With excitement rising for the 2024 League Championship Series (LCS), we had the luck to sit down in an exclusive interview with the new mid laner of FlyQuest, Jensen. Taking place prior to the season's start, the 29-year-old player took the time to look back upon his career and talk about his ambitions for the 2024 season.

| How are you doing?

Jensen: "Pretty much the same old as always! I'm doing good and I'm just waiting for the season to start."

"Just another day in the LCS! You've been here for quite some time now."

Jensen: "Yeah, it's been it's been a minute you could say [laughs]."

| Several of your former teammates and rivals have recently retired, notably Bjergsen, Doublelift, or Santorin. What is the biggest factor keeping you going and striving to be at the top?

Jensen: "I believe motivation is probably a big factor. The desire to win and feeling like I haven't accomplished enough or what I wanted to in my career. I've always had big dreams as a pro player, I want to win everything."

"I want to achieve as much as possible, and I feel like I haven't achieved just enough of what I wanted to do yet. I've definitely thought about retiring and stuff like that, but I feel like I have the most fun playing League of Legends and competing professionally. As long as I still have it in me to play and be the best, I don't see why I should stop, even if I'm getting older."

| Most people have echoed that age should not be looked upon so much in esports. Fans tend to think that after a certain age, a player instantly becomes washed-up. You're now here at 29 years old joining one of the most hyped teams in the league. How do you feel regarding this? Do you see yourself retiring soon or will you keep going regardless of age until you can accomplish your goals?

Jensen: "I mean, yeah, like you said, I don't think age prevents you from getting better or keeping up with the rookies or the young ones. I feel like it's more that as people get older, their priorities tend to shift towards wanting to have more of a life. So I think that's why it might be perceived that the older you are, the worse you are, that kind of stuff. I don't think it's entirely true. But for me, I don't know, I'm happy doing what I'm doing, and I don't think it's really going to affect me."

| Are you feeling any stress from joining such a hyped team? Are the expectations on your shoulders enlarged due to your poor results last year with Dignitas?

Jensen: "I would say in terms of expectations, definitely. I feel like if I have another shit year, then it's over, right? Because I'm getting older, and no one wants an old player who can't deliver results. So in that sense, yes. But, I feel confident and I know I'm still really good. So to me, not really.

"I don't really feel any pressure in that sense. And I think with my teammates, like... We're really good, so, as of right now, there's not really any feeling of pressure or anything like that. Maybe if we end up like FlyQuest from last year, then yeah, I'm sure there will be pressure, but for now, things are good and I'm confident, so things are chill."

| What are your goals this year? Can we hope to see FlyQuest at MSI?

Jensen: "I'm not entirely sure how MSI is going to be this year. If it's the top two teams going, then yeah, I would say so. I mean, I feel like we are a really good squad. So I definitely think we are a top two team as of right now."

| Have scrims been going well?

Jensen: "Yeah, I would say so. Surprisingly well for a new team. From what I've seen so far, I think we are definitely one of the better teams. I can't say that we're the best team because we haven't played yet, but we are definitely doing really well."

| People are quite hyped about Cloud9 this year. Do you feel like your team can take them down?

Jensen: "Yeah, definitely. I mean, they made some good signings, but so did we! From practice, I would say we can definitely beat them. But I do think they will probably be our biggest opponent in LCS. At least from a roster perspective. We'll have to see how they do with a bit more practice, but they definitely look like the team to look out for. I'm confident."

| What are your thoughts on the recent changes to the LCS?

Jensen: "I mean, as far as moving to 8 teams, it's a bit concerning, but Riot has their reasons, and it's not something I really want to get too deep into, you know? I just hope for the best for the league, and I hope the league will continue to thrive. Things might seem like they're going downwards, but I'm optimistic for the future of the LCS."

"Regarding gameplay changes and competing on the live patch, I feel like it's something that should have been in place in the first place, so I'm glad it's happening. As far as I know, new champs and stuff will still be disabled anyways."

"Probably for the entirety of the champion's release patch, right?"

Jensen: "I'm not entirely sure. As far as I heard, if a new champ is out, it's not going to be available right away, which is good. Other than that, playing on a live patch is great for the competition. From my perspective, it should have been like that the whole time."

| How do you personally deal with the mental hurdles of being a pro player and dealing with fan opinions in general?

Jensen: "That's a good question. I feel like it was maybe something I struggled a bit with in the beginning of my career. But as time goes on, you learn to understand that... There are going to be people who are not going to like you, and there are always going to be people who support you."

"What's most important is just what your teammates and coaches think. If they think you're doing good, that's all that really matters. People are going to say dumb stuff, and it is what it is."

"Sometimes you play poorly, you'll get called out for it, and that's fair. There will always be good and bad moments, and that's just how it is. At this point, it's kind of whatever in my eyes."

| "It's hard for some fans sometimes to understand that there's also a human on the other side. When you are at this celebrity status in a way, it's very difficult."

| Is the atmosphere in FlyQuest good so far?

Jensen: "Well, going into the year, I didn't really know what to expect. I've never really played with any of these players before, but it's been pretty good. We've had really good results so far."

"When matches are going well, it's hard to see anything negative. The guys have all been really fun to be around with and everyone really wants to win. So, yeah, it's been great so far."

| Are you a leading figure for the team? Or is that role on someone else's shoulders?

Jensen: "I don't really believe in that stuff too much. I don't really see myself as that kind of person. We don't really have a specific leader per se. If anything, maybe Inspired a little bit. He's like a pretty big voice inside our team, so if you were to call someone a captain, you could call it Captain Inspired, he's always been very vocal."

| "His new nickname! 'Captain Inspired' [laughs]"

Jensen: "Yeah, that could be it [laughs]."

| Some were surprised to see you signed by FlyQuest and a lot of people have doubted your skills due to your year with Dignitas. What are your thoughts on that?

Jensen: "The only thing I can say is watch me. I think this year will be different. Going into last year, I thought that I was a really good player and the roster I played on didn't matter as much, but I quickly realized that it's important to be surrounded with good players, you can't do everything yourself."

"That's not to say I was a perfect player, by any means. I think it was also a big learning experience for me and there were a lot of takeaways for me. I actually think I learned a lot, individually, and yeah, I think this year is going to be good."

What's next?

Sitting comfortably with an undefeated score of 2-0, the team is set to face strong oppositions next week. First playing against Team Liquid on Saturday, the team will be matched against some of its strongest possible opponents yet. Later on, FlyQuest will also face NRG, the reigning champions of the LCS. While the season has just begun, these two matches should prove a major test for the fresh squad.

Week 2 - FlyQuest LCS Schedule: