Now that we’re passing the halfway mark in the LCS split with several changes, the league and its fan base are turning their eyes on the prize at the end of the playoffs. Who will make it to the playoffs, and who will clinch their spot at the top of the league?

With the mid-split break ending, we got a chance to sit down with Lawrence “exYu” Xu and discuss how Dignitas has performed so far this split and what his thoughts are looking forward to the rest of the split.

How would you stack up the current rankings with what you expected coming into the split?

eXyu: I think our record is pretty much what I was expecting. I thought we would be somewhere around the .500 mark. In terms of the rest of the league, it was kind of a surprise to see other teams like Cloud9 and NRG struggling, and on the other side, seeing 100 Thieves doing so well is also surprising.

How do you think Dignitas is doing so far in terms of standings, but also from a qualitative perspective?

exYu: I didn’t think the standings would be this close at all. Regardless of who the front-runner was going to be at this point, I thought they would have a larger lead than they do. I think every team except FlyQuest right now is in a huge mix for where they can still end up by the end of the split. Usually in the LCS, there’s a clear top two or three, and a clear bottom two or three, but this year it hasn’t really felt like that.

Looking at the region as a whole, now with only 8 teams instead of the usual 10, how do you think NA looks when compared with the other major regions?

eXyu: I think relative to the LEC and LPL, the LCS is relatively competitive. The other regions seem to be struggling too. I’m not sure if it has to do with the patches though. I think those three regions are pretty similar, but the LCK is definitely a step above, at least the top teams in the league are!

What have you been focusing on during this two week break before returning for the second half of the split?

eXyu: The break is essentially the same for us on the teams, minus the obvious fact that we don’t have matches. We are even scrimming more because we have just replaced the match days with scrims. I think it has been beneficial to figure things out and experiment more. It can be tough not having matches for a while though and just scrimming. Sometimes when you’re just scrimming and not actually playing the matches you’re prepping for you can get a little lost or complacent. I definitely think we had some of those bumps during this break, but I think we are back and focused now and excited to play this weekend.”

Now that you’re halfway through your first split as a starter in the LCS, how are you feeling about your role on the team and the split so far?

eXyu: I think I am definitely growing into my role on the team. Honestly, I’m not even the least experienced, but it feels like that. We are definitely still having some struggles with language barriers and things like that, and, at least in my role, it can be a struggle. We’ve definitely had issues on stage that reflect that, but it has definitely improved and continues to improve.

What do you think sets this team apart from prior iterations of Dignitas?

eXyu: I think this year’s Dignitas roster is definitely different from prior ones. We are more willing to take risks, experiment, and, overall, just less afraid. It felt like before, at times, the team would feel that because they were already in last, they just didn’t want to mess up and would always take the less risky play. This year, we are willing to play with the momentum and we are definitely not afraid on stage. Obviously, there are some new faces so the whole dynamic is different, so it’s nice that we don’t go on stage now and instead we really just play like the way we practice.

What do you think are the biggest strengths of the team?

eXyu: I think individually the skill level on our team is really high. Especially our laners, I think that they are individually near the top of the league and can all hold their own which historically has not really been something you could say about a Dignitas roster.

What are some areas you think the team should improve on to continue climbing the standings?

eXyu: Definitely team mental. Especially in prolonged periods where we are just scrimming, it can weaken. Obviously, communication is a general one that we mention in all the interviews, but it is difficult to communicate when two members on your team struggle to speak English and the two most vocal players are what most would consider ‘rookies’. We are going to keep working on that, but that will be one of the pain points for us.

Can you touch on any standout moments or plays from yourself or teammates in your games so far this split that you think deserve more credit? Or even more generally speaking, a player on the team?

eXyu: Dove got a Quadra Kill on Azir which was pretty sick, even though we ended up losing that game. Rich got a really good K’Sante Q3 on FBI around baron in our last game which was a standout moment. For me, I think my first Q-Flash onto Mask felt pretty good in our first game. It was like a confidence boost because the last time I played on stage I felt like our team was really shaky and I was pretty shaky and nervous about playing and I’m just happy I pulled it off in our first game. I think it was big for my confidence on stage!

We’d like to thank eXyu for taking the time to sit down with us right before the final few weeks of the LCS split to discuss the team and give us some hints at what’s to come with the remainder of the split!

If you’d like to hear and see more of eXyu, check him out on his socials: