The 2026 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) Bracket Stage begins on the 3rd at the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) Exhibition Hall 2 in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. Lyon, featuring Korean players Kang 'Saint' Seong-in, Kim 'Berserker' Min-cheol, and Jo 'Castle' Hyeon-seong, secured a direct ticket to the Bracket Stage as the first seed after defeating teams like C9 and Team Liquid Alienware to win the 2026 LCS Spring title.

INVEN met with 'Saint' during the online Asset Day held on the 1st, ahead of the start of the Bracket Stage. A former Dplus KIA Challengers player, 'Saint' began his first stint in the top-tier LCS after joining Lion ahead of the 2025 season. Now in his second year, he has been rapidly gaining experience, winning both the 2026 LCS Lock-In and Spring Split alongside top North American players like 'Berserker' and 'Inspired'.

"The North American environment suits me well. For starters, the weather is great 365 days a year," 'Saint' said, opening the interview. "The practice atmosphere is also a good fit. In Korea, we have morning and afternoon scrims, and if conditions allow, we do night scrims or individual practice until 3 or 4 a.m. But in the U.S., once scrims are over, the rest of the time is yours. It makes managing my condition easier, and I can identify my weaknesses and focus my practice on those areas," he explained regarding his life in North America.

When asked how he has grown this year compared to last, he replied, "Last year, my English communication skills were lacking, and my performance wasn't up to par. But after winning this Spring Split, I feel I'm communicating much more with my teammates and my in-game understanding has improved significantly. In particular, I've learned a lot from talking with 'Inspired' about what I'm missing and what I need to think about to win games."

Lion participated in the '2026 First Stand Tournament' last March after winning the Lock-In. It was 'Saint's' first international tournament, and they were unfortunately eliminated in the Group Stage, unable to overcome the hurdle of the LCK and LPL teams. "Back then, I definitely didn't know how to win games," 'Saint' said. "I only thought about how I could grow and carry on my own. Now, I've realized how to play a team game."

Lion's first opponent will be either Team Secret Waves from Vietnam or FURIA from Brazil—a relatively favorable matchup compared to teams from the four major regions. When asked about this, 'Saint' said, "Since we haven't played a tournament in over two or three weeks, I am a bit worried about whether our tournament form might have slipped. If we can overcome that, I think they will definitely be easier opponents than other teams. I'll predict a 3-0 victory."

'Saint' mentioned that he wants to face T1, featuring 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok, and BLG, where 'Knight' plays, at this MSI. He expressed a desire to learn by facing such powerful mid-laners. At the same time, true to his rookie-like spirit, he did not lack confidence. "My strengths are my weight class and skirmishing ability. In that sense, I believe I am competitive enough (even among veteran players)," he stated.

Finally, 'Saint' concluded the interview by sharing his resolve: "As a player, my goal is obviously to win. Personally, I really want to beat an LPL or LCK team at least once. I want to prove that I am competitive enough against world-class players. I really want to do well this time. Please give us your support. Thank you."