After a tumultuous season with mixed results, Disguised’s top laner Jett Michael “Srtty” Joye found himself grasping for every inch of ground he could find in the LCS Promotional Tournament. In spite of a less-than-stellar rookie year with Dignitas, Srtty was determined to show that he belonged and could play with the big dogs. Even without clinching a playoff spot in the LCS, their season was far from over. The DSG team had to defy all odds and defend their spot. With strong contenders in Maryville University and Cupid Esports, many fans were concerned about the likelihood of them winning it all. Even though their guest slot is secured for 2027, Srtty knows the job isn’t done.
Q: Ever since your brief stint with LYON, LCS fans haven’t seen you on the stage until this spring, when Disguised picked you up after losing Castle. What was it like when you got the call that you were wanted in tier one again? Before this, was there ever a moment when you felt, after Dignitas, that LCS teams were done with you, similar to Tactical?
A: It felt sudden; it was random. One night I was planning my upcoming classes for next semester, and then the next morning I was back to playing pro. I did worry that my reputation was damaged due to my time on DIG, but I knew I played pretty well on LYON, so I thought that helped rectify things. I didn’t think teams were done with me, or I would have just played NACL.
Q: When you joined Disguised, your first match was against Dignitas, an org that many felt treated you poorly. Fans felt it was a “Danny level fumble” and that the coaching staff was reminiscent of Evil Geniuses, an org that had a lot of flak for the way it was run. Did you feel even a little bit of vindication when you beat them twice this year?
A: It definitely feels good to win vs DIG; they went 5/6th with me, then 8th every split since then without me, which is kind of funny to think about. With that said, beating DIG doesn’t really matter; I want to win the LCS, not beat the 8th-place team.
Q: Before you started playing, Disguised had won only one series in the spring split. There’s a lot of talk about how being on a losing streak can really harm the mentality of players, and how even a single win can help turn that around. How was the mentality of the team when you signed on?
A: The team wasn’t toxic when I joined. People seemed down, and I could tell there was a lot of stress, but everyone was good to each other. It was nice to see. I think change was a good thing since, from how the team had been described to me after I joined, it seemed like things were stagnating in terms of improvement.
Q: Unfortunately for Disguised, the guest slot puts teams under the gauntlet at the end of the year. LOS, in CBLOL, is currently experiencing what happens if you find success in tier one with that slot. Not only did they have to prepare for the main stage in the World Championships, but they also had to fight to keep their slot in CBLOL. Everyone wants a chance to compete at Worlds, but were you at least a little relieved that you could focus solely on keeping the spot?
A: I was definitely not relieved that my only focus was on the promotion tournament. I wish I could compete at Worlds, and being a bit more tired for matches we would, in theory, be at a higher level for (if we did qualify) is not much of a drawback.
Q: The promotional tournament came with a rocky start, losing to Maryville University 3-1. The #2 NACL seed came in with something to prove, and they wanted to be the first collegiate team to qualify for the LCS. On the other hand, you were just as determined to prove that, despite only winning 4 series all year, you belonged in the LCS. When you faced off against them again in the finals, the team felt more cohesive, and you were ultimately successful in defending your spot. If you hadn’t been successful, do you think you would have stayed in the LCS/NACL if offered a spot?
A: If we lost the final? God, I don’t even want to think about it. I think no one on our team would have a chance at being in the LCS going into next year if we were relegated. If I were offered a spot, though, even if we lost, I’d accept it. I love doing this, and I want to do it as long as I can.
Q: With Ido shouldering the coaching burden alone all year, do you think Razvan stepping in made a huge difference in how you finished the promo tournament 9-0 after being sent to the lower bracket? You’ve worked with him individually in the past, before it became a conflict of interest. How did it feel to be reunited with him?
A: I think Razvan made a big difference, even if he may be reluctant to say so. Ido is in a really difficult position as the sole coach of a team made up mostly of rookies; he has to do a lot more than coaches on other orgs because he has so little help. It was really nice to have Razvan working with me again. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: he is the best coach I’ve ever worked with as far as toplane goes.
Q: Out of everyone you played against in the promotional tournament, which players do you feel deserve a spot in the LCS the most?
A: I think the NACL teams were pretty weak overall. I don’t think we were very good, and we swept everyone from the lower bracket. If I had to choose players I thought deserved a chance, or that I wanted to see in the LCS, I’d have to say Yuuji, Breezy, and maybe Music. It’s difficult to promote as a rookie, though, especially in Yuuji’s spot, where you are an import; you’re realistically competing for the spots on the bottom 3 orgs in DIG, SEN, and DSG, and against imports as well.
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