[Translated] EVO Champ LowHigh “I want to be remembered by Tekken players around the world”
Original: http://www.inven.co.kr/webzine/news/?news=205278&iskin=esports
By Taekyun Park, Kibaek Nam (Laff@inven.co.kr)
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On August 4th, the biggest fighting game tournament Evolution Championship Series 2018 (EVO 2018) was held in Las Vegas, USA. Of the many fighting games, there is one in particular in which Korean players dominate — it is Tekken. In 2016, Jinwoo “Saint” Choi took home the trophy, and Hyunjin “JDCR” Kim was last year’s champion. Of course, many fans wondered if a Korean would be EVO’s Tekken champion for the third year in a row.
After three days of fierce fighting, a Korean indeed took home the grand prize. Seonwoong “LowHigh” Yoon was the man of the tournament as he lifted up the 1st place trophy. LowHigh is iconic for his skills on the character Shaheen, but strangely couldn’t connect with gold medals. Perhaps this made the EVO victory that much sweeter for LowHigh.
We met LowHigh in a cafe, sheltered from the sweltering summer heat. LowHigh seemed to have moved past celebrating his sweet victory already. From the interview, we could feel his love and passion for Tekken — combined with his cheerful demeanor, it was impossible not to become his fan.
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Q. Hello! Could you introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello, I am Seonwoong “LowHigh” Yoon, a Tekken gamer playing for Fursan Esports. I’m glad to be having an interview at such a happy time.
Q. It’s impossible not to talk about EVO. Congratulations on your victory, and please tell us how you feel.
It’s still pretty surreal. I honestly wasn’t expecting to win. I was on edge because I hadn’t been performing well, so I’m happy how I did.
Q. You already have a TWT win at Beast Arena, but this is your first win at a major tournament with over 1,500 people. Was there anything different?
My mother gave me some helpful advice. I consider myself to be a soft guy, and I would constantly fail when I was faced with a challenge. About a month ago, however, my mother told me “You’re too weak willed. You have to be harsher to get to the top.” I changed my mindset based on that, and I think that’s my biggest change. When I participated in a Japanese tournament (KUROKURO Cup) late July, Knee gave me some advice, which was also a big help.
Q. You defeated big names Qudans, Binchang, Saint, and Lil Majin to get the gold. Which was the most difficult?
Definitely when I went up against ‘Saint’ and ‘Qudans’. Every single one of them ended going to the final final round, which shook me pretty hard. I remember the game with Saint the most. He’s such a good player, and we’ve met many times. But in the middle of the match, Chanel texted me — “Your offense is extremely scary. Be more aggressive.” I had just made up my mind to play more defensively, but I took Chanel’s advice instead. Thanks to that, I could defeat Saint. (laughs)
Q. You met Qudans again in the finals, where the brackets were reset pretty quickly. What was going through your mind?
I was having flashbacks of ATL (Afreeca Tekken League) Season 1 last year, where I’d lost to Qudans in the grand finals. There was even more pressure when the bracket was reset — I didn’t want to make the same mistake as last year. I’d won a set before the reset, so I attempted to recreate the scenario — I think keeping my cool while doing that was the key to victory.
Q. You did win, but the game with ‘DOUNE2’ was also quite the conversation topic in the community. Please tell us a bit about that.
I remember him vividly (laughs). We talked some before the match, and he told me he learned some Xiaoyu patterns from ‘Sodam’ while he was in Japan. I didn’t think he would have as diverse patterns as Sodam, so I picked Kazuya for a test run. But there were actually a bunch of patterns I didn’t expect — I gave up a set just like that.
Q. You two had the exact opposite reaction after the first set.
Oh, yes. DOUNE2 was having the time of his life — he was forgetting that the game hasn’t ended yet. The crowd was having fun too, he looked like a kid on Christmas morning. I think that contrasted with my serious face (laughs)… fans were asking if I was mad, but I swear I wasn’t. I was just thinking that I should change my character and play more seriously. I swear! (laughs)
Q. You did win, but everything wasn’t perfect, wasn’t it? Knee wasn’t in the tournament, and Lei Wulong came out.
I mean, those are some bummers — you can’t get everything. I do think that winning EVO is the first step to defeating Knee, though. I’d say I finally received the right to challenge him, you know? If I’d beat Knee without the EVO win, with only inconsistent runs to show for, it wouldn’t be as meaningful. There also may be talks that my condition fluctuates too often, and I was just lucky. I think I’m finally ready to challenge Knee by winning EVO.
It’s also too bad that I couldn’t beat JDCR. He’s a famous player that I’ve followed for a long time. I think it’s about time we face each other on stage. I have nothing against Lei Wulong. (laughs). I do think he’s going to be difficult to play for new players, so I’m a little surprised that he was introduced to Tekken 7, which had reduced the learning curve quite a lot compared to the other Tekken games.
Q. Let’s move on from EVO, and talk about you, ‘LowHigh’. Tell us how you got into Tekken.
I was in 11th grade going home with friends. One of them started playing Tekken. I figured it wouldn’t be too hard so I played with him, but I went 0–10 against him. That was the start. I hate half-assing things, so I practiced super hard from the start. As my skill grew, Tekken was even more entertaining, and it was just an endless cycle.
Q. Were you thinking of going pro back then?
I wanted to, but I also knew it was realistically difficult. After Tekken 7 though, a lot of international tournaments popped up that I placed well in, and I saw a possibility. Now I’m here (laughs).
Q. Tell us more about your team, Fursan Esports.
Fursan Esports is a professional gaming team from Arab Emirates. Playing Tekken are Hyuno “Rangchu” Jeong, Jaehyun “CherryBerryMango (CBM)” Kim, and me. Hyeongsuk “Verloren” Gong plays SFV.
Q. How did you enter the team?
I was streaming last December, when a viewer asked if I needed a sponsor in English. The viewers kept talking about it, and I turned off the stream and talked through PMs.
Q. You’re the first Fursan progamer. Did you have any influence in the addition of Rangchu and CBM?
100% (laughs). In the case of Rangchu, we always went to tournaments together. Think Knee and Chanel. There was the TWT Battle Arena in Australia last May — I paid half for Rangchu’s plane ticket. Fursan’s CEO saw that and told me that he would also take care of Rangchu (laughs). CBM is good at English, so he helped us every time we communicated with the team. He was an excellent middle man, so he became a part of the team quite naturally.
Q. One word to describe your playstyle?
Hmm… Apple? You know, like there are good apples and poisonous apples. You never know with me (laughs). Sometimes the apple is poisonous, like a random rage art, but other times, like this EVO win, it’s a golden delicious.
Q. You have a jinx of losing every time you meet Knee or JeonDding. How do you plan on overcoming it?
Originally, I was going to change my characters. But as I kept participating in more tournaments, I now know that I need to change my mindset, not my character. I think I will get more results as I play more confidently, with a positive but resolute mind focused on winning.
Q. Here are some light questions. Please tell your secret to nailing rage arts.
Nowadays, nobody gets hit by a random rage art. It’s been over 3 years since Tekken 7 came out, so people know the timings of rage arts. Now, you have to get creative and find a unique style. For example, I use rage arts even when the opponent has lower health than I (laughs). People may say I’m crazy, but those are the ones that work. They also have more impact.
Q. You are famous for not playing female characters. Do you have a reason?
It’s a simple one. Like many guys out there, I like playing cool guy characters. I started playing Shaheen, Lars, and Law. Recently, because I stream a lot, I do play more female characters upon request.
Q. People say you have an outgoing personality that is not stereotypical of gamers. Is this true?
Of course! I am the same guy on and off stream. I talk a lot, play around a lot, and ramble a lot (laughs).
Q. Do you play other games than Tekken?
None at all. It’s not for lack of trying, but I just can’t seem to get invested in it. Some of the games in my steam library only have 3~5 minutes of play time.
Q. Is Lars good?
Personally, I think he’s terrible. But when people ask me what about him is so bad, I can’t really find an answer. I don’t have a solid reason, but playing against Lars is never scary (laughs). I also have a good win rate against him . However, I will respect the opinion of many Tekken players and just say Lars is good (laughs).
Q. What about Kazuya?
I thought he was good, but I’ve reevaluated him after losing to DOUNE2. (You don’t think its a player problem?) Of course not. I won the whole thing, ok? I’m perfect (laughs).
Q. Let’s get serious. What does Tekken mean to you?
At first, I started merely because it was fun. Now, it’s a part of my life that I don’t know what I would do without. Of course, it’s hard when you lose over and over again, but you get the passion back right after you win something. I think I improve with results, especially since I’m a professional player.
Q. Why do you love Tekken so much?
I think many players will relate — you get angry when you lose (laughs). You realize how competitive you were when you play Tekken. Of course, if you are competitive, you love winning that much more. Viewing Tekken as an esport, I think the game is extremely straightforward. Even if you know nothing about the game, you know who is winning or losing.
Q. Anything to say to Korean Tekken players?
I know Tekken players, playing at various ranks. When you talk to them, apparently there are users who intentionally bully or are unkind to new players. They say this happens especially in the lower ranks. There are people who actually quit the game because of the repeatedly disappointing games. I hope all Tekken players stop playing like that.
Q. Please tell us your short term and long term goals.
My short term goal is to finish this year’s TWT with good results, including Tokyo Masters. Long term… I want to be remembered by Tekken players around the world. I want people to remember that there was ‘LowHigh’ in Tekken. While more people are starting to recognize me, I still have a long way to go.
Q. It’s time to end the interview. Tell us anything you want!
First, thank you for my teammates — Rangchu, CBM, Verloren who supported me during EVO. Also, thank you Knee and Chanel, I lean on you guys a lot. Knee and Chanel always give me kind answers and advice when something isn’t going well or I have questions. Like they told me to, I will keep working hard.
Lastly, thank you so much Fursan Esports crew for the overwhelming support! And thank you to my fans who stay up to watch me play, as well as come to my streams. I will return with consistency and improved form. Please keep an eye out for me!
Twitter: @jincontroller for errors!
