Berserker's 2026 Season Farewell: 'Someday, from a Higher Place...'

The defeat to Gen.G was clinical, but the scoreline failed to tell the full story of the match. LYON displayed flashes of brilliance, disrupting the bot lane equilibrium early on and mounting several impressive comebacks through superior teamfight execution. However, the gap between 'competitive' and 'victorious' remained just out of reach.

Reflecting on the specific tactical failures that prevented a series upset, Berserker pointed to the volatility of the map and the precision of Gen.G's execution. In Game 1, while LYON gained an advantage in the bot lane, a collapse in the top lane allowed Olaf and Qiyana to snowball uncontrollably. He admitted that the decision to avoid teamfights against those two specific champions—to prevent them from reaching their power spikes—ultimately contributed to the loss.

The third game presented a different challenge: a draft with high scaling but ambiguous lane priority. Berserker noted that while LYON showed glimpses of being able to drag the game into the late stages, they lacked the granular detail in teamfight execution required to close out the match. "At moments when we needed to exert more pressure, we gave them too many ways out," he explained. "Those accumulated details ended up deciding the match."

A Journey of Confidence and Rebuilding

For Berserker, this Worlds was a redemption arc. After a difficult period in the LCK last season, he entered the tournament with a newfound sense of parity. Having previously struggled to move past the group stage during his time with Cloud9 in 2022 and 2023, this was his first time reaching the quarterfinals. The experience fundamentally altered his self-perception as a world-class competitor.

"In the past, I was always eliminated in the round of 16, and even when scrimming against Asian teams, I never felt like we could win," Berserker admitted. "But this time was different. Even during scrims, I felt we were fully capable of holding our own. When facing top-tier teams, it wasn't an overwhelming gap—it was just that they were slightly better in lane or had a bit more precision in teamfight details."

This confidence was built on a foundation of difficult choices. After the 2025 season, Berserker initially felt that playing in North America was a dead end, noting that even winning the LCS felt hollow when faced with the massive gap presented by Asian teams. However, an invitation from Inspired changed his trajectory. By joining forces with players like Saint, who showed immense potential through hard work, Berserker found a competitive environment that demanded more of him.

From Financial Motivation to Professional Hunger

Perhaps the most significant revelation in Berserker's reflection was the evolution of his own mindset. He admitted that during his early days in North America, his primary motivation was financial gain rather than professional duty. He used to rationalize losses by telling himself that his goal was simply to earn money, which allowed him to avoid the emotional weight of defeat.

The shift occurred through the guidance of his coach, Han "Rigby" Earl. After observing Berserker's visible stress following losses, Coach Han pointed out that the very existence of that stress was proof of a deep-seated drive to win. "If you accept that drive and get hungrier for victory, you can reach much higher places," the coach advised.

That advice transformed his approach to the game, leading to more intense review sessions and a deeper immersion in practice. As he prepares for a brief hiatus before the 2027 season, Berserker remains focused on the long term. "I'll work hard so that someday I can finish this journey from an even higher place," he told fans, leaving the door open for a return to the very top of the professional scene.