NS Ivy: “It’s a dream come true” to reach the grand final undefeated

Hotspawn had an opportunity to interview Park “Ivy” Sung-hyeon after Nongshim RedForce defeated NRG to qualify for the grand final at VCT Masters Santiago. His side remain the sole team to stay undefeated not just at Masters Santiago, but also throughout 2026 since their rampage through Pacific Kickoff to emerge as Pacific’s first seed.

Ivy has been playing with Francis and Dambi since 2023, and has been a mainstay of the team throughout their Ascension runs, and continues to be a key clutcher and incredible flex for the team, with him being one of the most consistently dominant players on a team that is rapidly gaining a reputation for the flashiest Neon to grace a stage (Dambi) and an argument to be made for best Yoru player of the meta (Francis).

Hotspawn: Firstly, Ivy, congratulations. Amazing job today. You’ve made it the grand final and still haven’t lost yet this year.

How does it feel?

Ivy: “I can’t believe it. It’s a dream come true.”

Hotspawn: In today’s series both maps looked incredibly well prepared, and it seemed like you had the perfect read.

What was the main reason for your dominant victory?

Ivy: “First off, I think Rb did an amazing job IGLing and shot calling. Also my teammates didn’t let their guard down at any moment.”

Hotspawn: You mentioned Rb. Since he joined the team,

What has been the biggest difference you’ve seen?

Ivy: “Before Rb joined we lacked leadership. We didn’t have any veteran on the team. But when Rb joined he provided leadership and direction for where we should go as a team. He definitely did a lot for the team.”

Over five years in the making.@Rbvlrt reaches his first international Grand Final! pic.twitter.com/EYPCE1zphR

— VCT Pacific (@vctpacific) March 13, 2026

Hotspawn: Right now you have more teams in the lower bracket fighting for the chance to face you in the grand final.

Who do you think will make it?

Ivy: “PRX.”

Hotspawn: PRX? One hundred percent?

Ivy: “One hundred percent.”

Hotspawn: Why?

Ivy: “Because I believe in them.”

Hotspawn: On the second map of Abyss you made a compositional change and picked Cypher.

What was the reasoning behind that decision?

Ivy: “We already knew what NRG was going to play. They were definitely going to use Viper, and the coaching staff told us to go with Cypher.”

Hotspawn: Especially in the first half you had a lot of individual impact, confidently peeking and taking duels.

Did you do a lot of VOD review for timings, or was it just a feeling?

Ivy: “I was pretty indifferent. I just went into the game with the usual confidence. Peek and swing with confidence, that’s all I cared about.”

Hotspawn: Dambi’s Waylay looked much stronger on Abyss today compared to last time.

What changed?

Ivy: “I actually think Dambi is a great Waylay player. The reason we lost last time was because we lacked map understanding of Abyss. Now that we have a deeper understanding of the map we were able to come out with a win.”

Hotspawn: This is your first tournament like this at the playoff stage, and the crowd has been very loud.

Do you feel nervous at all?

Ivy: “I already had experience in my first Ascension in Jakarta, and the crowd back then was insane as well, almost on par with this one. So it doesn’t really make me nervous.”

Hotspawn: Your team has been very successful adapting to the current meta.

How have you managed to dominate both Pacific and VCT Masters Santiago?

Ivy: “We know that the current meta works well for us. We know that Dambi is spectacular on Neon and Francis is a good Yoru player, so we decided to go with those two entries in our comp. As we scrim we see what our weaknesses and flaws are, and we just improvise and get better every time.”

Hotspawn: You’ve played a lot of different roles for the team.

How are you able to stay so flexible as a player?

Ivy: “I started in the Challengers league in Korea as a flex player, so I can pretty much play all roles, and I think that’s my strength.”

Hotspawn: Why is Ivy your gamer tag?

Ivy: “A long time ago I was thinking about which IGN I should choose. At the time my favorite snack was Ivy the cracker, and that’s why I decided to go with Ivy.”

Hotspawn: Who is the calmest player on your team?

Ivy: “Xross.”

Hotspawn: Who is the most likely to overheat?

Ivy: “For sure Dambi.”

Hotspawn: Who is most likely to clutch?

Ivy: “Me, or Rb.”

Hotspawn: Who rages the most?

Ivy: “Dambi.”

Hotspawn: Who is your biggest role model?

Ivy: “No one.”

Hotspawn: So just yourself?

Ivy: “Yeah.”

Hotspawn: Who is your favorite player to watch?

Ivy: “Dambi on my team, but outside of my team, [PRX] something.”