Ekki on their performance at the Esports World Cup 2026: “The pressure is high, but there’s also a lot of fun and excitement.”

I feel great. We played a pretty amazing third map. I think everything went pretty smoothly. I like what I saw from my team. On the first map, we were too passive. Our mindset wasn’t quite right—we were getting really angry at each other. We had to, you know, cool off, calm down, and figure out how to proceed. It’s incredible how we adapted to the second and third maps. We were very calm and methodical. And I think that showed in the match.

This is my first EWC, so obviously I’m nervous. I want to perform well; we want to go as far as possible. It’s hard to say that Rune Eaters is the “dark horse” here compared to all the other teams right now, especially considering our next opponent, but I think the pressure is high—yet there’s also a lot of fun and excitement. I think that’s exactly what makes it bearable.

When you play on Tier 1 teams, you immediately see what matters most—how people interact and what the overall atmosphere is like. And you naturally try to recreate that in your own team. Perhaps this is one of the key differences between us and the other teams that came to the tournament: we’ve placed a strong emphasis on existing as a unified whole—on mutual support, treating each other with kindness, hard work, a positive attitude, and the ability to be on the same page.