CFO Driver: "A man must dream. Weāll keep moving forward with that in mind"
The CTBC Flying Oyster are here to show the true strength of the LCP! Exclusive interview with the team's toplaner.
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Shen "Driver" Tsung-Hua, toplaner of CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO) at Worlds 2025.
"Worlds just has an intimidating feel to it. Itās the biggest and most difficult tournament, and itās very different from First Stand and MSI."
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Taiwan is on the rise, and CTBC Flying Oyster have shown what they are made of by taking down Fnatic in their first game of the Swiss Stage. Carrying the hopes and dreams of the League of LegendsChampionship Pacific (LCP), CFO now stands at 1-0, but must prepare for their next match at Worlds 2025. In an exclusive interview ahead of the Swiss Stage, toplaner Shen "Driver" Tsung-Hua sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss stress before Worlds, singing, and carrying the hopes of the Pacific.
Itās great to see you again after Vancouver! How have you been, and how have the teamās preparations for Worlds been going?
Shen "Driver" Tsung-Hua: āItās been pretty comfortable here in Beijingāthe food and the hotel are both really nice. Iād say it feels almost the same as back home, maybe even a little better. Training-wise, itās been going okay too.
I heard youāve been practicing your English recently. Do you feel like youāve improved, or is it still a work in progress?
Driver: Iāve been working on it, but English is kind of difficult because thereās still a lot of vocabulary I need to learn, and my listening and understanding arenāt that good yet. Iām also learning Japanese at the same time, so itās a lot to handle right now. I think itās going to take me some time.
This year at Worlds, youāll be competing both on and off the Rift since Äinh "Taki" Anh TĆ i will also be there. Heās known for putting on quite a show. How do you feel about the pressure of going up against him to be the biggest showman?
Driver: Weāve already battled before back in the LCP, and I have to say heās a very talented dancer. I donāt have that level of talentāheās really specialized in that area.
This will be your first time playing best-of-ones this year. How do you feel about that, especially since youāre sharing your position with Hsu "Rest" Shih-Chieh?
Driver: In terms of preparation, itās mostly about deciding whoās better at playing best-of-ones. We donāt really need a wide champion pool for BO1s, so weāll probably just decide based on our scrims and practice results.
This time around, many people see you as more than just underdogs. Back in Vancouver, you mentioned wanting to break the LCPās top 8 curse. What are your expectations for Worlds in Beijing?
Driver: Itās just one step at a time. Weāll try to stay confident and have more perseverance. Itās definitely not going to be easyāhonestly, itāll be very difficultābut we shouldnāt think itās impossible.
You seem more careful with your answers this time. Are you trying not to jinx yourself, or did your coach tell you to be more cautious and not sound boastful?
Driver: Worlds just has an intimidating feel to it. Itās the biggest and most difficult tournament, and itās very different from First Stand and MSI.
Do you feel more stressed or more excited about Worlds?
Driver: Iām definitely a lot more nervous than I was at First Stand or MSI. There are so many teams, and with the Swiss Stage format, there are a lot of unknown variables. So itās really one step at a time. Iām still looking forward to it though, and Iāll only really know whether Iām nervous or not once I step onto the stage.
What would it take to get you to sing before the end of the tournament?
Driver: Youād have to somehow take away my ability to feel shame. Iām way too shy for that. But Iāve got to say, the last time you asked me this question, I was still a noob at singing. I genuinely think Iāve improved a lot since then.
I saw some videos of you singing. You're very good. You need to be confident in yourself.
Driver: Iām telling you, I read the comments, and they were so mean I kind of crashed out. Since then, Iāve been practicing with my brother whenever I had time off, and heās been giving me a lot of tips. I genuinely think that the next time I sing, chat will finally compliment me instead of roasting me.
Is there anything youād like to say to the Western fans whoāve started supporting you since MSI?
Driver: Please look forward to our performance at Worlds! Iāve been thinking really hard about my celebratory dancesāitās kind of difficult. I want to do something bigger on the Worlds stage, so Iāll definitely try to come up with something interesting.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. I wish you the best of luck and will be rooting for both CFO and the LCP!
Driver: Thank you so much for your support. Weāll definitely try to work toward that goal, even though it will be super difficult. A man must dream, though, so weāll keep moving forward with that in mind.ā
Armand Luque is an interviewer and journalist with deep roots in the EMEA League of Legends scene. A veteran of the esports world, they hail from France and are best known for their work on Leaguepedi...