"I wanted to be back on the world stage and prove myself again; hence I decided to come back from LPL and join PSG": Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang, mid laner, PSG Talon

Maple's AZIR is the one doing the ganking ... #PCS #LOL pic.twitter.com/afTVhqy68m

— PSG TALON (@PSG_Talon) April 18, 2021

Q. When PSG Talon qualified for the MSI 2021, and you had a first look at your group, what were your initial reactions? Did it ever cross your mind that PSG could make it to the tournament semifinal, dueling with heavyweights like RNG, DWG, C9, and MAD?

Maple: I have participated in MSI many times in the past. I've always had at least the top 4. So it's not too surprising that I made it to the top 4 this year.

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Q. Despite a few spells of good performances by Flash Wolves in the Worlds 2018 or by PSG Talon in the MSI this year, the Pacific region has always remained behind in international League of Legends stages. Now, with in-form teams like PSG Talon and Beyond Gaming rising to international standards, don't you think that the golden period of PCS is not far behind?

Maple: I think the PCS region has a few pretty good players. Then we can practice with the LCK LPL team. So we can learn a lot of things to play in the international tournaments.

.@PSGTLN_Maple with the outplay 2 v 1 🤯🤯 #PCS #PSGWIN #MSI2021 pic.twitter.com/zls83ejg4s

— PSG TALON (@PSG_Talon) May 7, 2021

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Q. Taiwan's Aowanda is famous for its maple trees. Was "Maple" a random IGN pick, or do I sense an interesting story here?

Maple: In fact, my former IGN on the Taiwan server is "楓棠歲月." It means the time for the maple leaves to bloom. I took the translation of the first word, "Maple," as my IGN.

An interesting backstory in that name (Image via Riot Games)

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Q. Leaving aside your dedicated League of Legends life, do you play other games like Valorant or Warcraft? Have you ever thought of switching games to get a change?

Maple: I love to play shooting games. The most recent shooting games I have played are Valorant, Apex, PUBG, and L4D2.

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Q. What are your long-term aspirations in esports? Can fans expect to see Maple take up coaching or casting once done with professional play?

Maple: I haven't thought about it yet. After retiring from being a professional player. I want to take a break for a while.

A break beckons post-retirement (Image via Riot Games)

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Q. Even though the Indian esports scene is still in its infancy, it still had a tremendous boom with the COVID-19 lockdown. When are you planning to visit India? Any advice you would like to give aspiring Indian esports enthusiasts looking to make it to the professional gaming scene?

Maple: The Indian market is so big that I feel it will grow strong soon. For a player who wants to be a pro, you just think about being better than others, and you will be stronger and stronger. The sweat of today will become the harvest of tomorrow.