Yu Shuang, who is known by many Western fans as Candice, is an official LPL hostess. She has hosted many domestic and international LOL event since her debut, including Worlds, MSI, Rift Rival, and All-star Games.
Recently, we sat down with Candice to hear her thoughts on LPL, rookie players and teams, retired players and her goal for the career.
Q: It’s the last match of the quarterfinals this playoff today. How does it feel watching the matches these days?
Yu: I feel that all teams are quite competitive right now. Sometimes when I watched matches, especially the matches these two days, I felt the results were somewhat beyond my expectation but might be not surprised as well. We can see that the young teams are performing very well in playoffs with their great effort.
Q: As the most well-known hostess in the LPL, can you promote our LPL to the foreign audience?
Yu: The LPL is very entertaining. I hope that the audience around the world can pay more attention to it.
Q: EDG narrowly lost to BLG yesterday. It’s the first time that EDG failed to qualify for the World Championship since the team’s conception. As a hostess who has accompanied the LPL for a very long time, how do you feel about this?
Yu: I was watching the match yesterday to the fifth game. Many players, audience or fans who support their teams wishing their favorite teams are always able to be very competitive, keep winning, qualify for the World Championship and achieve some scores they dream of.
We all like and respect Clearlove, and we hope that EDG will qualify for the World Championship through their efforts this year. Since EDG gained few circuit points in the Spring Split, they have to rank higher in the playoffs of the summer split in order to get the ticket to the World Championship.
I also hope to witness players who once fought and played in the World Championship together to perform there again and interview them on the international stage, so I was a bit upset after yesterday’s match. EDG won all matches I hosted recently, and its players are all really really lovely. What impressed me the most is that EDG had a match in Hangzhou during the regular season. I have forgotten which team they played against. I prepared to interview iBoy at that time. Scout performed excellently in the last game so he asked me delightedly whether I was going to interview him. I told him that I would interview iBoy who went for the washroom then. He went away disappointedly. Every time when I waited at the backstage, they would ask me whether I would interview them eagerly, including Jinoo sometimes.
That makes me feel that all players are eager to win the match, to prove themselves and let their fans know they are working hard. Unfortunately, they didn’t win the last game yesterday, so it’s a bit upset to me.
Q: From the hostess’s perspective, what’s the difference between the regular season this summer and those of previous years?
Yu: First of all, it seems that the LPL this year are more competitive for there were many home stadium and away stadiums, as well as the division of east and west regions. Besides, some new teams are really vigorous this year. No matter from new teams or from traditional teams, there are some rookie players debuted on the LPL stage. I am glad that these young players’ performance was not inferior to veteran players with their great capacities and incredible performance on the stage, making the LPL better. (I hope) there will always be new blood coming into the LPL.
Q: Speaking of the new blood, Mlxg and Zz1tai retired while Cearlove rarely played on the stage this year, but there are still a lot of loyal fans holding their light boards at the venues. How does it feel when you see such scenes?
Yu: I am quite delighted. Maybe because we are relatively elder in LPL and nostalgic, players who brought quantities of pleasant memories show up more in our mind. I hosted the retirement ceremonies of the players you just mentioned. Though you may still see them on live-streaming, it’s totally different to watch and sense them as active players on the stage. Time goes by. You can prevent many things from happening. Thus, I will feel very happy every time when I see audience and fans holding the light boards, including that many fans held Clearlove’s boards to celebrate his birthday. Thank all audience and fans who remember and care about them.
Q: You have gone through lots of joy of victories and depress of loss these years. What’s the most impressive scene or moment in your mind?
Yu: I was asked a lot about this. The most impressive moment to me is our victory of MSI in Paris, particularly when RNG won the crucial teamfight in the last game against KZ. Though it was not our home stadium, everyone was chanting our team’s name and our players’ names. All staff rushed to the edge of the stage, crying and shouting with the audience when players lifted the trophy. This kind of feeling is very unforgettable. Besides, 2017 Rift Rivals is also memorable. I felt a sense of unity that I had never felt before. It was the first time for us to win the champion of Rift Rivals and we were the champion of the first Rift Rivals. It was an entirely different feeling at that time. Fans who got through that moment with us know that we had a tough time that year, but the joy of victory finally was worth our efforts.
Q: Here are some personal questions. What was your understanding of Esports when you started your career as an Esports hostess? Had you been worried at that time?
Yu: I didn’t have a deep understanding when I began working as an Esports hostess, because I was only an armature player who loved playing League of Legends at that time. I merely watched official matches except for some crucial games such as the deciding game in international tournaments, so I didn’t know much about professional players. Maybe I could only recognize some very well-known players. I joined the e-sports industry simply because of my fondness.
Q: As a hostess, you don’t really spend much time on the stage, but you put far more efforts off the stage. Could you briefly share with us your daily work off-camera?
Yu: Little work was scheduled this regular season. Maybe I only had work for 3 or 4 days a month, so I spent more time on live-streaming and some other tasks. I was able to spend more time and put more effort into live-streaming as I didn’t need to take much responsibility for many tasks in LPL. Last year, our League applied the system of home and away stadium, so I spent most of the time on the flight, train and car. It was a bit too tiring. Apart from the regular season, I will prepare for information and materials of other regions and players from other regions beforehand during the World Championship, Mid-Season Invitational, Rift Rivals or All-Star. I don’t have much time available to watch every single match of other regions during the regular season, so it’s a bit like making up missed lessons. I will look through the materials and some videos etc. I tend to pay more attention to our own tournaments at ordinary times.
Q: You once said your role model is Sjokz. After hosting the recent two World Championships, you are also recognized by many audiences. What’s your current career goal?
Yu: I think it’s still Sjokz because I think she has done a very good job. Now she’s a freelancer and active in other games and game castings. I think she has done a great job in both her professional quality and her seriousness to the work, as well as in facing public pressure as a public figure. She’s my senior after all. I like and respect her very much all the time.
Q: Your bilingual hosting is excellent. Do you have any suggestions for the younger generation who also want to enter this industry?
Yu: If you really love this career, try to be persistent, because this work may not be as easy and glamorous as you imagine. You may encounter a lot of tough times and challenges after you start your career, but if you really like it, please keep persevering. You can always gain something as long as you accomplish and recognize your own jobs and efforts.
Q: You encountered your significant other, Guan Zeyuan, a famous caster in the LPL, in the Esports industry. How do you two help each other with your work?
Yu: We don’t talk a lot about our work. He doesn’t duo with me. When I ask him questions, he will answer me seriously but unelaborately. It’s hard to explain. Anyhow, I seldom play with him. He wants to gain LP and become a Challenger in ranked games while I am his obstacle on his journey. I am pimping. (Maybe RNG’s support Ming can duo with you and help you with your climbing.) It’s impossible because I don’t have much contact with any professional players privately. I hope I won’t influence their training form and their personal life. Just to be an ordinary outsider.
Q: The World Championship is coming soon. It’s the most anticipated tournament within a year. We know that you have a good relationship with many foreign players such as Doublelift and Rekkles. Without taking personal skill into consideration, what’s the largest difference between our LPL players and those foreign players?
Yu: I think because of our cultural background, our LPL players are more modest, introverted and bashful while foreign players are more outgoing and casual, which applies to their leagues as well. Foreign players have less pressure during the tournaments so they can pick some dramatic compositions or conduct some interesting strategy. Less pressure from public opinions is partially the reason they are able to liberate their natures. Thus, I think the differences in culture and environment leads to their distinctive personalities.
Q: Doublelift or Rekkles?
Yu: Guan Zeyuan. My answer will certainly be Guan Zeyuan. Otherwise, he will kill me after he sees the video,
Q: Lastly, say something to your fans and the LPL audience.
Yu: I hope all the audience can keep supporting our LPL. Cheer for LPL!
Translated by Tribble
Edited by Caramelized &
