10.22.26 - 10:45 AM10.22.2026 - 10:45 AM·m minute(s) read·
By Luis Mario Reyes
GEN Chovy on his NA server IGN: “A lot of people get a little too ahead of themselves. Maybe they need to calm down”
Just hours before Worlds 2026 gets underway, Chovy sat down with Sheep Esports to answer a few questions. He discusses how the meta has evolved since Gen.G lifted the LCK trophy a month ago, as well as his take on the North American solo queue environment.
Share
About Champions queue: "I feel like there's really not much advantage that you can get from waiting that long and then just playing a game"
Loading...
He is arguably the best player in the world never to have won Worlds. For the eighth consecutive year, Jeong “” Ji-hoon will attempt to get his hands on the ultimate prize, the one title still missing from an already remarkable trophy cabinet. Just hours before the tournament gets underway, ’s midlaner, ranked first in our expert panel’s Top 20 Worlds Players list, sat down with Sheep Esports to answer a few questions.
Chovy discusses how the meta has evolved since Gen.G lifted the LCK trophy a month ago, as well as his take on the North American solo queue environment. The South Korean player also reflects on the motto for Worlds 2026, “This Is Our Moment”, a fitting tagline for a player whose time to claim the one title that has eluded him may finally have come.
What was the most delicious food you had in the U.S?
Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon: “We haven't had a chance to go out to eat much, but we were able to get Texas BBQ, and it was really good. It was quite memorable.
How would you rate it compared to Korean food?
Chovy: In Korea, I tend to eat a lot of spicy food, and I enjoy spicy food. Texas BBQ, given that it's kind of a different vibe, I can't really compare the two. But it's good in its own way.
Can you tell us a little bit about your NA solo queue in-game name, calm down? What's the story?
Chovy: It's not specific to NA. Whenever I go to Worlds, I try to name myself something relevant to whatever scene I'm in. What I've noticed so far from what I've played in NA is that there are a lot of people who get a little too ahead of themselves. Maybe, they need to calm down a little bit because they start pinging a lot. They start chatting, and it looks like they're just always in a rush, so I wanted to tell them to calm down.
Speaking of NA solo queue, it’s usually associated its low level. Do you think Champions Queue provides a better practice environment compared to solo queue? Do you think Champions Queue is helpful?
Chovy: I haven’t actually tried Champions Queue yet. The main thing with solo queue is that I feel like I can take away some of the new plays that I've never seen before. Some maybe innovative things that I've never seen. So I think that's just something that I'm trying to grasp, and that's mainly why I'm playing more solo queue right now.
I'm interested, especially from someone so analytical. Do you think it's better? Or do you think it doesn't really matter that much and it's just a good alternative? What are your thoughts on Champions Queue?
Chovy: For Champions Queue, given how long the queue time is, I feel like there's really not much advantage that you can get from waiting that long and then just playing a game. I guess in the end, what takes a shorter amount of time for me to get actual practice is being able to play solo queue, and just gaining any sort of new perspective is what really helps me in the long run. So I think that's why I might be leaning towards Champions Queue might actually not make a huge difference.
Four patches have been released since the end of the LCK Season Playoffs. Were there any relevant changes that you've noticed from 26.16 to 26.20?
Chovy: Overall, I don't think the changes are that big, so I can't really say that it's going to be significant. It's at an iffy place, but obviously there are a lot of nerfs in terms of mid champions that are more relevant to me, and you might see a little bit of changes there. For someone who likes to go Rocket Belt, you could consider that Rocket Belt got a nerf. I think that's just something that I have to consider moving forward during Worlds. Aside from those changes, I guess there are really no big significant changes.
The motto for the 2026 World Championship is, “this is our moment.” You felt a lot of pressure across several Worlds because the expectation is that you should win the championship. Why is this your moment?
Chovy: This motto honestly didn't really hit me personally. It didn't really resonate with me, but I think it's just something that, when I listen to, I have to take to heart and say, "You know, maybe I just have to make sure that I reach a point and reach my goal," which is always going to be winning Worlds. And, in that moment, this motto will actually become mine.
You mentioned in another interview, it's time to handle the pressure and perform to a level you feel satisfied with. How have you worked to handle the pressure, and what does satisfaction look like for you?
Chovy: I think I put less effort into this interview. Of course, I was satisfied with my performance when I won the match, but the biggest thing is that I was also disappointed with my performance when I was eliminated. I don't know how I can change that. I've been practicing so that I don't look disappointed, and I'm trying to do well. I think I'll be able to show that in the match. That's why I said maybe my performance wasn't up to my standards, and I wasn't satisfied with it. I think for me to be satisfied with my own performance, that actually will take a lot of hard work, and I just have to keep trying really, really hard, and a lot of practice will go into that. I think this is something that I will just have to show on stage myself in person.”
