After locking a spot in the Knockout stage at First Stand 2025, I spoke with CFO Doggo, talking about the series and some life-related questions.

CFO Doggo – First Stand Interview, Day 4

Hello Doggo, first of all, congratulations on your victory today. Since today’s match was a relatively crucial one, I’d like to ask how you’re feeling right now. And if you had to choose an MVP from your team, who would it be?

Doggo: I feel really happy, of course, since we made it straight into the semifinals. As for the team’s MVP, I’d say it has to be our jungler (Junjia), because he kept helping me throughout the game.

In this First Stand tournament, CFO seems to be in solid conditions. Now that you’ve made it to the semifinals, in what areas do you think you still need improvement to further push your team’s potential?

Doggo: I think we need to learn from Hanwha Life Esports (HLE). Their tempo is very fast, and they rarely make mistakes. But whenever we try to speed up our tempo, we tend to start losing kills and struggle to control the game.

Now, even though you’ve already won two matches, you still have one last match tomorrow against Top Esports (TES). Yesterday, TES lost to Karmine Corp. Do you think their loss will give you a better chance of winning?

Doggo: I still think they are still one of the top teams in the LPL. Maybe they had some mental issues that day or something, but that doesn’t change anything for us. No matter what, we have to focus on doing our best.

Speaking of Karmine Corp, they are currently playing against Hanwha Life Esports. Who do you think will win?

Doggo: Hanwha will definitely win 2-0.

Okay, understood. This year, you returned to the LCP region from the LPL. What do you think is the biggest difference between the two regions?

Doggo: I feel like I’ve improved my skills overall, and coming back to LCP allows me to help the new players learn more.

I also want to ask about the lane-swap mechanic. Since your team has both Rest and Driver, two very different top laners—one being more defensive and the other being aggressive—do you think this lane-swapping mechanic in First Stand has been beneficial or a disadvantage for your preparations? Has it helped or hurt the team?

Doggo: I don’t think it’s either a disadvantage or an advantage. Everyone just tries to do their best in this patch.

CFO Doggo First Stand Interview
Image Credit: Christina Oh/Riot Games

Some more personal questions

What made you want to go pro in the first place? Aside from being good at the game, what motivated you?

Doggo: [Takes a while to think] I guess I was like a diamond player but couldn’t really step out of that rank. I played over a thousand games but couldn’t climb higher. But I really admired the pros who competed on stage. I used to love playing KartRider (跑跑卡丁车) and watching KartRider tournaments, so I wanted to be a professional in that too. Plus, I felt like studying wasn’t really my thing.

If you weren’t a pro player, what job would you have pursued?

Given the current trends, I’d probably be streaming. I think I’d be quite suited for it.

Other than gaming, do you have any hobbies or interests?

Doggo: Lately, I’ve been trying to find new hobbies. In the past, I’d just lie in bed all day and try to make myself happy.

What does a happy day look like for you?

Doggo: Hmm… eating, watching movies, and watching anime.

Have you been watching any anime recently?

Doggo: I think I was watching something before coming here, but I haven’t watched anything since arriving. Recently, a lot of people have been recommending Furiten, and I’d also recommend watching Attack on Titan’s final movie.

Alright, if you could choose one ability from a champion in the game, what would it be and why?

Doggo: A champion’s ability? Hmm… I think it’s Zeri E, it has a long range.

You mean something that lets you jump far?

Doggo: Yeah, something that lets me jump far.

Last question – if you could go back in time and give advice to your younger self when you first started as a pro, what would you say?

Doggo: I’d tell myself to focus on doing my best and better control my temper.

Got it. Lastly, do you have anything to say to your fans?

Doggo: Thank you all for supporting us. CFO will keep working hard!