On the 5th, Noh Yeong-jin ('Noise') of BNK FEARX defeated Nongshim RedForce's Jo Yeong-hwan ('Aki') 2-1 in the first match of Group A at the '2026 FSL Summer' opening day, held at the Jamsil DN Colosseum. Although the defending champion stumbled in the second set against the rookie, he ultimately secured the opening win by scoring a total of 9 goals.

In a post-match interview, 'Noise' shared his thoughts on the victory: "The practice process wasn't great. I was worried because my performance wasn't reflecting the effort I put in. On top of that, the importance of this match made me nervous, so I'm relieved to have won. Since my opponent was a rookie, there was no footage to analyze, and the pressure to win at all costs made me even more tense."

He continued, "The meta has changed significantly. Many of my strengths, such as mid-range mind games, have been heavily nerfed. Previously, I had plenty of options when playing on the flanks, but now I find myself isolated. I'm working on ways to overcome that. It's become important to utilize individual skills like tricksters, so I focused my practice on fundamentals and played a massive amount of games."

His opponent, 'Aki', was a rookie making his FSL debut. After a 4-1 sweep in the first set, 'Noise' took a hard 1-3 hit in the second. "When I conceded the first goal from a corner kick and then allowed a second, it felt like being shot in the back of the head. I was sweating quite a bit," he said with a laugh. "Plus, my coach was nagging me, which shook my mental state a little."

Regarding his 4-1 victory in the third set, he explained, "I used the strategies I practiced for the first two sets. In the final set, I reverted to the tactics I used when I won the championship, and that allowed me to play my own game. That's why I think I was able to win."

'Noise', who noted that he expects to face Kwon Chang-hwan ('Chase') in his next match, concluded the interview by saying, "I feel sorry to the fans for not showing a better performance today. I will work hard to secure my spot in the Round of 16 with a strong performance next week and get back to streaming as soon as possible."