In the third week of the 2024 North American LCS Summer Tournament, Cloud9 completely defeated SR by a one-sided advantage, and is currently ranked first in the LCS standings with three wins. Hai, one of Cloud9's legendary coaches, was interviewed this week about his thoughts on the Dreadnought format and how he feels about the 2025 reform of the LCS League.
The domestic audience will not be unfamiliar with the name Hai, he is the legendary mid-laner player of Cloud9, who helped this team become the third player in North America, and left the legend of "Hai head stealing the house" on the field. Hai, who retired as a turn-around coach after retiring in 2019, returned to Cloud9 in October 2023 and is currently the team's manager and coach.
Q: You've just finished a series of disparities, how do you feel about the race and how the season progressed?
A: It was probably the fastest race we had in a long time, and I remember it well because it was so easy. The BP phase went very well for us, and when the actual race started, SR barely put up any resistance and was crushed by us, so it felt good.
On the overall feeling of the season, I think we've improved a lot between the off-season and now, and we were quite disappointed to finish third last season. After that, we went to South Korea for a month of intensive training, and since then, with the addition of our new coach Reapered and top laner Thanatos, our training has gone really well. There is nothing to complain about at the moment, everything is going smoothly.
Q: As a player and coach, are you happy with the rest week in your schedule, or do you want to be able to play back-to-back?
A: Personally, I prefer to finish the season without interruption because I think the rest week in between makes the schedule a little weird. On the one hand, because of the impact of the version update, and on the other hand, you play for three weeks, then take a two-week break, and then continue to play for another four weeks.
It's a bit uncomfortable to be intermittent, but I can understand why Riot is arranging this, given that they have to deal with conflicting Esports World Cup schedules. I can understand Riot's stance, but I personally prefer to finish the game in one go.
Q: We've been asking a lot of people what they think of the Dreadnought format, what is your input on that?
A: My take on Dauntless Call is that it's a really cool format. It really forces the players to expand their hero pool. I think it's a really interesting format that promotes a wide selection of heroes and variety. With esports, and League of Legends esports in particular, evolving for more than a decade, it's a good thing to add a new element to the viewer changing the viewing experience.
It's a format that keeps the game alive and fun for the audience. As for the so-called 'integrity of the sport', I don't care too much because I'm not a player anymore. I think it's important for players to have a bigger hero pool. At the end of the day, if fans don't watch the game, the players don't have a job. I love things that increase the prospects of the project and make it better.
Q: What are your thoughts on the League of Legends Americas Regional Merge in 2025?
A: I would say I'm optimistic about this change, but I don't know if it's going to get better or worse. I didn't spend as much time researching as Riot to understand how they should be working to improve the esports environment in the Americas. I hope this will be a good change for us, and I believe Riot knows what he's doing. ”
Q: This week we've gathered a lot of people's opinions on Two Cities, if you could pick the region where Season 3 takes place, which region would you like to see the story of?
A: Let me think about it...... I think I would either like them to go to Demacia, or to a more fantastical place. Now we're in a more modern urban environment in Leather City Zaun, which is great for character development, but I'm curious to see how Riot would play out in a more fantasy or war environment, where there are more combat scenes. It would be pretty cool to see the heroes using their ultimate.
At the moment, Two Cities is a series that you will find good to watch whether you like League of Legends or not, and it's cool that they can do that. But now, for a geek like me, it would be great to see Kao using his ultimate against Elise, or Darius engaging people on the battlefield. More war or battle scenes would be fascinating. I love that fantasy-style stuff. The first season was great, and I'm sure the second season will be just as exciting, with more interesting content. In addition, our team member Goldenglue also wanted to see the story of Demacia.
Q: Is Demacia a war-torn region at the moment?
A: Almost, Demacia is going through a mage uprising right now.
Q: Looking ahead to the game after the rest week, do you have any particular matchups that you are focusing on to gauge Cloud9's current position? What matchups excite or worry you?
A: As the season progresses, the team difficulty we face will continue to increase. So, I think our last few games against FLY and TL were probably the trickiest games. TL and FLY were the strongest teams last season, and through training and rumors, they are still at the top this season. Of course, we've had training matches with them.
At the moment these two teams are the only games I am worried about, but obviously we can't look too far ahead. When you're walking, you can trip over rocks if you look too far. I'm a guy who takes my time week after week, but these matchups do worry me the most, but we'll wait until that time to think about it. ”
Q: Is there anything you'd like to say to Cloud9 fans during the rest week?
A: I would like to express my gratitude to all the Cloud9 fans, because I believe that many Cloud9 fans have been supporters since I was a player. I am very grateful to everyone who supports Cloud9, whether it is the new lineup or the new players. This team is part of Cloud9 just like I was back then. So, please continue to cheer on our team and players. Thank you.