“S— on people in lane”: 100T Tenacity talks 2023 LCS season –

Milan “Tenacity” Oleksij has officially launched his LCS career, marking a significant milestone after years of development within the 100 Thieves organization. The promising top laner recently completed his inaugural match in North America’s premier League of Legends competition.

Despite a challenging debut against Cloud9, Tenacity maintains an optimistic perspective about his professional journey. The rookie discussed his transition to the main roster, collaboration with legendary teammates, and strategic outlook for the evolving top lane landscape.

WIN.gg: This was your first game in the LCS. You’ve been on one iteration or another of 100 Thieves for almost exactly two years, and have been hyped as one of the upcoming top lane talents. How did it feel to play your first official match as an LCS starter?

Tenacity: The experience felt long overdue from my perspective. While the result wasn’t ideal, it represents just the beginning of my professional growth. The initial stage nerves created some mental disorganization during gameplay, but this is normal for debut performances.

Our scrim results had been exceptionally strong, creating expectations of dominant performance against Cloud9. The gap between practice environment and official competition highlights areas for immediate improvement. Many professional players experience similar transitional challenges when moving from academy to main roster competition.

You’re now playing with two of the biggest figures in LCS history with very defined styles in Bjergsen and Doublelift. How do you look to find space for your own style when playing with them?

My adaptability allows me to integrate seamlessly into various team dynamics. Winning remains the priority, so I’ll mold my approach accordingly. While veteran leadership provides structure, our current shot-calling distribution involves collaborative input from multiple players.

Bjergsen, Closer, and myself have established effective communication patterns that drive our strategic execution. Learning from experienced players accelerates development while maintaining individual identity within team structures.

We’re seeing a pretty fighter-heavy style in LEC and LCS so far. We know there are fighter nerfs coming. How do you think top lane is affected by this, and how will it evolve?

Fighter champions will maintain relevance despite upcoming adjustments. The healing item modifications and direct champion nerfs, combined with ADC power spikes from Infinity Edge changes, will shift lane priorities.

Top lane will likely transition toward tank-oriented compositions in later stages. Contrary to common perception, tank laning provides engaging strategic depth. While I’ve appreciated the bruiser meta’s intensity, I’m prepared to transition to tank specialists and dominate lane phases through different mechanical approaches.

Unfortunately, you didn’t win today, but how are you feeling about your match against Immortals tomorrow?

Today’s experience should have dissipated the debut anxiety, setting up a more composed performance tomorrow. Facing Immortals presents an opportunity to demonstrate our team’s actual competitive level.

You and Fudge are close friends, how did it feel to face him down for your first LCS game and how will things go differently next time?

Our first encounter nearly resulted in a solo elimination – next time I’ll secure that decisive moment. The friendship enhances the competitive experience, creating valuable knowledge exchange opportunities. Having elite top lane talent generates exciting narrative elements for viewers.

Now that you’ve moved up to LCS, who are you looking forwards to facing?

Competing against Ssumday from the opposing side excites me particularly. Our shared organizational history establishes a compelling rivalry dynamic. He represents my most anticipated opponent in the upcoming schedule.

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