T1 Doran: "I know some doubted me, but I always had faith I was the best toplaner in the world"

Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon, toplaner of T1 at Worlds 2025.

"T1 has always been really successful on the international stage. I also want to prove and show what I've got. That's my motivation"

T1 have started their Swiss Stage journey at Worlds 2025 with a strong 1-0 showing, defeating FlyQuest. Representing the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) and as back-to-back world champions, the team continues to demonstrate why they are one of the region’s most dominant squads as they prepare for their upcoming matches. In an exclusive interview, toplaner Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss his latest victory, his goals this year, Keria's cockiness, and being the best toplaner in the world.

How does it feel to secure a 1-0 victory against FlyQuest on the first day of the Swiss stage?

Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon: “I'm very happy to get a win today against FlyQuest, but tomorrow we're playing another game right away, so I don't want to be too overexcited and want to focus on the next step as well.

Did you get a chance to celebrate Ryu "Keria" Min-seok's birthday after practice and the game?

Doran: Yeah, we did have some birthday cake for him and blew out some candles. We also went out to have good food and had some nice celebrations together.

How was it facing Gabriël "Bwipo" Rau, known for his creative picks like Mordekaiser—was it difficult or manageable?

Doran: I was expecting some pocket pick from him, and it turns he out he brought out just that. I was able to play out the game from the laning phase until the end as I expected.

Do you feel personal pressure going into Worlds as a new T1 member, given the team’s goal of a third consecutive trophy?

Doran: T1 has always been really successful on the international stage. I also want to prove and show what I've got. I have my own personal goals as well. Rather than feeling it as pressure, I was able to convert it into strong will and motivation.

What is your personal goal?

Doran: I haven't been able to claim anything internationally yet, so my goal is to win Worlds.

Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun said T1 is the unknown factor going into Worlds, but expectations remain high. How do you feel about that?

Doran: I was actually thinking the same about T1 in previous years when they were my opponents at Worlds while I was on different teams, and I always felt the same way. Now that I'm with the team, I can feel that morale is really pumped up. I can tell we're all really hungry and willing to get a win. I think it's a really good sign. I believe we are the unexpected factor at Worlds 2025.

Having experienced T1 from both inside and outside, why does the team seem to perform so much stronger at Worlds compared to other teams?

Doran: It's mostly about the huge motivation inside of the team. They are really thirsty and hungry for wins, which also made me want to work harder and do my best. We give each other really good influence, and we're creating a really good spiral within the team.

Many people doubted you when you joined T1, but you’ve grown into a very strong player. How do you feel about your current level—would you consider yourself the best toplaner in the world?

Doran: I know there were some doubts when I first joined, but even back then I was pretty confident in myself. Thankfully, because of that, I was able to qualify for Worlds this year. Internally, I always had faith and belief in myself that I am the best toplaner in the world.

Keria warned FlyQuest about his Bard yesterday, but they didn't listen. Do you have a warning for your next opponent?

Doran: Keria’s Bard performance is always exceptional, but there are always moving parts and variables in many different factors in the game. I hope Keria doesn’t get too cocky, arrogant, or bossy about it. I hope we can stay solid, be prepared, and do our best.”

Header Photo Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games