MKOI Myrwn: “I am the King of Madrid, and I’ll make sure I still am after [the Summer Finals]”
Ethan Cohen
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With a tougher-than-expected series against NAVI in the LEC Summer Split, MKOI have now taken over second place in Group A. Top laner Alex “Myrwn” Villarejo spoke to us after the series, addressing MKOI’s slow start, his individual improvements and learnings from past international tournaments, the meta, LoL players popping off on stage, and the upcoming Summer Finals on his home turf.
How do you feel after this series, which I’m sure didn’t go exactly as you expected?
Myrwn: No, surely it didn’t go as planned. [They were] two shaky games… today we didn’t play our best, so it really showed on stage, with a lot of mistakes and NAVI punished them well. The games were actually really close.
Ethan: In Game 1 today, you were very much behind from the early and it was kind of the same against GX last week.
Do you think the reason why there is such a gap between the top four and the rest of the LEC is because of the macro and teamwork in the mid to late game?
Myrwn: I think it’s mostly about macro. Because I wouldn’t call out any LEC players, I think all of them are good players. Mechanically, we have a fairly good level. So I would say the biggest difference is mostly macro game and team play in general. And that gap appeared in many games. For example, us playing into SK last split, the two games were pretty clean on how you dominate on the map.
I think if lower tier teams focus more on their team play, they can make such a big improvement. Because I don’t think the difference always comes in laning phase or how you play mechanically a teamfight.
It’s more on how you play your position, how you’re moving around the map, all that.
Would you say MKOI need more time to ramp up, or do you think it’s more that you don’t prepare to face specific teams that much in the regular season?
Myrwn: I think it’s mostly time. We come from having a long break, which was needed. It’s about slowly ramping up and being ready for the moment when playoffs come, hopefully. Our objective is to reach worlds, and the plan is to ramp up and end up at our peak for Worlds. It’s what we’re aiming for.
Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
Ethan: To go back a bit on your international campaign. First, I know some players did but…
Did you get to try the new WASD bindings at MSI?
Myrwn: I didn’t, I know they said that some pros could try it. I’m still waiting… I really like trying those things, but Riot hates me or something.
Ethan: And do you think it might have a huge impact on the game and especially on the esports landscape?
Myrwn: I’m not sure about League itself. For example, I played Supervive a lot and I’m really used to how it works with WASD, so I’m excited to try it when it releases. For sure, it will actually help LoL a bit, but I’m not sure how much. I’m not an expert on the topic so I cannot really tell you, but I’m pretty sure it will make some change.
Ethan: Last year, Fresskowy and you had a rough time playing at Worlds, right? This time, I personally felt like you had a much better showing, even taking responsibility in some games by playing your packets picks. The two games you guys won at MSI were you on Akali against Bin’s Gwen and you on Irelia against Yorick.
Do you feel like you played more relaxed at MSI? What made the difference from last year’s Worlds to this year’s international tournament?
Myrwn: I would say I have a better mentality and I’m also more prepared. I worked with Melzhet a lot on my laning phase. For example, I think last year they could have punished me a lot even with swaps being around. This year, the laning phase is more important because there’s no level 1 swap, you don’t get to skip that many matchups. Even though you see a lot of swaps for [Void] Grubs, I think there’s still a lot of laning into it. It wasn’t my main focus, but I worked on it because it was clearly a weakness last year. Now I’m way more stable, and I can get leads from my lane consistently, so I’m happy with it.
Ethan: Last year, you were a rookie.
Do you think having a first experience changed your approach to international tournaments?
Myrwn: For sure. For example, last year at Worlds, I was just playing all day without having any time for myself or together, as a team. It didn’t really help me. I am more of a player who is fine with scrims and some solo queues. I don’t need to play 20 games a day. For example, if we are doing triple blocks of scrims at Worlds, and I play two to four solo queues. I have my time off and maybe go see some of the city, for example. I’m a bit more relaxed and I do like team activities or whatever. And then I play way better. At EWC and MSI, we had a bit more time. I shared it better in my schedule. It wasn’t just “play, play, play.”
Photo Credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games
Ethan: I felt like the biggest gap you had with the Eastern team was in early game. I also saw Jojo and Alvaro talking about it on EUphoria, saying especially on level 1, they were much sharper than us.
Is the next step for EU to work on having consistently good early games? And is it challenging to keep all the fundamentals in mid games while working on another department of the game?
Myrwn: Every time you work on something else, you will end up dropping a bit of other things. For example, you can see in the games today, we’re working on more things, not only what we were good at already last split. So you will end up dropping things. For example, I think we’re a really good team in team fights, but it’s not showing because we’re working on many things.
You need to find a balance and you also need to adapt until it becomes automatic to do what you were working on. So it’s a matter of time.
And about what you said on level 1s. In EU, no one playel level 1 last split. You can see in every game plan, in scrims, Asian teams will do a lot of things level 1 and they will get big leads from it. So it’s something that we’re also learning, we’re actually implementing in our games and it’s a really good learning [from MSI/EWC].
Ethan: I feel like right now the meta on top lane is very much oriented towards 5 or 6 prio picks, whereas last year there was much more room for creativity. You’re still clearly one of the best in the league on a few of the meta picks, such as Ambessa, K’Santé and Rumble.
Would you say the fact that the meta is maybe a bit less open is a nerf for you? Or do you think it maybe pushed you to train even more on the metapicks and that it’s even a buff in in a way?
Myrwn: I’m really comfortable with the meta picks, so I’m chill about it.
I wish I could play more picks, but now the meta is centred around botlane in competitive. The most broken role in the game… What can I say?
So that’s why you see top side being picked so early in the draft. I’m used to it. It’s something we were already doing last split and it was, at the start, hard to adapt for me. Because I didn’t fully understand why we had to pick toplane so early in the games. But now, I’m used to it and you don’t need to do it every game. You can also end up getting kills on botlane with swaps. Even if you blind pick, it’s not the end of the world. I don’t need to counterpick my Neeko or my Varus. I’m happy with how the meta is on toplane. It’s chill.
Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
Ethan: You are one of the few players in LoL esports who sometimes let yourself go a bit wild on stage. Especially during important matches and when you’re in front of a big stadium. I feel like only LTAS players have moments like yours, but in other games like Counter-Strike (CS), it’s much more present, right?
Do you think popping off on stage is something that is missing with LoL esports players in general?
Myrwn: I’m not sure. For example, every time I see VALORANT, the competition just feels way different. You win a round and you have some time off. Here, if you win a teamfight, you’re going to say naturally to push waves and already think of the next plan. So I think it’s not that easy. But you can see TitaN, in LTAS. He was having all these moments even after the games, for example, when he went into Leviatan. I think that people don’t have that passion to show it on stage.
And for me, it’s just something natural. Honestly, it’s something I’ve been doing all my career, even in amateur for example. It didn’t show because there were no cameras. I’m shouting at my enemies. I don’t care, even if they can’t hear it.
Ethan: I guess you’re expecting to go to Madrid, to reunite with your fans, and maybe be able to show more of your on stage emotions, who knows?
Which team would you actually prefer to face, if you could choose?
Myrwn: I already know my choice… If I can choose, it’s KC in front of my crowd. I have to defend my trophy. I am the king of Madrid, and I’ll make sure I still am after the [Summer Finals].
Ethan: And do you think it’s actually the team you will face? If you have to be realistic.
Myrwn: It’s either them or G2. I think they’re the strongest two teams apart from us. But if I can choose, it’s always KC. I think it’s the most hyped match, too. It’s just a mix of everything. Two big fan bases… And I’d also defend my city.
Ethan is an esports fanatic — not a Fnatic fan, don’t get him wrong. He previously worked for a French media outlet called Eclypsia, as well as Sheep Esports, for whom he covered a variety of scenes: from FC 24, R6, and RL to CS:GO, VAL, and more. But the main reason Ethan started writing in esports was to have the opportunity to work fully on his one true love: League of Legends. And that’s precisely what he is doing at Hotspawn. Be warned, his articles can sometimes ooze a little too much of his lack of objectivity towards the French scene and players…
