Movistar KOI midlaner Joseph "Jojopyun" Pyun gave an interview ahead of his series against Bilibili Gaming at the Mid-Season Invitational 2025, currently taking place in Toronto. The Canadian shared his thoughts on his team's mindset, the significance of competing on home soil, and even addressed his family members who came to support him in the crowd.

Canada hosts its first international in eight years

MSI 2025 marks the first time a major League of Legends tournament is being held in Canada since 2017. Back then, Jojopyun was still just a teenager, far from the pro scene. Now, he stands as the only Canadian in playoffs — representing not just his country, but also Europe through his team, Movistar KOI. The organization is looking to break the pattern of Western underperformance on the international stage.

KOI vs BLG: a fight for Western pride

Ahead of the match against Chinese powerhouse Bilibili Gaming, Jojopyun spoke confidently but cautiously. He stressed the importance of staying grounded and avoiding the classic mistake Western teams often make — getting overhyped after a single win.

Everyone’s pretty confident. It’s been going pretty well. But we can’t get too excited, and we can’t do what every Western team does — win one game, get too excited, and then drop the rest.

    

He emphasized that it’s all about maintaining focus and respecting the opponent — but not putting them on a pedestal.

We just have to keep the momentum going and not get overly excited if we win. Not disrespect them, but at the same time, not take them so seriously like they’re unbeatable or something.

  

The power of the home crowd

For Jojopyun, this tournament is extra special — it’s his first time playing an international in front of a home crowd. The atmosphere, he says, is something else.

It feels amazing to be here. It’s the first international in Canada since — I don’t know — 2017? A long time ago. I don’t even remember what I was doing back then, but I’m very glad to be here.

   

He joked that despite KOI being a European team, the “home buff” might still apply thanks to his presence.

I think I’m going to get the home buff, but I hope my team does too. I mean, they’re a European team, but they have me — so I guess that’s how it works, right?

  

With family members in attendance, Jojopyun added a light-hearted note during the interview:

Just don’t embarrass me too much if you do interviews. And I hope you enjoy watching the players.

   

The Western region has struggled for years on the international stage. This match against Bilibili Gaming isn’t just about playoffs — it’s a chance for KOI and the West to prove growth, adaptation, and resilience. And if there’s anyone leading that charge, it’s players like Jojopyun: vocal, motivated, and ready to take on the world — especially on home turf.

The Mid-Season Invitational 2025 takes place from June 27 to July 12 in Canada, with a prize pool of $2,000,000. You can follow the news, schedule, and results of the tournament via this link.