Crownshot: “We would’ve made it to the Playoffs if I was there”

Crownshot sat down with us to reflect on suddenly joining Vitality this split, and working with a team that had its confidence crushed in the first half of the competition. He also looked ahead at what he wants to achieve in the Summer Season, and weighed in on the overall strength of teams in the LEC.

Hotspawn: Welcome Crownshot! In the final weekend, you still managed to pick up a win versus Misfits. Do games like that still have meaning to you since you were already out of Playoffs contention?

Crownshot: I mean, yeah. I still wanted to show people that I’m good, you know? I still want to prove that. People were talking a bit too much after the other two games.

Hotspawn: What were people saying?

Crownshot: Oh, just about my other games. I had a bad game versus Schalke 04 and, you know, then people like to talk.

Hotspawn: Is that something that affects you? People largely seemed to be happy with your performance on Vitality.

Crownshot: I mean, yeah. Obviously, there was a controversy when Vitality chose to play with me on the lineup. I got a lot of angry fans on my streams and stuff, which is obviously not… Well, it is what it is. I’m obviously there because I want to get wins and prove myself and prove that this team is good. That’s all I’ve tried to do. I wish I would’ve come earlier. It feels like such a short Split! [Laughs] Just one month… But now we have to look forward to the Summer Split, and make sure that we do well there. I had a bad Spring in 2020 too, and then we made Playoffs in Summer with SK.

Hotspawn: When you joined Vitality, how was it to be thrown into the middle of a team that was in such disarray?

Crownshot: I saw that the team had some confidence issues, stuff like that. Maybe because of the bad start. So we tried to work on that, bring people on the same page and make them willing to fight more.

Hotspawn: What did you do to get them their confidence back?

Crownshot: I didn’t have any baggage from the games they had already played, you know? I was not 1-6. So I just told them to not be scared and that they need to be confident and willing to look for fights when they know that the enemy is playing badly, and when they’re not respecting you. You just have to punish it. You can’t let people do those things. A lot of the time, people will skill check you to see if you will punish them or not. If you do, you can beat them that way. It happened a lot in the first week, against Excel and SK. They were disrespecting us so hard at certain moments, but we just didn’t go for it.

Hotspawn: When did you notice that your teammates were getting their confidence back?

Crownshot: It was a gradual progression, I would say. After we went 2-0, I honestly thought that the last week would be better for us. I also think we should’ve won against Astralis. Then maybe we would be at six wins. I think Schalke had a better draft and they just played better, but against Astralis we could’ve won. The more wins we can get, the better it obviously is. I wish I came earlier, but for sure we’re gonna make it in Summer.

Hotspawn: I heard that you suggested some off-meta picks initially, such as Twitch, and Jinx before she got buffed. Did it take you some time to adjust to the competitive meta?

Crownshot: I wouldn’t say that it took me time. I always wanted to innovate and bring new picks. So I thought that it could be done sometimes, and I tried to do it. I did it last Summer too, and I think it helps for sure to do it.

Hotspawn: Though for you it has been a very short Split, now that it has come to an end, how do you look back at your performance?

Crownshot: I think, overall, I played pretty well, I guess. I think there were some games… Like, against Schalke I played badly, but I think in most of the other games I played a pretty good game. I’m one hundred percent confident that we would’ve made it to the Playoffs if I was there from the start. So, I don’t know. People can talk, I guess, but we’ll see in Summer. [Laughs]

Hotspawn: Do you feel that the team is on the right track to perform well in the Summer?

Crownshot: Yeah, hopefully. I mean, it might be a bit different, if they move it to the studio again. But we’ll see. I hope I gave them more confidence, and that they have more confidence in themselves.

Hotspawn: There is a question to be asked, of course, if you’ll also be starting for Vitality in the Summer Split. So, will you?

Crownshot: Well, I’m signed until the end of the year, until November. So I would assume so. I don’t know if I’m able to talk about it. [Laughs] So that’s there, I guess. I’m one hundred percent sure that we’ll get better performances in the Summer. So we’ll see. [Laughs]

Hotspawn: The last topic I want to touch on is your perception of the AD Carries in the LEC. In general, it feels like the league is pretty stacked in terms of potential, but the level of play feels a bit lower. What’s your perception of it?

Crownshot: I think it’s maybe a bit weaker now. Perkz is not an AD Carry anymore, and Jezu and Jeskla joined. So I think the level was better last Split. I still think that the top ADCs are all very good. I think Rekkles is the best of them. Hans sama is also having a good split, Upset is playing well. Patrik is always good, yeah. I mean, I would put myself there too, but that’s pointless. I will not rate myself. But I think the players are good, yeah.

Also, sometimes it is a bit hard to judge, because it gets super boring if they always play the same champions. For example, if you remember last Spring, it was just Miss Fortune in every game. How can you judge AD Carries on Miss Fortune? But the role is one of the better ones in EU, I would say.

Hotspawn: And what about the team strength overall?

Crownshot: I think it’s natural in the Spring, but the level has become a bit lower. I think getting something like fourteen rookies for sure is one of the reasons why. They will not be accustomed. The games also haven’t been played on stage yet, so you also need to see how these rookies do on the stage. But if you actually look at the Spring Splits, teams are a bit weaker for sure. Then in the Summer, they kind of level up. I remember in 2019, teams were also a bit weaker in the Spring Split but then in the Summer Split they were quite a bit better.

Hotspawn: Alright Crownshot, is there anything you’d like to say to the Vitality fans?

Crownshot: I want to say that I’m really thankful for the Vitality fans. Even after so many bad weeks, they’re always so supportive and always messaging the team and messaging me. I will make you proud in the Summer Split, 100%. I’ll get you guys the Playoffs. I’ll do my hardest for Worlds. I’ll really try my best, no matter what, and I’m very, very thankful for your support.

Vitality and Crownshot will return in during the LEC 2021 Summer Season. You’ll be able to catch them in action live on the LEC’s Twitch and YouTube channels.