This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

　　Johannes 'puszu' Uibos burst into LCS Europe during the Summer split last year, helping an ailing fnatic team win the split and then going on to a top four finish at the Season 3 World Championship with them. Following that, he was replaced by Rekkles, as had always been the plan on fnatic's end, and nobody has seen Puszu in competition since. In this interview Puszu talks about his career as a professional player and his aspirations to one day play in LCS again.

　　

Early on your career you played in a team that featured players who have all gone on to play in the LCS since (Kubon, nukeduck and wewillfailer). How close was that team to becoming a top team in its own right?

I think that the team we had back then definitely had the players for becoming a great team, every single one of us was back at that point already top-level player individually. But I think it has a lot to do with people having better relationship towards eachother and what I mean by this is communication not only when it is practise time, but having fun and getting to know each other so you can enjoy the game more and become successful together with one goal.

　　

All your teams before fnatic either died out within a couple of months or were on the fringes of entering the top echelon before problems struck. Where did you see your career prior to getting to play for fnatic? Was it a concern you could have missed your chance to be in a top level team?

Well it all came down to me trying to make a living with LoL, I told my parents and friends that I would take the Summer and try to stream every day and see if I can get viewers when I am top 3 in challenger all the time, which I was. I was never really concerned that I had missed my chance of becoming a pro at that time because I didn't see myself in that world, I knew I was good enough but it was just unexpected for me to be with a top team and just do what I do best. And if I didn't make it in those 3 months, I would have quit LoL. I never considered myself unlucky though, even when wewillfailer, nukeduck and kubon made it into LCS. I was just happy for failer.

　　

How did you get the offer to join fnatic?

I think they noticed me while I was just soloQing all the time and doing quite well, I got home one night at like 3 am from my uncle's birthday and yellowstar just pmed me and asked me if I would like to join them. Then we did a couple of games the next day and they were kind of sold :)

　　

Yellowstar had only just switched to playing Support when you joined the team and you said that you disagreed a lot initially over how to play. What did you disagree on or see differently in how to play the botlane?

I think me and yellowstar had different playstyles as ADCs, so sometimes he wanted to go in and I wanted to stay passively at that point of the game, or it was the other way around. We really didn't connect early on. We just had to find a way to adapt to each other and play together for some time to find ourselves thinking the same way about botlane.

　　

Looking at the champions you picked and your personal style of play, did you end up heading more towards the style of play you personally prefer? Did yellowstar change his mind?

Many people don't know this but I actually used to play way more agressive champions and the reason was that it was a preferable lane, so the goal is to farm more than the opponents lane with stronger picks. But I think we realised that Ashe and Varus just works too great for us as a team so we started to do that, it was fine if I was behind in CS.

　　

Most of your best games during the regular portion of the split came on Varus and you won nearly all of the games you picked him at the S3WC, even though at the time not many of the big name ADCs were playing him. What made this champion so good for Puszu?

When varus came out, I felt like the champion was just a really good ADC to play, I started playing it instantly and was picking it up a lot and this was at the time u still maxed E, once the chance with his Q happened that it deals more damage, I just felt like Varus is the way to go vs almost each and single other ADC. If varus would have an escape ability it would most likely be the best ADC to play in my opinion.

　　

Many people were surprised with how quickly Yellowstar adapted to becoming a Support player. Since you saw him right at the beginning of his change, can you describe the process he underwent?

Yellowstar is just such a smart person and he had played the lane for a very long time so he knew how to adapt to it. Once he found his way to be aggressive and knew what a support could actually do in his own hands, with practise, he was good to go. I think it took about one month until he became really good at it. I remember when we scrimmed after I arrived at the Fnatic house and already then we were kind of winning or going equal in lane, so he went from just being aware of the lane to making it powerful. But this is just about the lane only, he knew when to initiate teamfights at some point and knew when a person would be caught out somewhere, his game knowledge was superior to my own.

　　

Tabzz recently made a post where he stated that one of the reasons Lemondogs were so strong was because all the other teams in Europe were either weak or they had something that made them weaker than they are now (i.e. Gambit with voidle, MYM in the league etc.). What did you think of the strength of the botlanes in Europe during the Summer split?

I guess it is kind of true that the botlanes were somewhat weak in the Summer split, at least when I joined it felt that way. I think I can't really tell the level of the botlanes because the only way someone's skill-cap will rise is by playing against a superior lane, so if someone got better, then the rest got better as well since you scrim vs. them all the time.

　　

Was LD's the strongest in Europe over that split?

I believe the first two weeks I joined they were, but after that we read them pretty well with yellowstar so I think we became superior then.

　　

You faced them in a Bo5 in the final, so what were their strengths and what was the key to having success against that botlane?

We actually went into the final knowing that we will lose it most likely, I don't even remember if we made any special tactics other than just playing our own game. There wasn't anything special we did other than just try our best.

　　

The Gambit botlane was criticised a lot over that split, since they didn't have Edward anymore. What is your assessment of it?

I really felt like they just overextended too much, like they wanted to always play aggressive and had a mindset that they wouldn't get killed. I am pretty sure they are better with Edward but can't tell since I didn't get the chance to play them, which I hope I do one day. I am glad that they feel comfortable though.

　　

Did your own level change during your time in fnatic or were you as good previously?

My individual skill went up a little bit with all the confidence from playing, but the important thing was that my level changed so much concerning teamwork. I Learned how to play with the team to not make any mistakes by being mispositioned anywhere, I learned how to focus people in teamfights or when to exactly flash to make the best out of it.

　　

Despite Ozone's problems in getting out of the group stage, LD support mithy told me when he scrimmed against them at Worlds that their botlane was very strong and could seemingly pick anything and do well. What was your experience like playing them?

I think that the superior lanes for Korean/Chinese region were Royal's and SKT's, others just seemed equal to us. In scrims we actually managed to go equal against every botlane in, I believe, every game, but it matters only in the real live games. I believe that LD's lane was good but they were a little bit predictable so if the opponent did some research on their movement, they could pick them off.

　　

How would you describe sneaky, the ADC of Cloud 9? Is there a European ADC you could compare him to to give people a reference point?

I felt like sneaky had a similar playstyle to myself somehow, he and Lemon were the reason we picked up the Ashe and Zyra combo. That's why it was so easy for me to pick up Ashe because he just played the same way as me.

　　

Royal's botlane was particularly praised due to uzi's highlight clips in the tournament. Having seen them play against OMG in the Ro8, how would you judge your own performance in the semi-final? Can you look back now and see a better approach that might have been more successful for you?

I remember where I pulled a few questionable moves that cost me 1-2 free autoattacks during a teamfight and a possible kill which to this day I feel like I regret, other than that I think I did pretty okay and felt like I couldn't do that much more. Problem was that it was just too hard to prepare vs. those teams as we didn't really know their playstyle.

　　

Was Uzi as good as people suggested?

He was good, but I feel like sometimes the casters and other players hype someone too much so people will think very highly of him if he makes a play, more highly than they would of a normal player.

　　

Is there any player who really is deservedly set apart from all others in that sense then?

I can honestly say that at that time I felt like Piglet was the best ADC, his moves were just spot on each time. I feel like Uzi can be compared to Rekkles, both really great players with good mechanics and plays.

　　

How would you describe the style of the fnatic team you were a part of? What were the team's strengths and what was the ideal kind of game for you?

I think the strength that fnatic has is the friendship, if you are in that team it just feels like you belong there and if you lose a game, everybody just feels the same at first. I believe the ideal game would have been a game without any mistakes, even if it was a loss.

　　

Youngbuck told me that after Copenhagen Wolves knew Rekkles would definitely leave to join fnatic, that they asked you to become their new ADC, but that you turned them down. I've seen you say in an interview and in your AMA that if you'd had an offer to play in LCS last split you would have, so that anecdote is a little confusing.

Youngbuck did ask me a few times to join Copenhagen with them, but I kind of turned it down because I felt like other teams would offer me a place in their team as ADC so I kind of turned it down because I was waiting for that. Wolves were not an LCS team when they asked me, I didn't know they would turn into such a beastly team and join LCS.

　　

It sounded in your AMA like you still hope for the same thing: an LCS team offering you the starting ADC spot. In esports even a few months can be a long time, people forget about the players they don't see playing and doing well. Are there any concerns that the LCS teams have forgotten about you and don't consider you in their pool of potential players?

It's all about what their goal is and what they feel like their team can do or can't do. They work hard to get into LCS and replacing somebody shouldn't be taken lightly at all. I would like to be able to play again competitively and I am a little bit worried I might not again, but there is still some hope and I will keep my skill up as much as I can. My potential can always be high if there is a reason for it.

　　

Imagine you could advertise for a team now, how would sell yourself as a player?

My one strength is keeping myself and everybody included calm if necessary, reminding them of what's important and where we are right now. As an ADC I would give my team farm and let them be happy haha.

　　

The final words belong to you.

I would like to thank Fnatic team for giving me that opportunity at all and my fans who still believe I can do it.

　　Photo credit: fnatic, Riot Games, ESL