to come back right now and just play the game." So yeah, it was tough, but you have to pull yourself together. My head coach was calling me, so I had to show up.

How has it been working with Spawn? He’s known for being very vocal and hard-working. What’s your experience with him?

UmTi: Generally, he's a very efficient coach. He uses time wisely and manages my teammates very well. He fits well with Reignover because Reignover is great at micro-management during the games, and Spawn manages the players better. That creates a lot of good synergy. Plus, CoreJJ is doing a great job as captain. Their synergy is actually really impressive and probably a reason why Team Liquid always does so well in North America.

Looking ahead to next year, if this roster stays together, what do you think the team needs to work on to improve and avoid repeating mistakes?

UmTi: I think, especially champion-wise, we shouldn't discard picks as quickly as we did. We need to stop thinking that certain champions are garbage and that we can only play what other teams dictate is meta. Some players individually tunnel too much on this. We need to be more flexible. During Worlds, this wasn't too much of an issue but, during Summer, I felt that issue a lot. For example, if a champion like Maokai gets nerfed, I shouldn’t say "Oh Maokai is completely trash, let’s drop it" just because of a 20 damage nerf on Q. That’s not acceptable as a player. We need to improve on that. Additionally, I think our team should focus on personal growth as humans, not just as players.

Have you learned anything from FlyQuest, especially during Worlds? Do you think you need to be more creative in your champion picks and gameplay?

UmTi: When it comes to champion picks, I don't know if I can be more creative. But I do consider myself a very creative person, so I can pull off a lot of creative plays.

What are your plans moving forward as you prepare for 2025? Will you be going back home or training somewhere?

UmTi: So right now, if I remember correctly, we have an event or something, so we have to go to the UK for the finals. We are going to stay in Utrecht, Netherlands, at the Alienware facility. We're going to practice there, and I’ll probably just play European solo queue and look at some matches. If someone asks me about the jungle—especially the LCK and LPL players—I will probably help them.

UmTi's stats during the 2024 LCS season. Credit: Sheep Stats

Do you think FlyQuest has a good chance heading into the quarterfinals?

UmTi: Yeah, I hope so. Since we are from the same region, we might face them as enemies, but we're all part of the same league, and I want them to succeed. I especially hope Quad and Inspired play very well and reach their highest potential.

Do you think FlyQuest has improved since you faced them in the finals?

UmTi: I'm not sure if I'd call it an overall improvement, because Inspired and other players were already very good. I always thought that he was very good in particular. As for Quad, he has improved a lot compared to when he was in the LCK. He knows how to push and where to cheat recalls, so Quad is definitely getting a lot better.

Do you have any last messages for your fans?

UmTi: Yeah, it's kind of tough to say, but I'm sorry for this year. I'm just... I'm really burned out guys. I will probably see you on my stream, or somewhere else, I'm not sure. Let's just chill out and see you guys soon.

Header Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games