On November 5 (KST), LYON lost 0-3 to Gen.G in the quarterfinals of the 2026 LoL World Championship (Worlds), held at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas. Serving as the final hope for North America, LYON performed beyond expectations to reach the knockout stage, but they ultimately failed to overcome the towering wall of Gen.G, bringing their season to a close.
Speaking with Inven after the match, 'Berserker' Kim Min-cheol calmly reflected on the end of his Worlds journey. "We all worked really hard together. Looking back and asking myself, 'What more could we have done here?' nothing immediately comes to mind, so I have no regrets," he said. He added candidly, "Also, because Gen.G, who eliminated us, is the best team in the world, losing itself isn't something to be ashamed of. However, I still feel bitter because I believe there were games we could have won."
Indeed, despite the 0-3 scoreline, LYON put up a spirited fight—breaking the bot lane balance early on or turning unfavorable situations around through teamfights to reset the state of the game. What, then, was missing that prevented those moments from translating into set victories?
Reflecting on Game 1, Berserker noted, "In Game 1, the bot lane balance swung heavily in our favor. However, the top lane collapsed much more than expected on the flip side, allowing Olaf and Qiyana to snowball out of control. Originally, we wanted to take fights around Ezreal's two-item power spike to gain an advantage, but against those two, I felt I couldn't carry in teamfights, so we avoided them. Looking back, I think that decision contributed to our loss."
He continued, " In Game 3, our draft had ambiguous lane priority, but its teamfight scaling was high, so I thought if we could just drag the game out to that point, we had a real shot. We actually showed glimpses of that. Ultimately, though, our teamfight execution lacked detail compared to theirs. At moments when we needed to exert more pressure, we gave them too many ways out. Those accumulated details ended up deciding the match."
This marked Berserker's third Worlds appearance. He previously competed at Worlds in 2022 and 2023 under Cloud9, failing to break past the group stage barrier. This year, however, he broke free from the Swiss Stage that had previously bound him and experienced the quarterfinals for the first time. For Berserker, who had endured what was essentially a failed year in the LCK last season, this Worlds carried an even deeper meaning.
"In the past, I was always eliminated in the round of 16, and even when scrimming against Asian teams, I never felt like we could win. So there wasn't much to take away from those experiences. But this time was different. Even during scrims, I felt we were fully capable of holding our own. When facing top-tier teams, it wasn't an overwhelming gap—it was just that they were slightly better in lane or had a bit more precision in teamfight details. As a team, we felt we could compete with anyone.
Through that process, I personally gained a lot of confidence. Truthfully, last year was a very dark period in my career, and my confidence took a major hit. But this year, I won far more matches than last year, and coming to Worlds, I felt I could stand toe-to-toe with world-class players and deliver solid performances. It was a truly valuable experience."
Berserker also opened up about his journey over the past year, from choosing to return to the LCS to standing back at the top. "Honestly, after the 2025 season, I didn't want to go back to North America or Europe. As a pro player, the ultimate goal is to perform well at international tournaments, but I felt that even if you finish first in NA, there's still a massive gap when you face Asian teams. That's why being the top team in NA didn't feel very meaningful to me," he explained.
However, an outstretched hand from 'Inspired' completely flipped Berserker's mindset. "Inspired, a player I've always thought was great, reached out to me first and suggested playing together. At first, I didn't think all that highly of 'Saint' (Kang Sung-in), but once we actually played together, I realized he had immense potential. Because everyone worked so hard together, we were able to deliver great results," he recalled.
Berserker wasn't always this passionate, victory-driven competitor. In his early days, he was just a young rookie motivated largely by financial rewards. Reflecting on his immature past, Berserker admitted, "When I first came to North America, wanting to earn a lot of money was a bigger priority than a sense of duty as a professional. Whenever we lost, I rationalized it by thinking, 'I came here to make money anyway, so there's no need to get so stressed out.'"
The person who opened Berserker's eyes was coach 'Rigby' (Han Earl), who has been by his side since 2023. Seeing Berserker struggle after losses, coach Han Earl advised him: "You say that out loud, but seeing how stressed you get shows you actually have an incredible drive to win. If you accept that drive and get hungrier for victory, you can reach much higher places." That advice resonated deeply with Berserker.
"Starting from that point, my mindset changed completely. I engaged intensely in review sessions and became far more immersed during practice. Through that process, I went through genuine growth as a player, and I'm still growing today. The biggest difference between who I was then and who I am now is that mindset," Berserker said.
Now, he takes a brief pause before gearing up for a higher leap in 2027. "I ran really hard this year and gave it everything I had. For now, my plan is to rest up well while preparing for next year," Berserker said, concluding the interview with a final message to fans: "Although our season ended here on a bittersweet note, I'm so grateful to the fans who supported us. Thanks to you, I was able to hold on without falling apart. I'll work hard so that someday I can finish this journey from an even higher place. I'd be so grateful if you continue to support me until then."
