09.02.26 - 12:30 PM09.02.2026 - 12:30 PM·8m8 minute(s) read·
By ariesand others
GEN Canyon: "I've made it to Worlds every single year since I turned pro, and I'm really proud of that"
In an interview with Sheep Esports, Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu reflected on his clutch Elder Dragon steals, the jungle Cho'Gath pick, and securing his eighth consecutive Worlds appearance.
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"There are still a lot of picks we haven't shown. We only got to play three games today, so plenty is left."
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The 2026 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Season Playoffs kicked off for . The First Place team from the Legend Group faced a full of bravado, who had easily dispatched on Round 1. The 2025 Worlds Runner-Up were looking to send Gen.G to the Lower Bracket, a repeat of their incredible feat in 2025.
However, the current LCK Champions managed a decisive 3-0 victory over KT Rolster, and secured their spot at the 2026 World Championship. Gen.G now sets their sights on defending their back-to-back championships, following their 2025 triumph, and ultimately lifting the elusive Worlds trophy. Following his victory, Kim "" Geon-bu chatted with Sheep Esports. The jungler reflected on his clutch Elder Dragon steals, the jungle Cho'Gath pick, and securing his eighth consecutive Worlds appearance.
Could you share your thoughts on today's victory, along with your thoughts on winning Player of the Match?
Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu: "Watching KT's previous match, they had a lot of momentum and were playing really well, so I thought today would be tough. And Game 1 definitely was, but once we turned that set around, the next ones came a lot easier. So I felt Game 1 was the key. As for the POM, I think my luck in the Smite fights was just good today. That's probably why I got it.
When you went for the steal Elder in Game 1, did you have real confidence that you'd get it?
Canyon: Honestly, with Kalista and Pantheon on the other side, I wasn't really thinking I'd get the steal. I was just reading how the fight was shaping up and keeping half an eye on it with Smite, more of an "if it lands, great" mindset.
In Game 1 you also picked Lee Sin, and together with Ryze you showed a very proactive mid-jungle duo from the early game. It felt a little different from the drafts Gen.G usually shows. What kind of setup and win plan did you have in mind for that set?
Canyon: Game 1 was a comp we considered flexible. The opponent had to passively secure dragons while we could spread out through the sides and play freely. But Pantheon picked up a lot of kills early, and their dragon tempo got way too fast, so I thought the game became really difficult.
Game 1 stayed as tense as you described, and you saved the team from the brink by stealing the Elder twice. After the first steal, KT must have been far more wary of you at the second one. How did you expect them to deny you, and how did you create the angle for that steal?
Canyon: With our Camille pressuring top, I figured they'd commit to Elder right away and burn it down with Kalista. My plan was to call Camille over and force a fight before the Elder's HP got that low, but it melted way faster than I expected. It was a bit hair-raising, but I think we stole it cleanly and won off of it.
Before the Elder steals, the game looked quite heavily tilted. What kind of conversation was happening within the team? Something like "we can still win this"?
Canyon: We felt the kind of teamfight they needed to win and the kind we needed to win were different. So if we kept dragging the fights onto our terms, we fully believed we could still win it.
Two days ago against DK, Moon U-chan was the first to show jungle Cho'Gath, and today you brought it out against him in return. Was it a pick you had been preparing all along, or did watching Cuzz's game give you some ideas as well?
Canyon: It actually showed up in the LPL before Cuzz played it. And in ranked, even before Cho'Gath was a thing, someone kept playing it. I don't know who it was, but it looked good, so I gave it a try, and it seemed to have a lot of strengths. I've been practicing it ever since.
Since it brought you such a big win, could you briefly explain what you see as jungle Cho'Gath's biggest strengths, and in which comps or situations it's an especially good pick?
Canyon: I can't give too much away, but the big ones: you almost never lose a Smite fight, and even though it's a tank, it brings huge ult damage and a ton of CC to skirmishes. A tank that still has CC and hits that hard with its ult, those are enormous strengths.
Today's series ended relatively quickly, but as the playoffs progress, there could be long five-game series. How much confidence do you have in Gen.G's champion pool and flexibility in Fearless draft, and do you still have a lot of unshown joker picks prepared?
Canyon: There are still a lot of picks we haven't shown. We only got to play three games today, so plenty is left. And we've been preparing really hard, talking through champions and setups for games three and four, so I'd say we're feeling confident.
There were about eleven days between your last official match and today's game. How did you balance rest and practice during that preparation period, and what did you focus on improving the most heading into the playoffs?
Canyon: We kept rest to a minimum and put in a huge amount of practice. Honestly, the most important thing to shore up was our fundamental play, and after that the draft. Those two were our biggest priorities.
In an interview last year, you named the playoff series against KT as one of the matches that left you with the most regrets. Meeting KT in the playoffs again today, how did last year's experience affect your mindset or your preparation for this match?
Canyon: That was a while ago, so it didn't affect me that much. But since we lost last year, that feeling was definitely there a little. We went out pretty limply back then, so I did want to win properly today, just a bit more than usual.
With today's result, Gen.G, , and have all confirmed their spots at the 2026 World Championship. Which team do you think will take the last remaining Worlds ticket?
Canyon: Honestly, on paper it should be Dplus KIA or KT, but I feel like these playoffs will have a lot of variables, so it's genuinely hard to predict.
Did you have a prediction for today's match, Gen.G versus KT?
Canyon: I came in thinking we'd win, but I didn't expect it to be this quick.
Recently, Choi “” Woo-je said in an interview that he'd like to be your roommate at the national team training camp. What went through your mind when you heard that, and if you actually did become roommates, can you picture what that would look like?
Canyon: We talked a lot when we got together after making the national team, and I feel like we got pretty close, so rooming together at the camp sounds fun. And it turns out toplaners actually talk about the game quite a bit. Once we started chatting, there was a lot of game talk, so I think we'd have plenty to say to each other.
You both brought out Cho'Gath for the first time in your pro careers this week. Have you two talked about Cho'Gath as well?
Canyon: Cho'Gath actually came up when we met a few days ago. We were saying it looks really good, and then it shows up on stage right away like this. It's kind of surreal.
This qualification marks your eighth career appearance at the World Championship. What does it mean to you to have stood on the Worlds stage so consistently, over such a long period?
Canyon: I've made it to Worlds every single year since I turned pro, and I'm really proud of that. It also makes me feel like I've kept working hard for a long time. And since Worlds is the tournament where winning carries the most weight, every time I go, the desire to lift the trophy is enormous.
Lastly, could you share a word for the fans watching today's match and the playoffs ahead?
Canyon: Playoffs have begun and we've made it into the winners' bracket, but we won't get complacent over this win. We'll prepare even harder so we can head straight to the finals. Thank you."
