Rb: “Stop thinking about it and just enjoy the game” – VCT Pacific Stage 2 Playoffs Interview

When you think of Korean Valorant veterans, few names carry the history and adaptability of Goo “Rb” Sang-min. From the early Vision Strikers duelist era to a year in China with TEC and now his return to VCT Pacific Stage 2 with Nongshim RedForce, the organization that eventually signed the Ascension-winning roster Sin Prisa, Rb has played in multiple regions, faced drastically different metas, and helped guide teams through both rebuilding phases and title runs. With Nongshim battling through the playoffs, Rb spoke with Hotspawn about his esports beginnings, the lessons from his time abroad, and the mindset he believes is crucial to staying in the top tier.

Hotspawn: Did you always want to be a pro player?

Rb: “I first had the dream back in 2016. I watched an online competition for Counter-Strike, and after seeing the players compete in major tournaments, I thought it was really cool. I wanted to be like that as well—that was basically the start of my dream of becoming a pro player.”

Was Valorant the first game you went pro in?

Rb: “Valorant isn’t the first game I went pro in. It was Counter-Strike back in 2019, and after Valorant came out on servers, a Korean team was created immediately—that was one of my first steps in my career.”

You’ve played for Vision Strikers, TEC in China, and now Nongshim.

How was your time in Vision Strikers?

Rb: “In Vision Strikers, everyone didn’t really know what they were doing at first—it was more like trial and error and overall development together with the team.”

And how about your year in China with TEC?

Rb: “In TEC, when I was in China, it was about growing up, developing my own skill, and trying to synergize with people as well as have more person-to-person conversations.”

What did you bring from those experiences to Nongshim?

Rb: “Based on those experiences, which were really good for my development, I brought that to Nongshim. Now we’re all together trying to find the correct answer for what to do and how to drive the team in a better direction.”

Is it different playing for a team that earned their Pacific spot through Ascension?

Rb: “Compared to my previous teams, it’s not really a big difference, but just the fact that if we lose, we’re out of the Pacific league and won’t be able to maintain our position in tier one—that’s a lot of pressure. What I think is best right now is to stop thinking about it and not worry about that kind of stuff. Just try to enjoy the game and focus on finding a good direction for us to grow as a team together, concentrating on what’s in front of us right now instead of the future.”

Let’s talk about today’s match against DFM. Did you specifically prepare for them?

Rb: “Of course we prepared against them specifically. Regardless of who we meet next, we know we have to keep on playing. So taking our next opponent into consideration, we just prepare against that.”

You’ve played in both the CN league and Pacific.

What stands out about China?

Rb: “In CN league, if you don’t have mechanics and game sense, it’s extremely hard to survive. There are a lot of players with such great mechanics, so sometimes I put a lot of strain on myself.”

And what makes Pacific different?

Rb: “In Pacific, you also need mechanics but you must have diversity in your playstyle—because you’re not only facing Korean teams, but also Southeast Asian teams, and more. The mechanics are still really good, but there are also different strategies that tend to be safer. Relatively, aim-wise, Pacific is a bit easier.”

Which league do you prefer?

Rb: “I can’t really say which league I prefer, but since Valorant is an FPS game, of course you have to have good mechanics and the ability to win one-on-ones.”

Your next game is against T1. How do you feel?

Rb: “I have a lot of familiar faces on T1. I thought we would meet them in the upper bracket or even in the grand finals. But since we’re both down here, we might as well win the whole match, go to Champs, and maintain our position in Pacific.”

Favorite food?

Rb: “Shin Ramyun from Nongshim.”

From early dreams inspired by watching Counter-Strike, to representing Korea and competing internationally, Rb’s career has been a mix of adaptation, pressure, and growth. With Nongshim fighting to keep their Pacific spot and earn a trip to Champions, he’s keeping it simple: focus on the present, enjoy the game, and play to win.