The 100 Thieves continued their stay at the top throughout this Summer. After last week, they are tied for first place along with Team Liquid, the team who beat them for the Spring Split championship. After a 2-0 week against Clutch Gaming and Counter Logic Gaming, 100 Thieves’ jungler Andy “AnDa” Hoang stopped backstage to talk about the split and more.
We’ve seen the meta shift throughout the Summer Split. Do you think it’ll continue heading into playoffs?
AnDa: I think it’s going back to a more standard meta where it’s AD bot and tank support, jungle, or top. Then, it’s like 2 tank, 2 damage, and a support. We are seeing fewer mages, but there are players that still play mages like Hjarnan in EU. He’s been looking good with the Heimerdinger.
There will still be mages though in the bot lane like in LPL. Since funnel is gone though, I think the meta is more stable.
You guys had a back and forth match against CLG and after mid game, you guys turned it around. First, were you guys surprised about the picks you got for this game? Also, what contributed to the turn around after the mid game?
AnDa: We were surprised considering the power and comfort picks, so we felt really confident. I messed up in the early game and went for a risky play in bot, so it delayed our early game a bit. But, we came back, got Baron, and played really well after that. CLG definitely made some mistakes and it delayed their tempo. After we made mistakes in the early game, we still had a good mindset that we could make plays and win. My teammates made sure I didn’t tilt.
You’ve had time to adjust to your new team. Was that transition hard for you or did everyone in 100 Thieves welcome you with open arms?
AnDa: I’ve definitely had a good time and everyone has been accepting of me. The players, staff, and management check up on me, making sure I have everything I need to succeed. Obviously, transitioning from an academy team to a first-place team feels good. Today, I got my first 2-0 and it felt good. It’s refreshing to play with top tier players who have a lot of success in the past. Even in the Spring Split, they placed second and currently, all of us are playing well. Then, there’s the MVP performance from Ssumday. I just want to be able to improve and exceed my expectations. If I can, we can win Summer and have a good showing at Worlds.
Did you feel any pressure from fans with replacing Meteos? How did you handle the pressure?
AnDa: After all the drama since Meteos made his tweet, I did not expect the reaction coming out. I should have expected it because Meteos has been playing well and they did well as a team before. I didn’t play too hot in the Spring Split. I didn’t have too much to show like I was worthy of the trade or the spot. It gave me a little pressure, but I want to make sure for the fans that I can put up a good performance too. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m the reason I’m holding the team back. I’ve definitely been improving, even when I haven’t been playing with funnel comps especially. But, my confidence is improving.
Not sure if you’ve watched the Overwatch League playoffs, but what are things that you think Riot can take from it?
AnDa: I’m not sure since I haven’t watched Overwatch League. I’m not sure what kind of advice I can give to Riot, but the viewership has gone down, which kind of sucks. In my opinion, it would be cool to see League on TV someday.
You’ve helped your team to stay consistent at the top of the standings. What can you do to keep that momentum heading into the end of the split?
AnDa: Be a consistent player, make fewer mistakes, and lead my team in the early game since we are strong from the mid-game. I need to set the pace in our matches so we have an efficient time in the late game.
