The Mid-Season Invitational has come to an end for paiN Gaming. On the day Group B came to a conclusion, the team fell short and only managed to win one game. Though the CBLoL champions return to Brazil empty-handed, the team still put up a fight against LEC champions MAD Lions and made them sweat for thier victory. More importantly: paiN Gaming beat CBLoL’s rival region, TCL, twice by getting the better of Istanbul Wildcats.
Unfortunately for Robo, the Mid-Season Invitational ends in the Group Stage. Image courtesy of Riot Games.
At the end of paiN Gaming’s MSI road, top laner Leonardo “Robo” Souza joined for a brief interview. He talked about his preparation heading into the long day, and the lessons he learned from playing at the tournament. Robo also reflected on his own performance and shared a non-gaming story he’ll treasure from his trip to Iceland.
Hotspawn: Well Robo, congratulations on the victory over Istanbul Wildcats, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to make it out of the Group Stage. At the end of such a long day with many games, what’s going through your mind?
Robo: I’m a bit sad today. Disappointed even, because we did not make it to the next phase. But I did try my best and the team did their best, so I am satisfied about that.
Hotspawn: There was a tough task for you at hand heading into the day. Can you tell me what your preparation looked like?
Robo: I’m a simple guy. I prepare well, and that’s what I did today. I tried to help out my teammates and we just tried our best.
Hotspawn: What lessons did your team take from the first three games you played in the Round Robin?
Robo: Hmmm, let me think about that. So, one of the biggest lessons we learned is the way that the big teams deal with the jungle. It is very important, much more important than in the games we play in Brazilian League of Legends. So we tried to play around it more and make the best use of it. That’s one of the most valuable lessons we’ve learned.
Hotspawn: Playing stage games and scrims against top international teams often teaches players a lot. Can you share some of the things you’ll personally take home with you?
Robo: One of the most important things I’m taking with me is definitely the way we let the jungle play with the mid lane. That’s something I’m taking with me to my teammates and back to Brazil. The way we control objectives and set up for them.
Hotspawn: You gave European fans a few heart attacks with the games you played, and you also came out on top of Istanbul Wildcats, which must feel good in light of the passionate Brazil-Turkey rivalry. Are those achievements something you are proud of, in spite of your elimination?
Robo: In general, I feel like I did my best at the tournament and I gave everything I could as a top laner. There were some moments against MAD Lions where I could’ve destroyed the game and done a bit better. But I still did my best, we tried to play as a team, and I tried to help my teammates as much as possible. This is something I will take with me for the next championship and for other tournaments. Maybe Worlds!
Hotspawn: Now, for something other than the games: teams tend to have a lot of fun when they’re abroad. Do you have any memorable moments or funny stories you’ll remember about being at MSI?
Robo: So, it is hard to deny that us Brazilians are funny people. [Laughs] One of the funniest stories is that we went outside, searching for the aurora borealis. We were walking around for about one hour, just seeing if we could see it somewhere. But then we realized that we’re heading to the summer here in Iceland and that the aurora borealis is more difficult to spot then. There are a lot of daylight hours and the night is very short. When we realized that, we were just laughing at each other because we realized that it was impossible for us to see it!
Hotspawn: So are you gonna come back to Iceland in the winter to see it?
Robo: No, I don’t think so. [Laughs] This has been so cold for me, this experience. If this is summer, I don’t know. This is very, very cold for me already.
Hotspawn: To round up the interview now, Robo, is there anything you’d like to say to the paiN Gaming fans, who have been very active on social media with spamming your pictures to show their support?
Robo: Thank you so much. I never imagined that I would get this much fan love, ever. Thank you for this ROBO Day, it has been amazing. I’m sorry I didn’t make it; I tried my best. Sorry to let you down, but I will do my best even more next time.
MSI continues on Tuesday, May 10th, at 3 PM CEST with the final matches of Group C.
