T1 Keria: "I honestly felt that if I played Bard, I would never lose. I thought it was like an AI"
Keria spoke to Sheep Esports after T1's 3-0 win over Team Liquid, which sealed a perfect run through the MSI 2026 Play-In Stage in Daejeon.
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Credit: Lolesports Flickr
"I don't think I'm at that level anymore"
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T1 are through to the Mid-Season Invitational 2026 Main Event without dropping a single game. Their 3-0 rematch win over Team Liquid in Daejeon capped a perfect Play-In run, with Ryu “Keria” Min-seok's Bard once again left open in draft, and once again left unpunished.
In an interview with Sheep Esports, Keria shared why his confidence on Bard isn't what it used to be, reflected on reuniting with a former teammate, and explained what Pep Guardiola has to do with how he sees League of Legends.
Congratulations on the win, and on finishing a perfect run through the Play-In Stage. How do you feel right now?
Ryu "Keria" Min-seok: First, I'm happy we made it to the Bracket Stage without dropping a single game, and I think managing our condition is important at MSI. So it's nice that we were able to finish everything quickly.
You had already faced TL once, and today you had this rematch in a very important match with a Bracket Stage spot on the line. Compared to the first match, what did you focus on most, and what was the main feedback?
Keria: Compared to the first series, I think we organized our tier list more when it came to draft, and we also tried to keep in check the support and jungle champions that Liquid are good at.
Bard was open again today, and if I remember correctly, you're almost undefeated on Bard this year. Online, there's been a lot of debate about whether leaving Bard open against T1 was a mistake or not. Can we really say there is no counter to Keria's Bard?
Keria: Up until last year, I honestly felt that if I played Bard, I would never lose. I thought it was like an AI. But now, I don't think I'm at that level anymore. I do play a lot of Bard in practice and solo queue, but it hasn't been going that well lately, so my confidence is a bit lower right now.
Even though it was a 3-0 win today, Team Liquid showed strong teamfighting at times and proved they weren't an easy opponent. What are your thoughts on Team Liquid, and what do you think their strengths are?
Keria: First of all, Team Liquid are a team where, when their support and jungle get ahead or are able to move freely, their jungle-support movements and skirmishing are strong. Not just among Western teams, among North American teams, I think they're good at fighting. Yes, I think their jungle and support are strong.
Every match in the Play-In Stage ended with a 3-0 score. Did you expect a result like this? And why do you think we kept seeing these 3-0 matches?
Keria: I thought there might be at least one game where we could lose, but our team has had a lot of comeback wins this year in particular. We stay focused until the end, and even in games that look loseable, we often drag them out and end up winning. I think that was why we didn't drop a single game.
During this Play-In Stage, you also got to face your former teammate Kim ”
” Chang-Dong. From what we saw on camera, it looked like you were greeting each other. How was it seeing him again, and were there any moments backstage where you met and said hello?
came to the T1 bootcamp, I saw him at T1 when we were eating, and at the gym too, so we talked quite a bit. And here in Daejeon, we also ran into each other at the gym a few times, so we just joked around a little.
I heard you've recently picked up running as a new hobby. Since coming to Daejeon, have you been able to keep up that running routine?
Keria: After our match the day before yesterday, we had a day off yesterday, and there was a nice park here in Daejeon, so I went running there. I've been keeping it up.
" Geon-woo today, and he mentioned during the Asian Games camp that he used two of the same mousepads and recommended it to you. Have you actually tried it?
Keria: The mousepad I use was discontinued a few years ago, so I've been thinking a lot about mousepads, but I had a lot of failed attempts and was worried about it. Then I saw that Zeka was using two mousepads from the same brand as mine, so I became interested. But since MSI is still going on, I can't change right away. I'm thinking of trying it in the future.
In a recent official LoL Esports survey, you said Pep Guardiola was a coach who inspires you. Could you tell us more about why?
Keria: I watch football quite often among other sports, and I tend to watch it from a tactical perspective. I don't know if I should say this, but Pep Guardiola was the coach of a team I like, and he's also a coach I really like. In an interview, he said he gets a lot of inspiration from watching basketball. For me, I get a lot of inspiration from watching football, and I think organic play is important in LoL as well. So I keep finding inspiration in those aspects when I watch football.
Your next opponent is Bilibili Gaming, and many people will be excited for the botlane matchup. How do you think it will go, and how are you planning to prepare?
Keria: First, I think we'll need to prepare even harder than usual now that we're facing stronger teams. Since we're meeting stronger teams, we have to work harder. BLG's botlane is very good, but I also think our botlane is playing well, so it should be a fun match. I think it will go back and forth.
Lastly, please say a few words to the fans.
Keria: First of all, thank you for always cheering for us. The MSI Bracket Stage is really starting now, and we'll work hard to keep showing you good matches. Thank you.
