Team Liquid's Chae "Piglet" Gwang-jin, lounging on a sofa with a grin on his face, has not been this elated all season. A gigantic weight had been lifted off his shoulders after a 2-1 series win against Immortals.
After being ineffective for the first half of the North American League of Legends Championship Series spring split at his natural position of AD carry, the former world champion made a drastic change. A lull in the meta for marksmen meant that in order to be Liquid's ace once again, Piglet needed to move to the mid lane mid-season.
The mid lane, at least in solo queue, is no stranger to Piglet. He'd move there when he wasn't practicing for matches or was put off his customary marksman role. But to switch positions, especially with only 10 days of serious practice, is something unheard of in the professional scene.
But with Team Liquid at one of its lowest points in team history, stuck at the bottom of the standings with a 2-8 record, something needed to change. Piglet, confidence personified, became that change on Friday.
"My first impression is mid might be easier than AD carry," Piglet joked following his first outing as a starting mid laner. And what a debut it was. The marksmen-turned-mid went an incredible 20/4/19 in a victory over a current playoff seed.
From his flanks to his micro, the former SKT T1 superstar was at his very best on Friday, playing Ryze, Ahri, and Cassiopeia in succession. Immortals attempted to ban out Piglet by targeting him frequently throughout the series, but he couldn't be stopped.
Friday could start the rebirth of Team Liquid, led by one of the greatest AD carries of all time starting elsewhere.
"I've played for 10 days; I'm improving every single scrim," Piglet said. "I'm thinking a lot more in scrims, so I'm improving a lot faster. Because I'm mechanically skilled, it just fits well with mid."
Jung "Youngbin" Young-bin took over at AD carry for Liquid, and his debut was much rougher than Piglet's. Piglet explained that while his replacement at AD carry wasn't amazing on Friday, Youngbin had even less time than Piglet to adjust to the change of roles, having previously been a mid laner for Team Liquid Academy. Piglet went on to say that in the coming weeks, with his expertise at the position and helping Youngbin transition to AD carry, that he could become a strong player to round out the new look Liquid lineup.
"There are intricacies at mid lane at the top, top level I still need to learn," Piglet said. "But once I figure those things out, I'm confident I can be the best [in the NA LCS]."
One of the big questions surrounding Piglet's role-swap is how long it will last. The current meta supports the change, but what if Riot, near the end of the split, decided to enforce another game-changing patch and buff the AD carry role? A marksmen buff, Piglet said, would still work in the mid lane, and he wants to focus on his new role rather than plan for future patches.
"As of right now, I probably want to stay as mid," he said. "But maybe if mid gets nerfed, I can look at top or jungle."
Piglet mentioned two fellow South Korean players, Go "Score" Dong-bin and Kang "Ambition" Chan-yong, who switched from their natural roles to the jungle at the start 2015 season. Role-swaps revitalized their careers when they had started to stagnate, with Ambition leading Samsung Galaxy to the Summoner's Cup Finals as captain in 2016 and Score's status as the best jungler in the world at the moment. AD carry Piglet might return down the road, but for right now, at least after Friday's monumental victory, a new path has opened up for a player who once hoisted the Summoner's Cup in 2013.
The mid for that world champion team, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, is the unquestioned greatest League of Legends player of all time. He's still playing on the SK Telecom T1 club that Piglet began his career with. Now at the same position as Faker, when Piglet was asked if he had any words for his old teammate and friend, he answered with a smile on his lips.
"Obviously Faker is world-renowned and loved by the fans," he said. "He's much more popular than me, so I don't think I'm in a place right now where I can say anything. But, if I had to say something: I'll see you at Worlds."