Although our NA LCS team have not been actively competing in the last few months, they are still following the tournaments and attending events every day. We had a chat with Team Dignitas support player Alan "KiWiKiD" Nguyen about his opinion on the summer split, what he's up to in the off season, worlds, and the meta!
Keep in mind that this interview was done before the recent roster announcements and does not cover that topic nor does it mention any future plans concerning our NA LCS team.
In the beginning of the Summer Split, Team Dignitas started off really strong but the team fell off a little bit as the split went on. What do you think went wrong?
KiWiKiD: I think we weren't pushing each other as players and teammates well enough. We still hadn't overcome the language barrier, and Rico leaving was pretty detrimental.
Previously with Imaqtpie on the team, you two had a very close friendship and that was what your bottom lane was known for. Since then, have you developed a close friendship with CoreJJ?
KiWiKiD: Yeah, CoreJJ and I are pretty close. We always bounced ideas off each other and went to get food together. Playing and hanging out with Core was great.
What do you think went wrong with NA as a region at Worlds this year and what do you think needs to happen for NA to be a contending region at Worlds?
KiWiKiD: NA needs to develop better infrastructure -- I think there needs to be better staff behind all teams that work fluidly together.
Riot has mentioned a few times that they're planning on reworking the Marksman role. This means that there may be a shift in how bottom lane is played. How do you feel about that?
KiWiKiD: That sounds great! I love change in general, so change in a game is most certainly welcome. It's really fun to adapt, and I'm ready for any challenges that Riot decides to throw (or not throw) in my way!
Two new teams have qualified for the NA LCS this year, Renegades and Team Coast. What's your opinion on their supports (Remilia & Konkwon)?
KiWiKiD: I think Remilia and Konkwon aka the Metal Ch0c0b0 are solid supports! They're both really fun to play with and I wish them the best in their rookie split.
Tahm Kench has risen up in notoriety at Worlds recently. How do you feel about the champion and what AD Carries do you feel he best synergizes with?
KiWiKiD: I think Tahm Kench is completely antifun. Riot has refused to ever add a concept like Manaburn due to its "antifun" attribute, yet Tahm's W is imo way more antifun than manaburn. It reduces so many plays it's stupid.
Outside of League of Legends, what have you been up to post Summer Split?
KiWiKiD: I've been visiting family post summer split mainly, and I took one visit to Canada (Vancouver) to hangout with some friends! It was really much needed but now I'm ready to head back and prepare for the next season.
On social media, many people are saying that NA has very little or no talent at all for various reasons, hence why there are so many imports. Do you agree with this or do you feel that organizations aren't taking a risk on solo queue players?
KiWiKiD: I don't agree with this, I do feel organizations aren't taking a (relatively) big enough risk on solo queue talent in NA but I can understand why. Experience and game knowledge can take a while to build up, and at the moment mechanics can only carry you so far.
What are your hopes and expectations for the 2016 Spring Split?
KiWiKiD: My hopes and expectations for 2016 spring split would be a top 3 finish. That would be an excellent start.
Any shoutouts?
KiWiKiD: Yeah, shoutouts to all of my sponsors and fans. Really appreciate all of the support and I love every one of you!
Make sure to follow KiWiKiD on his various social media!
