A heartbreaker for the Spanish community as
Movistar KOI were eliminated by Fnatic on Friday, ending their run in the
League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) 2025 Winter Playoffs. With their elimination comes the dreaded off-season, and now the team must focus on preparing for the Spring Split, aiming to reach their best form. In an exclusive interview, the team's imported midlaner,
Joseph "Jojopyun" Pyun, reflects on why the team fell short of expectations, shares his hopes for Spring, and addresses a message to the fans.
What’s going through your mind right now? What’s your gut reaction to being eliminated by Fnatic?
Joseph "Jojopyun" Pyun: "It sucks a lot. We were ramping up, and we had a really good week of scrims, so everyone was really confident going into our match against Fnatic. And we just threw—every single game was really free, except for the last one. Game 1 and Game 2, we were ahead by so much, and usually, we would just close those out comfortably. But it just sucks to lose like this since all three games were really in our control.
Movistar KOI's Split ends here. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Why do you think you couldn't close out the series, especially in games 1 and 2? Was it communication, mis-execution, or something else? Given that your team is known to be very emotional, how did that affect things today?
Jojopyun: It was a roller coaster. Losing Game 1 sucked, but since it was a best-of-five, it didn’t affect us too much. Game 2 felt even worse because we had a big lead and still lost. After a really clean win in Game 3, our hopes were high again. Going into Game 4, everyone was confident. So yeah, we went through every emotion today.
How do you feel about your individual performance in this series? As the first NA import and a player known for trash talk, many people look to you—did you meet your own expectations?
Jojopyun: It's all just disappointing. I should have had a much better showing today. It took me some time to adjust to Europe, but I felt really comfortable last week. Coming into today, my expectations for myself were much higher… so yeah, it just sucks.
I haven't lived up to the expectations people have for me. This split was an important one for us, and it was useful for reflecting on our problems and things we need to improve. On the bright side, at the end of the day, it’s just the first split—there’s still plenty of time this year.
Your champion pool was criticized in playoffs, mainly for relying on Azir and Yone. Do you think this criticism is fair, or was it simply a team decision?
Jojopyun: Not really, no. Yone is just one of the best champs in this meta, so when it's open, we picked it. I was actually excited for the best-of-five because I thought I'd get to play more of the champs I wanted to play... but we just went with what we thought was the best in the meta. If it's open, it's open.
With three splits a year, this is just one step in your season. Are there any positives you’re taking from this split to come back stronger next time?
Jojopyun: For sure. There were a lot of valuable experiences this split, and honestly, I think we should have made it all the way, so it really sucks. But yeah, there’s a lot to reflect on, and maybe in the long run, this could be a good thing.
Melzhet and Jojopyun between games. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
At the start of the split, you mentioned that you perform best when you’re vocal and involved in shotcalling. Now that you’ve had a full split with the team, how do you feel your role has evolved? Do you think the team is getting more comfortable and could ramp up in the future?
Jojopyun: I shotcalled less during the regular season, but since the playoffs started—especially since we faced GIANTX—I’ve taken on more responsibility in shotcalling and leading the team. Today, in particular, I felt like I was shotcalling well, so I definitely should’ve started doing that earlier—it would’ve made me feel more comfortable. That’s on me. Now, I know what works best for me in this team, so I have high expectations for the next split.
In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently today, especially in games 1 and 2?
Jojopyun: Yeah, of course, there’s a thousand things, right? It sucks to think about.
You mentioned struggling to adapt to Berlin at the start of the split. Over the past few weeks, you've been finding your footing more. What has changed, and do you feel like you have a better foundation for the next split?
Jojopyun: Yeah, I’m starting to really adapt well to Berlin now. For Spring Split, there will be no excuses. I know how everything works now and I’m comfortable with everything.
No more MKOI until April. Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
How has your relationship with your teammates evolved throughout the split, especially considering the language barrier at the start?
Jojopyun: Our relationship gets deeper and closer the more time you spend with everyone, of course. Everyone on the team has done a good job at keeping the bond strong. So yeah, it’s been getting better and better as time goes on.
What’s next for you after today? Do you plan to return home or stay here to train?
Jojopyun: I don’t really know what our schedule will be like yet. I’m not sure if the team wants us to stay and bootcamp or something.
To close off this split, is there anything you want to say to the fans?
Jojopyun: This split hasn’t lived up to my expectations with my performance. We were really ramping up the past week, and everyone had high expectations, so it really sucks. There are no excuses for me, and there won't be any during the Spring Split. So yeah, I’m sorry to all the fans. It really sucks to lose like this, and I think we have so much potential that we didn’t show today. Don’t give up on us yet."
Header Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
