League of Legends > Peyz, o jovem jogador de LoL que venceu o LCK em sua temporada de estreia
Peyz, o jovem jogador de LoL que venceu o LCK em sua temporada de estreia
Gen.G’s Bot Laner Peyz: The Unconventional Rise to Stardom
Kim “Peyz” Su-hwan, the Gen.G bot laner, may seem like any other typical teenager in South Korea. He likes to spend time with his friends, go to karaoke rooms, and frequent PC cafes. However, he is far from your typical teenager. At just 17 years old, he is not only the youngest bot laner to win an LCK championship in his debut season, but also received the Finals MVP award. During the LCK Spring 2023 Finals, Peyz and his team surprised by defeating favorites T1 3-1. The victory came after losing three consecutive matches to T1 during the regular season and semifinals. Thanks to the incredible plays of Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon and the amazing synergy of Peyz with Yoo “Delight” Hwan-joong, they were able to close out the series.
The Intriguing Background Story of Peyz Defined His Success on the Big Stage
Credit: Riot Games
While his peers were busy preparing for university entrance exams, getting tutors, and attending private extracurricular academies, Peyz was receiving private League of Legends lessons at home. “When I told my parents I wanted to be a professional League of Legends player, a friend of my mother introduced me to a former professional player who would come to my house to help me level up,” he shared with ONE Esports. The tutor would visit his home two or three times a week, providing valuable tips and tricks to help him climb the ranks. The lessons allowed him to master specific champions and become a better ranked solo player, as it was important to earn high LP to attract the attention of professional teams – which was Peyz’s ultimate goal. “He told me that if I wanted to be noticed by professional teams, I needed to start with a higher ranking, and that’s where we started,” he said. However, after learning from this tutor, he hit a plateau. Realizing he was stuck, his mother asked the tutor to move in and offer 24-hour training. The tutor agreed and lived with Peyz for an entire month, teaching him day and night. This intense tutoring period helped him push past his limits. Just a few days after the one-month session, he received a life-changing message from Gen.G.
Peyz Started His Professional Career at Gen.G Academy
Credit: Riot Games
He accepted a spot on GenG’s academy team and, a year later, was called up to the Challengers, where he shone and was noticed by the main cast. That year, during LCK Summer 2022, the main cast defeated T1 in the finals to become the champion for the first time in the organization’s history. Showing strength, they went to Worlds 2022 as favorites but were eliminated in the semifinals after losing to eventual champion DRX 3-1. This was a surprising and disappointing ending for Gen.G. However, it marked the beginning of Peyz. The pillar of the team and main bot laner for the past six years, Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk, departed for JD Gaming in the LPL. At that time, fans wondered who could fill such big shoes. When the announcement was finally made, fans shared their doubts about whether a rookie could be ready for the task.
“I was able to adapt to the environment very quickly,” Peyz shared. He didn’t feel nervous throughout the season, including the finals. He calls it “his second nature” – where he primarily focuses on playing his best and making sure he is not a hindrance to his team. Looking to the future, he has some goals he wants to achieve: he aspires to reach the finals of the World Championship and play against Gen.G’s former counterpart, Ruler. When he heard that Ruler had mentioned in a recent interview that it wouldn’t be easy to play against him, Peyz responded, “I know it will be difficult; I will just have to try my best.”
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