Cloud9 Thanatos – “I wanted [to be] the reason I won or lost”

Cloud9's new rising star in the top lane, Park "Thanatos" Seung-gyu, sat down with esports.gg to talk about his debut in Tier 1 play.

Thanatos has been in the hyperbolic time chamber of Dplus KIA's secondary league team for so long that he's seen it change names three times. Finally stepping onto the major stage during the Summer 2024 LCS Split, we had the chance to speak with this burgeoning talent about his debut, his goals, and the future of the LCS.

Translation for this interview was done by Cloud9’s General Manager for League of Legends, David Han.

Esports.gg: How does it feel to make your Tier 1 debut, and how are you feeling about the match?

Park "Thanatos" Seung-gyu: "I’ve been dreaming about this moment, playing on a Tier 1 stage, and I’m very happy I was able to make it here. Even though we won this series, I feel like I haven’t shown my my true skills. I think I could play better in the future."

Huge news came out this week about the future of LoL esports, the LCS, and international play. What do you think about the new Fearless Draft tournament, and what do you think about the North and South American merger?

"First of all, for Fearless Draft, I think the teams have to adapt in a very short period for Fearless Draft, so you’re going to see a lot more diversity within draft. There’s also going to be more skill discrepancy that you can see between teams.

"For viewers, I think it’s really good because you get to see a more diverse champion pool from the players. Regarding having one more international tournament. I think it’s obviously pretty good for the viewership, and having North and South America combining will also be good for viewership.

"Oh, one more thing about Fearless Draft, because there are a lot more scenarios that can happen, a lot of weaker teams can beat stronger teams because of Fearless Draft."

A lot of players, in the debut games, pick tanks or champions with more utility. What's made you willing to take the risks necessary to play carry top laners like Camille and Renekton in your first major league match?

"When we first picked K’Sante in game 1, we lost. So in game 2, I wanted to pick something that wins in lane. So, I picked Camille. I noticed that [Licorice] was always getting counter-pick in Draft. So, I wanted to pick something that’s more aggressive. Because it was my debut, basically, I wanted [to be] the reason that I won or lost the game. So, I wanted to carry, which is why I picked Camille and Renekton. "

You mentioned in an interview with Dotesports that you were surprised by how good your teammates are. Did anything surprise you on stage today?

"During today’s game my thoughts are about the same as I’ve said before.  If I do well, then the team is gonna win. Today, even, my team was doing a lot better than the opponent’s team."

Do you have anything to say to your new North American fans or those following you from DK Challengers about the upcoming split?

"There’s still a lot left until the split ends, and I think I can show better performances moving forward. I’m going to try to improve and get to Worlds and get a result that the fans really want and have a successful season. '

Cloud9's next match is against Immortals on Saturday, June 22, 2024.