Will this be the breakout year Comp had always wanted in the LEC?
Rogue entered the 2022 LEC Spring Split following their 2021 LoL World Championship run with two new players. One of those new players is Greek AD carry Comp, who is most known for his time on Vitality. The past years in the LEC were not kind to Comp, who failed to make the LEC playoffs in his first two years in the LEC. But as he enters Rogue as the new AD carry replacing Hans Sama, his hope in the LEC is at a new high.
In this interview, we speak to RGE Comp to talk about how this most recent offseason helped him see life past League and his high hopes for Rogue to be a top contender in the LEC.
Congratulations on your victory against Misfits! You are currently 2-0 on the split, how does it feel to be back in the LCS and to start your split with a pair of wins?
RGE Comp: It feels really nice in all honesty. I feel like my first splits in the LEC did not go the way I had hoped they would turn out and it was hard to take in. This is finally the start I had hoped for all these years in the LEC. I was a bit nervous going into all of this, so I am really happy where things are with Rogue. Now it is about maintaining this level of play for the rest of the split.
You were last seen on Team Vitality, in spring 2021. Talk to me about what was going through your head after Vitality and what you did during that time away from competitive.
RGE Comp: Well, when they first told me that I would no longer be on the team as the starter, I got pretty sad. It felt weird, almost like the world was ending around me. It all got a little better when I took some time away from the game. I really thought to myself about how I could be better as a whole. I still kept playing to maintain a level so that I could make a return to competitive, but I realized that I had barely experienced anything about life.
My whole entire life has just been about playing video games, and while that helped me become a professional at it, I wanted to experience life for the first time. This offseason really helped me a lot because I started to finally think about other things besides League of Legends that make me happy. I now have a better daily routine for life that I would have never gotten if I did not take that break. It is really nice to see how much it paid off, even if I did not play very much League.
What did you do during that offseason that made it so impactful for you?
RGE Comp: Working out was definitely a very big habit that I developed. My brother had this friend who was a personal trainer and he would always tell me how to improve and would push me past limits that I didn’t even know could be surpassed. It really helped me and basically, after seeing myself also changing physically, I started to have even more confidence.
Honestly, it has really just been about living life for once. Since the age of 16, I didn't really get to do a lot of things other than travel around whether it's France or it's Berlin, and just playing League. It was nice being able to be back in Greece just enjoying life and the company of friends. I would also like to give a shoutout to my girlfriend who really helped me through all of these stresses. She means a lot to me. I enjoyed my time off a lot.
It is awesome to see how helpful the break was to your mental health, and how you have so much more to your life outside of just League. Do you still talk to that trainer?
RGE Comp: We do not talk daily, but we do check in with each other every now and then. The team is working on creating a gym house, primarily with Odoamne so that we will be able to work out more often. I am not on that same daily working-out level that I was before, but it would be nice to get back at that point. Still better than before.
After Vitality, did you expect to find a place in the LEC once again? Throughout the offseason, what were your expectations and how did you find your place on Rogue?
RGE Comp: Honestly, my expectations were very high even though I did not play for nearly the entire year in 2021. I was not in a competitive environment, not playing as much as I used to nor was I really around the scene much during that time. At first, they actually were not very high, but when the offseason actually happened, there were actually quite a few LEC offers, which was really surprising.
At that point, I gained more confidence because I knew at the very least, next year I would be on a team. And it was my choice if it was in LEC or ERL. I was happy that at the very least I was still maintaining my level of play while also having fun. It was nice to know that teams did not forget who I was or that I just disappeared from the scene. When I was looking at the LEC offers, and Rogue was one of them, I was actually strongly considering going back to the ERL. For me, I would not be happy being in the LEC if I did not feel confident that our team could do great things. I did not just want to be a placeholder in the LEC.
Heading into 2022, I was actually really close to rejoining Vitality for their Academy team. Even though I was dropped from the main team, I really liked playing for Vitality and enjoyed the culture over there. It would’ve also meant I could have played with Skeanz and Jactroll again who I really enjoyed playing with. I was not guaranteed the spot on Rogue, and of the other offers, Vitality’s spot was the most enticing. But once I got the official Rogue offer, I was really shocked. Rogue is a team that has consistently been great in the LEC. After meeting everybody, I felt really inspired by this team and was really happy with the decision to join Rogue.
We saw Rogue play around your Jinx and today it was the same thing. Entering a team that has been to worlds twice, how did it feel knowing you are a part of a team with concurrent success and that you are someone they rely on to be a carry?
RGE Comp: After Hans left, everybody was saying I had really big shoes to fill on Rogue and it makes sense. He was my favorite player to lane against in the LEC, but it feels really nice to be performing well in the LEC so far. I feel so much more confident in my skills as a player compared to when I was on Vitality. I also just think this team really knows how to play around me well. They know how to communicate what they need and it makes things a lot easier for me as a player. Everybody is really flexible and versatile in how they can play the game which is really awesome.
It is really weird if I am being honest. I feel like there is just a process in everything and I love working with all of my teammates and coaching staff on Rogue. I am someone who really prioritizes the environment to grow and Rogue does that well which gives me confidence we can continue this win streak.
Are there other teams that you feel pose a big challenge for Rogue? and where would you rank yourselves as a team?
RGE Comp: I actually did an interview answering a similar question to this when I was on Vitality, and two weeks later I was benched so I don’t want to answer that this time. Laughs But what I can say is that I am really optimistic for the future with this team, and I am in a position to succeed in the LEC.
Is there anything you would like to tell new viewers that maybe had a skewed view of you as a player? Any goals for your third season in the LEC?
RGE Comp: It felt really amazing to get my first 3-0 super week in the LEC. This has been such a great reassurance to me that we can do great.
For some people who know me from solo queue, this split I want to show that I am more than just that. With Rogue, I know I am capable of finally having that breakthrough in the LEC I was hoping for.
Stay tuned to Esports.gg for the latest League of Legends news and highlights. You can find RGE Comp on twitter.