The PUBG MOBILE Global Championship (PMGC) serves as the official world tournament for PUBG MOBILE. At the 2023 PMGC, NS RedForce achieved the most progress among the Korean teams, finishing in the 7th place. This achievement stands out as the greatest among Korean teams that reached the PMGC Grand Finals, giving hope for a better outcome next year. NS RedForce had a busy year, with Coach JANCHI Sang-hun Yun, player TIZ1 Dong-hyun Kim, and player SPORTA Seong-hyun Kim securing the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. The KRAFTON blog team met them and inquired about their experiences over the past year, as well as their plans for the upcoming one.
Nice to meet you. Please introduce yourself to the KRAFTON blog readers.
JANCHI: Hello. I am Coach JANCHI Sang-hun Yun for the NS RedForce PUBG MOBILE team.
TIZ1: Hi. I’m TIZ1 Dong-hyun Kim of NS RedForce.
WingS: Hello. I’m WingS Ho-seong Jeong, who calls the shots.
SPORTA: Hi. I am the Attacker for the NS RedForce, SPORTA Seong-hyun Kim.
XZY: Hello. I am the Gunner for the NS RedForce, XZY Jun-ha Kim.
NS RedForce came in 7th at the 2023 PMGC Grand Final, reaching the highest score for a Korean team. The feat itself is remarkable, but there isn’t a significant score gap with the team that won the first place, which may have left some room for regret. What are your thoughts on that?
JANCHI: I believe many of our fans had high expectations because we ranked first in the Red Group preliminary match. I am happy that we recorded the best performance in the history of Korean teams’ play, but I do think we could have done better. I believe we’ll kick our performance up a notch at next year’s PMGC.
SPORTA: It was the first time that we emerged as a top-ranking team at the Group Stage, and our first time entering the Grand Final, so I think there were mistakes here and there. If we address those pitfalls, I believe we will perform much better next year.
WingS: I particularly regret the mistakes made on the second day of the Grand Final. I believe that if we had performed better on the second day, it could have made a palpable difference to the overall outcome. But to be fair, it was our first time entering the Grand Final, and we lacked experience. I want to do better next year.
XZY: To be honest, I’m not satisfied with the seventh place. I don’t think it’s a high rank. I want to ramp up my skills and improve my performance next year.
Some of you already participated in the 2022 PMGC, and for others, this year marked your debut on the global stage. How was the year for you?
XZY: I think I was quite scared during the 2022 PMGC. Entering a global competition felt like a significant challenge to me. But this year was a little different. My fellow pro gamers are all human players, not robots; they can’t always make the best calls in the thick of it. This change of mindset was critical. I think that’s what allowed us to win the first place in the Group Stage. But I think that our self-confidence may have backfired resulted in a lack of concentration in the Grand Final. I believe we can do much better next year.
This was already touched upon, but we could have performed better on the second day. Nevertheless, you showed great performance and even won a chicken dinner on the last day. What kind of feedback did you exchange?
JANCHI: We tried to adopt the challenger’s mindset. Having performed well on the first day, we believed we had a good chance to win if we avoided mistakes on the second day. This resulted in a passive and defensive play style. Even when being proactive was required, we held back. So, on the last day, we ratherl decided to give it our best, and we did well because of it.
What was most memorable about the 2023 PMGC?
JANCHI: The first match on the opening day of the Group Stage, where we won a chicken dinner, was memorable. We’ve never won a chicken dinner on our first match, even in Korea (laughs). But we managed to achieve that at an international competition. Considering the vibes of our players and the overall flow of the match, I had a firm belief that we would come in first. WingS: In the fifth round on the second day of the Grand Final, I died after a moment of hesitation in Miramar. That mistake stuck with me. I tried to move on, but I think it affected the next game somewhat. Still, I am trying to learn from it.
Which contender left a great impression in this year’s PMGC?
WingS: The winner, IHC ESPORTS. Honestly, I didn’t really expect that IHC ESPORTS would win because they barely made it to the Grand Final (laughs). It was impressive how they proved themselves at the most critical stage. But next year, we’ll beat them and emerge victorious.
JANCHI: Coincidentally, we have a very close relationship with IHC ESPORTS. That team has a great mindset. They are fearless, with an unwavering confidence in their odds of winning. If they see a chance, they seize it. I believe their boldness is what led them to victory.
SPORTA: That’s true. I also felt they had a great mindset. They aren’t afraid to play against a strong team. Their firm trust in themselves shows in their play style. On the other hand, we were too rash and couldn’t make swift decisions in do-or-die situations.
The NS RedForce had a successful year, winning the first place at the PUBG MOBILE PRO SERIES 2023 (PMPS 2023) Season 2 and coming in seventh at the 2023 PMGC. Who do you think is the MVP of the year?
JANCHI: Everyone did a good job, but I want to give a special shout-out to WingS Ho-seong Jeong. He stepped in as a relief pitcher for the PMPS 2023 Season 2, taking on the role of the order-giver and promptly securing victory. It was also his first time on the global stage, and he must have felt a lot of pressure. I want to commend him for his growth.
SPORTA: I think all our teammates deserve to be MVPs, but I want to highlight XZY for his outstanding performance. He does a great job of watching everyone’s backs during combats and has made many saves even while alone. I believe we were able to secure the first place in the Group Stage largely thanks to XZY.
XZY: I want to say SPORTA. He’s the reason I stay with the team even though I receive offers from other teams. If SPORTA is on your team, you can achieve good results even in dangerous situations or in a must-win fight.
Let me ask TIZ1 and SPORTA. In September, you secured the silver medal at the Asian Games, and on the 19th, you were inducted into the e-sports Hall of Fame. How do you think the experience of representing your country will impact your career?
TIZ1: I learned that as a team, setting a clear goal allows you to achieve anything. I believe the NS RedForce can set and achieve that goal next year.
SPORTA: I believe it was a time to prove my hard work and see the fruits of my efforts. I’m very thankful and I also think I should keep building on it to really deserve the honor.
It was an especially busy year for you two. You participated in numerous offline events, including PMPS 2023, the Hangzhou Asian Games, BGMI Korea-India Friendly e-sports Competition, and the 2023 Korea-China-Japan e-Sports Competition. Did you encounter any difficulties or feel any regrets during this hectic schedule?
SPORTA: Honestly, it was a lot to handle and a bit overwhelming. But my efforts paid off, and I’m pleased that I proved to myself they were worthwhile.
TIZ1: The Asian Games were the most challenging for me. But, as SPORTA said, I enjoyed witnessing our hard work paying off.
How was the BGMI Korea-India Friendly e-sports Competition? Was it your first time in New Delhi?
JANCHI: I’ve been to many countries to compete, but I experienced the greatest passion in New Delhi. There are many fans who are incredibly passionate. I wanted to stay there more because of the amazing atmosphere. Furthermore, we identified our weaknesses while playing with the Indian teams. We finished in the eighth spot but learned a lot from the matches.
Let me direct the next question to WingS. You were a champion at PMPS 2023 Season 1 with DUKSAN ESPORTS and a champion at PMPS 2023 Season 2 with NS RedForce. At this rate, you could become a “serial champion.” How do you feel about this achievement? What do you think makes a good order-giver in a game?
WingS: I believe that’s more credit than I deserve (laughs). For me, coming in sixth in PMPS 2023 Season 3 left a greater impact than winning in Seasons 1 and 2. I concluded that it was a matter of mindset. As long as I get that straight, I can win each and every time.
Giving good orders… I think it’s about identifying and reinforcing the good qualities of your team. For example, since our team is good at combats, I went head-on and didn’t shy away from open combats.
Let me ask XZY. You were chosen as the MVP of the 2023 PMGC Red Group Stage. How does that make you feel?
XZY: I felt that the competition on the global stage was not as challenging as I feared it to be. It’s not that I am particularly good, but my teammates helped me, and the right opportunities came at the right time.
As it has been a long year, what message would you like to relay to your teammates and coach?
JANCHI: I would like to thank everyone for pulling through in challenging situations. I’ll do my best to help prepare and perform better next year, and I hope for your continued trust. I would also like to thank our Part Leader Yun-mook Lim, especially for his contributions this past year.
TIZ1: We had much more going on compared to the previous year. I am so proud of our team for rising to the challenge. I have my own set of regrets for this year, but I will try and contribute more to the team next year.
XZY: You all did a great job, and I feel I should have been more supportive as the most senior member of the team. I will make an effort to improve on this next year!
What are your personal goals going forward?
XZY: I want to be a player known and recognized worldwide, not just in Korea.
WingS: I don’t have big plans for myself at the moment. I just want to lead the greatest team.
Lastly, would you like to say a few words to your fans?
XZY: Our team has experienced ups and downs this year (laughs). Thank you for always rooting for us and supporting us through thick and thin. I would like to ask for the same support next year.
SPORTA: I sincerely thank you for your love and support. I hope you have a warm end of the year!
WingS: Thank you for supporting NS RedForce in 2023. I wish you a very happy new year and will appreciate your love and support into 2024 as well!
TIZ1: Thank you so much for your support. We promise we’ll build on what we learned this year to achieve more in 2024. Thank you!
