PSG Talon Woody on facing G2 Esports and proving the PCS is even better than predicted

The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI 2023) kicked off smoothly for PSG Talon. The players were back on the international stage and earned a clean 2-0 over Japanese team DFM. This victory made fans anticipate PSG Talon's next challenge as G2 Esports. Esports.gg sat down with Lin "Woody" Yu-En, who made his debut on the international stage at MSI 2023, for an interview.

During MSI 2023, PSG Talon showed just why their legacy got cemented on the international stage. Despite the disappointing loss for PSG Talon, it was clear they had plenty more to bring to the stage.

Esports.gg: You’ve been playing since a young age professionally, so what does being a pro player mean to you?

Woody: So being a pro player and playing an international tournament — [what it] really means to me [is that it's] about proving how good we are. Being a pro is about showing your talent and preparation and always doing your best.

Esports.gg: This is your first time on the international stage. What are you making of it so far?

Woody: Before our very first game, I was a bit nervous about playing on stage — especially an international stage. But once we had done this, I could feel myself getting better and less nervous. By being less nervous, we were able to adapt to the tempo of playing on stage, and by being more comfortable with the environment, it will help propel us into the next stage of the tournament.

Esports.gg: Did the best-of-three (Bo3) format of this year’s MSI improve your gameplay? For example, were you able to try more things and get a better grasp of the game?

Woody: Honestly, I do prefer Bo3 because Bo1 can be a coin flip and it is win or lose, then done. But with the Bo3 format, we can play and try out more strategies and we can be much more prepared because we can learn as we go and fix any issues for the next game. Although having to adapt can be a challenge for us and the coaching staff, I love the challenge.

Esports.gg: Do you feel pressure from the high expectations on PSG Talon and the Pacific (PCS) region?

Woody: There is some pressure on our shoulders from prior success and the legacy we have — especially as this is an international tournament. And our international performance has historically been strong. We would like to show the strength of our region and prove how talented we are as a team, and the international stage is a good place to do this.

Esports.gg: Having played G2 Esports, what did you make of your series against them? What did you learn from it?

Woody: G2 is one of the strongest teams or, at the very least, a very strong team in MSI this year. Their playstyle of aggressiveness forces us to have a good early game because if we didn’t, then the only opportunity we would have to snowball would be at the end. We now know what to work on in scrims heading into our next series.

Esports.gg: As PSG Talon has such a strong legacy, what was it like to face up against another team with a strong legacy, too?

Woody: We are now really motivated after facing G2 and their win over us. G2 are a strong team and like us have a long history. This means that we would like to beat them as part of our developing legacy. But we didn’t have a good game today and we weren’t quite ready for what they brought to the stage.

Esports.gg: What’s your favorite thing about MSI being hosted in London this year?

Woody: I really like that it is being hosted in London this year — especially because London has really beautiful scenery and sights everywhere, which is quite different from Taiwan, and I like seeing this and being able to experience it.

Esports.gg: We’ve been asking pro players what they’ve made of British food as a whole — how are you enjoying British food?

Woody: So far, I’ve only tried a burger and chips here, but these were really good — so British food seems pretty good.

That's all for now on PSG Talon's Woody. Follow esports.gg for all the latest esports news and updates across League of Legends and MSI 2023.