After edging out
2-1 at the LEC Roadtrip in Madrid,
continue to establish themselves as one of the most dangerous teams heading into the final stretch of the Spring Split. Following the victory,
Sheep Esports spoke with Joseph
about the series, the team’s identity, and his current level of play.
In this interview, the Canadian midlaner also reflected on MKOI’s aggressive style, the roster’s ongoing search for consistency,
’s creative champion pool, and the adjustments he has made individually to reach what many consider the best form of his career so far.
A hard-fought 2-1 victory against G2 today here in Madrid. What are your immediate thoughts after the series?
Joon “Jojopyun” Pyun: I’m happy with how we played. I think I had a big reflection after yesterday’s game versus KC. I felt like I was improving on the right things and focusing on the right things throughout the whole split, but coming into this Roadtrip I started trying to force a lot of solo plays or extra stuff that I didn’t really need to do. So my objective today was just to coordinate as much as possible with my team and simply play good League of Legends. But I think I didn’t balance it well with my individual play. I feel like my individual level dropped a bit because I became too tunnel-visioned on teamplay. I think it’s all about finding the right balance. And honestly, once I find that balance, I think it’s going to be really easy for us to win the league. We have a lot of time.
G2 are still considered by many the benchmark team in Europe. Does beating them here on a Roadtrip stage make this win feel more meaningful, especially after yesterday’s loss to Karmine Corp?
Jojopyun: Yeah, for sure. Beating G2 always feels good because they’re one of the top teams. And obviously securing Top 4 is important. But at the end of the day, it’s still regular season. We’re probably going to face them again in playoffs, so nobody on the team is going to become complacent because of this win. We still have a lot to improve.
This roster often looks more proactive and confident when playing aggressively or in more chaotic games. Do you feel the team performs better with that style rather than in slower, controlled games?
Jojopyun: Yeah, I think we’re very good when we have tools to start fights or force engages. But I also think we’ve improved a lot when it comes to playing compositions without engage or compositions that require more discipline around the map. We haven’t really shown that on stage yet, but in scrims we’ve been playing those slower styles very well. Once we fully master both identities, I think we’re going to become really hard to beat because we’ll be able to play in multiple ways.
During this roadtrip we’ve seen Myrwn play picks like Anivia, Zeri or Shyvana, but earlier in the year, he wasn’t really playing many carry champions. Did the team feel like it needed more of his creativity in the stage environment?
Jojopyun: Yeah, I mean, last split the regular season was Best of 1s, so it was much harder to pull out creative picks right away in Game 1. This split, we’ve experimented a lot more during the regular season, trying different champions and figuring out what actually works. We’ve been trying to understand the balance between standard picks and creative picks. I think it’s all part of the process, and right now we understand that balance much better than before.
There’s been a noticeable difference at times between your level on stage and some of the games in Berlin. Do you think consistency is still the biggest thing MKOI is missing right now?
Jojopyun: Yeah, I think we’re still figuring out the best way to play the game as a team. We’ve experimented with a lot of different styles throughout the split, so naturally, there are going to be moments where we look uncoordinated or make mistakes. Even today — just because we coordinated well and played a good series — doesn’t automatically mean we’re suddenly fully consistent. We still have to keep putting in the work. But I think we’ve already identified what makes us play at our best, and if we keep focusing on the right things, I’m confident we’ll become a very consistent team.
It feels like you’re currently at your absolute peak individually. What are you doing differently compared to previous splits?
Jojopyun: This split, I made a decision to fully commit to becoming the best player I can be. I’ve been focusing a lot on mastering the fundamentals — every small thing that matters consistently across every game. I think that’s why I’ve become much more stable as a player and why I have fewer weaknesses now. Actually, during this Roadtrip I stopped focusing on some of those fundamentals, and that’s when my level dropped a bit. So honestly, it was a good reminder that championships don’t come easy. I have to stay disciplined and keep mastering those basics.
Is that process something you’re working on mostly alone, or is the team helping you with it too?
Jojopyun: Of course, the team helps. During scrims and reviews, we constantly discuss things together — coaches, teammates, everyone gives opinions and feedback. So yeah, it’s always a back-and-forth process. I’m definitely not doing it alone.
And lastly, any message for the MKOI fans here in Madrid after this Roadtrip?
Jojopyun: Honestly, this Roadtrip was a blast. The atmosphere, the banter, the fans screaming — it was super exciting. Playing against all the top teams here felt almost like playing finals every day. The environment was crazy. So yeah, I’m just really grateful that we get to have events like these and that so many fans keep supporting us. Thank you so much.”
