Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu poses for the press after the opening match of the Esports World Cup at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris on July 15.KIM HYO-KYOUNG
Defending champion Gen.G defeated Karmine Corp in its opening match of the Esports World Cup (EWC) on Wednesday, advancing to the winners' match of the League of Legends group stage.
Gen.G, the Korean esports squad, defeated France's Karmine Corp in the opening Group B match of the tournament at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris.
Gen.G now advances to the winners' match set for Thursday, played in a best-of-three format.
Gen.G faced a tough start. The teams were tied at three kills apiece through the opening five minutes as the game unfolded largely on Karmine Corp's terms.
The momentum shifted in the midgame, however. The Korean squad won a large team fight in the bottom lane around the 18-minute mark before closing out a dominant victory in 28 minutes.
Mid laner Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon led the way on Syndra, finishing with eight kills and eight assists.
“We prepared hard again this year after last year's title,” jungler Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu said after the match. “The venue isn't a problem as long as it isn't extremely hot or cold.”
Gen.G had roughly a month without competition after failing to qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). Kim said the team devoted particular attention to its drafting because “the non-ADC bot lane meta has become popular recently.”
Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk poses for the press after the opening match of the Esports World Cup at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris on July 15.KIM HYO-KYOUNG
ADC Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk acknowledged the team's shaky start but said the victory was what mattered.
“There were some disappointing moments early on, but I'm happy we won,” Park said. “After we failed to qualify for MSI, we spent a lot of time trying out new strategies.”
He added that the single-game format of the opening group-stage match created some pressure. “There was pressure because the first group-stage match was a single game, but I knew we had to overcome it. I didn't overthink it.”
“Right now, I'm more focused on our own level than on worrying about any particular opponent,” he added.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
