EUphoria! It sure is feeling like 2019 all over again, as Europe have made a strong start to Worlds 2026.
were the first to rise to the occasion, taking down
, the LPL's second seed, in a largely controlled game. The
victory sends the Spanish squad into the second round of the Swiss stage with a 1-0 record, putting them just
two wins away from the knockout stage.
In an exclusive interview, Movistar KOI midlaner
sat down with
Sheep Esports to discuss his first Worlds win against an LPL or LCK team, his confidence heading into the tournament, and why he believes the gap between Western and Eastern teams is closer than ever. The Canadian also revealed his pre-match routine, shared his hopes of facing
and
, and explained why he's not afraid to fail.
What were your expectations going into the match, and how are you feeling after the win?
Joseph "Jojopyun" Pyun: “For sure, I knew we could win today, even though people were doubting us. I just knew that if we played our game, we had a good chance of winning today. But I'm glad that we had a lead. And even though we had some tough moments, I'm glad that we weren't nervous when we were ahead and we still were decisive. So I think that's probably the biggest change for us, because I feel like sometimes when we're ahead against Eastern teams, we start getting too excited or start doing nothing. So I'm glad we kept calm, even though, of course, it wasn't smooth all the time.
This is your first Worlds win against an LPL or LCK team. Does that mean anything to you?
Jojopyun: Sure. I mean, in the past, I always knew I could match up to them, but maybe I just wanted to see if I could. I feel like, going into this tournament, I know I'm good enough to beat these guys. So I'm not really respecting them or looking at them like they're better. Of course, I'm not disrespecting them, so I'm not really too surprised at this Worlds.
Was this also a bit of revenge for EWC against BLG?
Jojopyun: Basically, yeah.
What do you think has changed with the team, and do you feel like you're entering another honeymoon period?
Jojopyun: I mean, it's just one game at the end of the day, and it is a best-of-one. But we always had really high highs and really low lows. So I'm not just assuming that we're going to stomp every single game. Of course, I don't think that's necessarily possible. There's still so much to improve. I think we just had a strong early-game draft, and we obviously got 2v2 kills. I feel like if their bot lane falls really behind in this game, it's very hard for them to come back. So I'm just glad we got ahead early with our draft.
Was it a bit of a David "Supa" Martínez García birthday buff as well? You gave him a nice gift.
Jojopyun: It was.
Is there anyone you want to face in the next few rounds of the Swiss stage?
Jojopyun: I really want to face Chovy. I hope we draw Gen.G next round. So that's what I'm looking forward to.
Do you think MKOI are on a good trajectory to surprise people at Worlds? How do you see the team's current level, and should they be considered among the best teams in the world?
Jojopyun: I mean, I'm not even sure myself. The fans can believe in us or not. To me, I'm just believing in myself and the team. So, I mean, I think we can definitely do good at this Worlds if we keep putting in the work.
Do you think MKOI are the most coin-flip team at Worlds?
Jojopyun: Not coin flip, but I'd say we definitely have high highs and low lows.
What's next for you over the coming days, given how little time you have to prepare between matches?
Jojopyun: We have a game tomorrow, so I'm just going to reset and prepare for tomorrow. Just take it one game at a time, of course. Enjoy this win, but once we get back to the hotel, I'm just going to go back to practice and the normal things.
This is your third time at Worlds. How special is this edition for you, and do you feel any extra motivation to improve on your previous results?
Jojopyun: Yeah, of course. I mean, I'm coming into this Worlds very confident. So I just hope that we'll have a good performance and hopefully win Worlds.
How realistic do you think winning Worlds is?
Jojopyun: I mean, in competition, there's a lot of luck at the end of the day. So I can just control what I can control. And if I just focus on what I can control, I think we have a pretty good shot.
What aspects can you control? Do you also work on yourself mentally to make sure you can stay on top of your game?
Jojopyun: Yeah, I'd say my preparation is very good. I feel like it's very top-notch. I don't think players, specifically in esports, prepare very well. It's much newer than traditional sports, so I feel like we're still lagging behind in that regard. But I've learned how to prepare very well before matches, so I feel like that's an advantage I have. I just keep on improving on my weaknesses that are showing up in scrims and try to keep improving.
How do you prepare for matches? Is there anything special you can tell us about your routine?
Jojopyun: Yeah, I mean, I just have a routine. I'm always alone before the match. I have my AirPods in, I listen to the same music, and I just visualize my objectives. I always have objectives before the game. On the mental side, I tell myself that I understand I can't perform 100% of the time, like, you can't control performance. So I can only control my objectives and all these things. And with my routine, it makes me not really afraid to fail. I understand that I'm not going to perform all the time, and I just focus on what I have to focus on. It makes me very in the moment, in the present.
What kind of music do you listen to before matches to get you performing like that?
Jojopyun: I mean, when we warm up, I listen to "Dreams and Nightmares" by Meek Mill, and also the Halloween theme song by John Carpenter. I like it a lot. It’s the Michael Myers one, I think.
But outside of those, I'm just listening to mostly hip-hop, just to get me energized and hyped up.
How has your time in NA been? Have you had a chance to enjoy Texas?
Jojopyun: Yeah, we didn't go out too much. We went out to get Texas barbecue one time, and we explored a bit. So that day was pretty fun. The Texas barbecue was really good, actually. But besides that, we've just been practicing, so it's not like we're exploring too much.
What does it mean to you to be in front of NA fans again? Do you feel any extra responsibility to represent not only Europe, but North America as well?
Jojopyun: Yeah, it feels amazing. I mean, just seeing the NA fans cheering for me even though I'm playing in Europe, it's definitely a good feeling. I felt very grateful today that the fans were cheering.
Is your family coming over to watch you?
Jojopyun: Uh, no. Maybe when I go to New York in the finals.
Who would you like to see in the Worlds finals this year?
Jojopyun: Probably Gen.G, I'd say. If they don't choke.
What do you think needs to happen for the West to keep performing in the next few rounds? Do you agree that this Worlds feels more open for Western teams, with teamfighting potentially allowing more than one Western team to reach the quarterfinals?
Jojopyun: Yeah, I feel like people say it every year, like, “oh, the West will be strong.” But this year, just from scrims, I feel the gap is not really big, to be honest. I feel like there's just so much fighting, and the game is pretty solved. So whoever just performs better in those skirmishes will snowball the game, anything can happen.
The game is very snowball-y right now, so I feel like it could go either way, as long as you don't get stomped in lane. I feel like it's much harder to get stomped in lane than in scrims, because in scrims, of course, you're going to limit test much harder. So I feel like the gap is pretty close.
I saw you wearing Crocs with socks on stage. What's going on there? Some people might call it a bit of a fashion felony. What do you think about that?
Jojopyun: I'm not going barefoot in Crocs, you know? Like, I'm not going to let people see my foot. It's kind of weird, right? I've always worn Crocs. I've worn them since 2022, so I guess it's kind of my brand at this point.
Do you have any messages for the teams you'll be facing in the next few rounds?
Jojopyun: I don't really have a message. It's the best-of-one at the end of the day, so we just have to keep on improving. I don't think this game really means much.
Elyoya said this was his favorite team he's ever played with. Do you agree with that?
Jojopyun: I mean, it's tough because Evil Geniuses also really had some fun teams. I'd say this one is also up there. So, yeah, I'd say those were really fun.”
