Participating in his second Asian Games, Choi "Zeus" Woo-je also feels the pressure of needing to win. Even amid assessments that South Korea has superior strength, he stated that he would embrace the pressure as positive energy to win the gold medal.
On the 30th, South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei, India, and Hong Kong in succession in the 'League of Legends' group stage at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Aichi Sky Expo in Japan. Finishing first in Group B with an undefeated 3-0 record, South Korea will face Saudi Arabia in the semifinals on October 1.
Speaking after the match, 'Zeus' revealed he was nervous because he rated their first opponent, Chinese Taipei, as a strong team. He said, "Although it hasn't been long since I played in other tournaments, it's been a while since I competed in a unique event like the Asian Games, so I was nervous. I'm glad the results turned out well. Other teams also seem to have strong potential."
He explained that his condition was good, thanks to adjusting his sleep schedule in advance starting from Busan. Recalling how he used to wake up at sunrise during the Hangzhou Games as well, 'Zeus' remarked, "Waking up early in the morning actually felt refreshing. I used to think it would be nice if 'LoL' tournaments were held earlier in the day too."
In the match against Hong Kong, the team responded to the opponent's role swap and lane swap. 'Zeus' explained that during the long waiting time, he pondered why the opponent made those choices, recalling an experience where he and 'Gumayusi' Lee Min-hyeong had tried a similar strategy in solo queue. He said, "We had tried a swap like that after the Quest patch. We anticipated strategies the opponent could pull off and discussed how to respond."
This experience carried over into their approach to preparing for the match against Saudi Arabia, maintaining vigilance against unexpected choices given the limited information about their opponent. 'Zeus' said, "Hong Kong also suddenly swapped positions, so we had to consider many variables. Regardless of who the opponent is, I think we need to play with even greater vigilance."
For the semifinal on the other side of the bracket, he viewed Chinese Taipei as more likely to advance to the finals. However, the opponent he personally wanted to face was Vietnam. 'Zeus' stated, "I think Chinese Taipei has higher raw strength, but since Vietnam dealt us a blow during the evaluation match, I personally want to face them."
Finally, 'Zeus' shared his determination toward the gold medal. He said, "Even if we are considered far superior in strength, there is pressure that we must never lose. Rather than taking that pressure negatively, I will turn it into energy and bring home the gold medal."
