Interview with Apdo – The man who hung and beat Faker
Original Chinese Article: http://game.china.com/onlinegame/news/10003534/20140820/18725251.html
Translated by: Ryan Tang
Interview Date: 8/20/2014 (Sorry for the late translation. When this article came out I hadn’t yet begun LoL translating and with the recent news about Apdo I wanted to find an article. This is a little old but it has a ton of insight on the man so I hope you guys enjoy!)
Dopa is Faker’s predator who always occupies the number 1 seat on the Korean LOL Server. His mechanics are outstanding and he has the sense of a god. (Chinese players know Apdo by his “new” IGN, Dopa. For the rest of this article, I will be using Apdo, the name most Westerners know him as.)
He has just signed with YY90888, broadcasting live 8 hours a day every afternoon on YY90888 of high ranking games in Korean LOL Servers. His first broadcast was on August 16, where Apdo faced off against Faker. Apdo used one of his most famous champions, Shockblade Zed, to lead his team to victory (details of the game here: http://lol.duowan.com/1408/272145470923.html).
Yesterday, I had an interview with Apdo. As I know, he has just broken up with his girlfriend so YY has become his only pleasure.
Here is the interview:
YY: Although you are a Korean SoloQ player, you have a high popularity in China. We all know that other broadcast platforms have contacted you also, why do you pick YY90888?
Apdo: This is because I have signed with GE company. And GE believe the YY platform will be very suitable for our development, YY gave us a YY90888 channel, so I’ll be streaming live on YY90888.
YY: How do you feel about the passion of Chinese fans?
Apdo: I’d like to thank you all. Chinese fans have sent me a lot of gifts. I am very happy every times when I receive a gift. I particularly like the (domineering) gift because it suited my personality.
YY: You often interact with fans during live streaming, even tried to learn some Chinese from them. Can you say something simple in Chinese now.
Apdo: I know some very simple Chinese sentences now. Apdo then proceeds to say in Chinese: “Hello everyone, I am Dopa”
YY: You are one of top SoloQ player in Korean Server. How do you achieve that? For the average players, can you give some advice on how to raise their skill in the game?
Apdo: This question been asked many times. I believe if you play more, gain more experience, then your overall skill will naturally be raised. I cannot say which particular area you will improve in, but if you plan more and have more experience, that will increase your strength.
YY: You play very well with these champions: Orianna, Lee Sin and Ezreal. Can you tell us some of your favorite champions and the reason why you like them?
Apdo: I have very high MMR, and in order to maintain a high score, I often got assigned to the first pick. (In Korea, pick order is still MMR based. Apdo says he often gets first pick.) I like to pick Orianna to prevent other people from countering me. It is relatively difficult to counterpick Orianna.
YY: Would you please give us some advice on how to use Orianna?
Apdo: Usually, the ultimate should be used to prevent your opponent from initiating. When Orianna has not used her ultimate yet, opponents will not dare to go in. They will hesitate. So I usually just keep it unused. I will put the ball in a place that zones my opponents and restricts their movement.
YY: Between yourself and Faker, who has a higher chance to win?
Apdo: Overall I think we each have a 50/50 chance to win. Faker used to win more often and now I win more often.
YY: Why do you not choose to become a pro?
Apdo: In Korea, professional players do not have much. This is not very attractive to me, hence I did not choose to be a pro player.
YY: In S4 finals, which team is most likely to get the Championship?
Apdo: I think China and Korea are the strongest teams in S4, there is a strength gaps for teams in other areas. Champions should belongs to either China and Korea team. However, I am not familiar with Chinese team, I am more familiar with with Chinese professional players, so I can’t comment on which team.
YY: What kind of person you are in real life?
Apdo: I may be a bit of mysterious in-game but in real life, I am just an ordinary person. I like to eat good food, play fun things, and go out with girls just like everyone else.
YY: Do you have a girlfriend now?
Apdo: I used to have one. Just broke up this afternoon, so feel a little depressed now!
YY: Now you join YY90888, will live streaming become a major part of your life?
Apdo: I am spending most part of my day in YY90888 now. I am enjoying life here.
YY: Have you ever thought of coming to China be a pro?
Apdo: When I was in Korea, my impression of a pro play life was not very good. I do not have a clear understanding of the eSports environment in China at this point. So I am not sure if I would like to go to China and become a professional player.
YY: In addition to playing League of legends, do you have any hobbies? What is your dream job in the future?
Apdo: In addition to playing League of legends, I like to watch movies. I wish I can continue to do League of legends live streaming. I like interacting and chatting with the players.
YY: From the photos, you look very handsome. Not sure if this will you give other benefit in the future, such as a facial close up webcam broadcast.
Apdo: If the Ping value is not high when play LoL in China, I’ll open a channel, and play with everyone.
