In the early morning of October 23 (KST), one day before the opening of the 2026 LoL World Championship (Worlds) Swiss Stage, InvenGlobal held a video interview with LCS team LYON mid laner 'Saint' Kang Seong-in. Having qualified for Worlds for the first time since his debut, he expressed both excitement about the stage and bold ambition.
'Saint' openly shared his pure joy, saying, "Two years ago, I couldn't even imagine this, so it feels completely surreal. What makes me happiest is seeing players in person whom I used to learn from by watching VODs online—like China's 'Shanks', 'Creme', and 'knight', or Korea's 'Chovy' Jeong Ji-hoon and 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok. I feel like a successful fan."
Although 'Saint' swept LCS All-Pro First Team honors this season and earned praise alongside 'Berserker' Kim Min-seong as the LCS's top damage-dealing duo, he failed to cap off the run with a title after falling to Team Liquid in the Summer Finals. However, that defeat served as a valuable lesson for the team. He explained, "The bigger the stage got, the more the entire team tended to rely on the jungler. Bluntly speaking, we gave each other strong feedback that 'we can't win if we act passively like NPCs,' and through scrims, we found the right direction."
This Worlds is a home tournament taking place in North America, his home league. Regarding this, 'Saint' candidly shared his feelings, saying, "I'm grateful for the support from the home fans, but it feels like a double-edged sword because I fear the backlash if we fail to meet expectations."
Even so, he emphasized that the goal for this tournament is undeniably winning the championship. "As a pro player, the goal is always to win," 'Saint' expressed with confidence. "During MSI, most people didn't expect much from North America's performance, but many were surprised to see us finish in 3rd place. I want to surprise the fans once again this time."
He did not let his guard down regarding their first Swiss Stage matchup against Team Secret Whales (TSW). Although LYON secured a decisive victory over them at MSI, he was mindful of the variables of the best-of-one (BO1) format. "Aggressive teams are scarier in tournaments, especially in BO1s," 'Saint' said. "It's a must-win match, so there's pressure, but we'll prepare properly by carefully keeping their tendencies in mind."
Expressing his wish that "if given the chance, I really want to swap jerseys with 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok," 'Saint' shared his resolve: "Personally, I feel I've grown significantly compared to First Stand. That's why at this Worlds, I want to face as many Korean mid laners as possible and defeat them. Through that process, I will absorb their strengths as well."
