The Piltover Post

With the North American Challenger League Spring Split completed, Blue Otter’s jungler Janen “Munchy” Chen found himself fighting to stay in the NACL. Competing against bloodthirsty talent desperate for a chance to prove themselves, there was no time for regrets. Many didn’t see them as a threat when they finished in the bottom half of the standings, but they proved the doubters wrong. Blue Otter lives to see another day in the NACL.

Q: What sparked your interest in League of Legends, and when did you realize you were skilled enough to aim for the top?

A: My brother and half-sister were playing together one winter break, and I didn’t want to get left behind, so I joined them and got hooked ever since. I knew I could aim for the top back when I hit diamond in 2018, which was somewhat prestigious back then.

Q: Where did the gamer tag Munchy come from?

A: In Minecraft, I was originally “Munchzard”, like Munchlax and Charizard combined, but nobody really cared about the “zard” part. Everyone just called me Munchy, so I dropped the “zard”.

Q: What tier one player inspires you the most? Can you pinpoint the moment that made you want to go pro?

A: KryRa. I played against him in the SIDO combine, and it felt so hard each time. It felt impossible to gap him, and he always put up pressure like a weasel. I could chase him out of my jungle with 1 hp, and then he’d still threaten my raptors. When I saw he got picked up, it was so cool.

Q: Blue Otter didn’t have the spring season they’d hoped for, finishing last place. Which opponent surprised you the most in how difficult it was to play against them?

A: Winthrop. We had a pretty good record against them in scrims, but it seems like they leveled up a lot. I think Zach was probably one of the top two mid laners in the playoffs, maybe even the best, and Wilson was super smurfing too.

Q: While everybody earned their spot to compete in the promotional tournament, one of the teams you had to face off against was Nine Lives Esports, who had three former LCS players on their roster in Phillip, Ablazeolive, and Meech. Did you ever find yourself intimidated by them and their level of experience? How did you prepare for it?

A: No. It’s important not to get intimidated by names and just look at reality as it is. We watched Contingent beat them in 2 different series, so we knew they weren’t that strong. We just prepped by drafting comfort. Dionrray also showed us some World Cup videos to motivate us and teach us the spirit of being a competitor.

Q: During the promotional tournament, you played 8 different champions. With Nasus leading at 3 games played, would you say he is one of your favorite champions to play in the jungle?

A: Yes! We picked up Nasus after our NACL split ended, and I had never lost a single game in scrims on him. He is just so strong post-6.

Q: In the final stretch, with the NACL in your grasp, you battled it out on the rift with the team that sent you to the lower bracket. What was going through your mind, and do you think the desire to get revenge helped power you through the five-game series?

A: We can’t lose to them again. I found myself thinking: How will Verdict try to cheese me again? What counters Udyr and Hecarim? The desire to get revenge absolutely helped power me; I can’t be losing to the French.

Q: Obviously, nobody loves losing games, especially in a tournament where every series matters. How did you handle the pressure throughout the tournament?

A: I make my coach and teammates my therapist. But generally, I just run through theory. If things make sense in my head, it gives more confidence.

Q: Finally, it’s no secret that the tier 2 to tier 1 pipeline doesn’t really exist anymore. How do you keep yourself motivated to keep playing?

A: You need to have real passion and love playing League of Legends; regardless of whether the pipeline exists or not, it has to be a strong desire.