<h2>Mid-Season Invitational (MSI):&nbsp;Busan, South Korea</h2>Dates: May 10 to May 29, 2022 The draw for the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) groups has taken place, following the first day of the LCS finals. All stages of the event will be at the Bexco Exhibition Hall in Busan, South Korea. <h2>Groups</h2>Group A<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/443/T1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">T1</a> (LCK)Saigon Buffalo (VCS)<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/408/Team_Aze" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Team Aze</a> (LLA)<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/90/DetonatioN_FocusMe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DetonatioN FocusMe</a> (LJL) Group B<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/301/Royal_Never_Give_Up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RNG</a> (LPL)<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/159/PSG_Talon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PSG Talon</a> (PCS)<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/74/Istanbul_Wildcats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">İstanbul Wildcats</a> (TCL)<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/213/RED_Canids" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RED Canids</a> (CBLOL) Group C<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/386/G2_Esports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">G2 Esports</a> (LEC)<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/312/Evil_Geniuses" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Evil Geniuses</a> (LCS)<a href="https://www.factor.gg/team/94/ORDER" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Order</a> (OCE) <h2>Tournament Format</h2>The top teams from 11 regions will compete at MSI over the course of three stages: Group Stage, the Rumble Stage, and the Knockout Stage. Per Riot, the LCL (CIS) will not send a team to MSI due to the cancellation of the LCL Spring Split. May 10-15 - Group Stage: Two groups of four and one group of three. Group A and B to play a best-of-one double round-robin, Group C to play best-of-one quadruple round robin. May 20-24 - Rumble Stage: The top two teams from each Group advance and those six remaining teams will play a best-of-one double round-robin. May 27-29 - Knockout Stage: The top four teams from the Rumble Stage will compete in a best-of-five, single-elimination bracket. The two teams remaining will face off in the Finals to determine a winner and who takes home the trophy and the 2022 MSI Champion title. We'll continue to update this article as more information comes out around LoL Esports MSI 2022.

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MSI 2022 Draw, Groups, and Format Explained

<blockquote>After playing Xbox games with others on her dorm room floor, Felling joined a gaming clan, an experience that solidified her path into the games industry.</blockquote> Jackie Felling has stepped into the role of League Championship Series Commissioner at a pivotal time in League of Legends esports. 2022 marks the tenth year in the history of the LCS, North America’s premiere League of Legends competitive circuit. In addition to the decade milestone – a rarity in the world of North American-based esports competitions – Felling has stepped in and taken over the LCS mid-way through a season that has seen many members of the community claim that <a href="https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/doublelift-is-right-the-lcs-is-dying-and-co-streaming-suspensions-wont-solve-its-declining-viewership" target="_blank">the league is ‘dying’</a> in terms of relevance relative to its past. Fortunately for Felling, her eclectic background in games – not just esports – have provided her with experience in the ecosystems of games and their respective communities of multiple genres, platforms, and varying values of competition.  Felling was no stranger to technology – at a young age, she wanted to work for Microsoft and found a passion for video games shortly after. Felling’s tenacity has been a staple personality trait long before her professional career began – when her parents changed her password on her computer for fear of too much screentime ruining her future life prospects, she managed to get back in with a keylogger. When her father cut her internet from her modem, she got familiar with a soldering iron and soldered the cables back together.  <img src="https://factor-cms-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/LCS_Summer_2022_19a3b7e161.png" alt="LCS Summer 2022 Stadium shot" />Credit: Marv Watson/Riot Games via ESPAT Felling’s metamorphosis into an avid gamer came during her time attending Western University for business and marketing in London, Ontario when she won an Xbox in a business competition. After playing Xbox games with others on her dorm room floor, Felling joined a gaming clan, an experience that solidified her path into the games industry. “It was just amazing to have this camaraderie and competition,” said Felling. “I grew up playing sports. So having competition and this camaraderie…this teamwork…I was like, ‘gaming is it for me.’” After working in various roles in the gaming industry on the developer side, Felling took on her biggest gig yet working on Epic Games’ third-person tactical shooter Gears of War. Felling oversaw the teams working on character cinematics, weapons, and vehicles, and in working on Gears, became indirectly introduced to esports due to messages from the game’s fans clamoring for a return to the competitive heyday that saw GOW on the Major League Gaming circuit. <blockquote>“I didn't have that much exposure to esports at that point,” Felling recalled. “But as soon as I was exposed to esports, I was like, ‘This is where I should be.’”</blockquote> The LCS is not Felling’s first esports venture by any means. After working on the developer side with the Gears of War franchise with Microsoft for nearly a decade, Felling’s next big career move was to Activision Blizzard. As Lead Product Manager, Felling was instrumental in establishing the Overwatch League, the premiere global competitive circuit for Blizzard’s genre-combining fantasy shooter Overwatch, in its inaugural – and arguably, most successful – season in 2018 before she transitioned to the company’s Director of Product for Call of Duty League, a similarly franchised circuit to OWL but for the ever-popular CoD franchise. After three years working on the CoD League, Felling was once again ready for a new challenge, and joined Riot Games in February 2022 with the plan for her to transition into the role over the year as Chris Greeley would be officially moving from LCS Commissioner to the Head of Esports for North America and Oceania, with the announcement happening midway through the season.  <img src="https://factor-cms-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/LCS_Summer_2022_Fan_Fest_c2be9f37aa.png" alt="Fans wait for Fan Fest in Chicago" />Credit: Marv Watson/Riot Games via ESPAT League of Legends is a very different game from the titles Felling has previously worked on, but on the day-to-day, her job and her understanding of it is not affected by her short amount of time in the LoL scene. Perception of her from the community, on the other hand, is another story. “I think the biggest challenges are more from the community standpoint and the public,” Felling said in regards to her transition to LCS Commissioner. “I think a lot of people looked at my resume when I was announced and were like ‘Who's this person that's not familiar with the League of Legends community? She’s worked on console games…what does she know? Why is she here?...I get that because, on paper, those are the facts.” As far as Felling is concerned, though, a lot of what makes League of Legends great as a spectator sport applies to esports as a whole. “I think it's about telling incredible stories that are personal to people that make people feel something, I think it's about hosting fans in a way that makes fans feel special, where fans can come and celebrate things that they love [about] their favorite game,” Felling explained. “And it's about creating this entire community of you know, people that can like celebrate an esport in a game…to me, that's the same.” Since becoming the LCS Commissioner, Felling has interacted with members in multiple facets of the LoL esports ecosystem – players, fans, and press, to name a few – and her diligence in familiarizing herself with the space and vice-versa comes from not just the rich history of the LCS, but what that implies for its potential future. “There's so much history,” said Felling in a tone tinged with awe. “There’s a deep love for League of Legends, and a deep love for the LCS; the fans really care…it is humbling, you know, to come into something with so much history and so much tenure. I think what's really amazing about League of Legends esports – globally and regionally – is that this is an esports that is going to be around forever, hopefully. There’s a longevity to this.”

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2022

Commissioner Jackie Felling’s eclectic gaming background has prepared her to lead the LCS into a new era

<blockquote>“We'll need to adapt fast when we get there and get to scrim the Asian teams. The meta is by far the most important thing that we need to figure out.”</blockquote> Rogue have finally made it to the LEC hall of champions. After two prior appearances in grand finals, both of which ended in defeat, the team overcame their hurdles and beat Fnatic and G2 to claim the crown. Now, they head to the 2022 League of Legends World Championship as Europe’s first seed, taking on Top Esports, GAM Esports, and a team that will qualify through the Play-In Stage in Group C, where the top two teams will advance to Quarterfinals. Ahead of the mayhem, Rogue mid laner Emil “Larssen” Larsson reflected on his first LEC championship. He discussed why Rogue were able to bounce back so convincingly and what the stadium environment changed for him as a competitor. Larssen also looked ahead at Worlds 2022 to evaluate his group and what Rogue need to do in order to advance to the Knockout Stage. Welcome, Larssen, and congrats on your first LEC title. I remember that, during the post-finals press conference, it hadn't quite sunk in yet for you guys that you actually won the LEC. Has it sunk in now? It has sunk in more, yeah, definitely. It hasn't sunk in 100% yet, but two or three days after, like Tuesday morning, I had a very good feeling about it. It still feels a bit surreal that I played in such an arena and that we stomped them. I think the fact that we stomped both Fnatic and G2 makes it a bit more surreal. It was not even close. Maybe if it had been more close, then it would've felt more real, but it all went by so fast. [Laughs] I do want to quickly touch on something specific from that weekend. As you said, it was mostly very dominant from Rogue, but you did get beaten quite convincingly by Fnatic in the first game. After that, you just banned Sylas and went on a streak. Was such a simple adjustment also a mental turning point? Sylas was a good ban, but I think we played insanely bad in every lane in game 1. We were losing everywhere. When I came out of that game, I was still very confident. I felt extremely good on the stage, but I was a bit worried that we would keep playing bad games like we did in the week before. But I also thought: "Oh, nice, we all got our ints out of the system." <blockquote>“I hope I get more respect now. I also feel like I've been a bit underappreciated the past few years, but it's not something I care too much about.”</blockquote> There was a clear shift in the team's performance when we compare pre-Malmö games to the ones played in the stadium. During that weekend, you all said the team atmosphere had gotten much better. How do you look back at that change? I'm not sure what changed. [Laughs] A change of the environment, I guess. We also didn't scrim too much, which was nice because we were losing a lot of scrims. I'm not completely sure. I guess it's human that, when you change the environment, it's a completely different feeling compared to when you're playing in the studio. You go to Malmö, you see the stadium, whereas for three years now I've been in the office, going to the LEC studio. It's very monotone. Now, everything changed. You travel together to a different country... it's just a complete change. I think winning the finals helped a lot with the atmosphere in the team now. The atmosphere of winning the finals is still here, it's a good atmosphere. <img src="https://factor-cms-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Larssen2_ea521c7881.jpg" alt="Rogue mid laner Emil “Larssen” Larsson" />Source: Kirill Bashkirov for Riot Games You're a very calm guy, but then again, so is Trymbi, and we saw him pop off— Yeah very calm, very calm. [Laughs] Right. But still you seemed very focused and grounded, also in the snippets of voice comms we saw of the final weekend. Did you have any doubt that you would be able to withstand the grandeur of such a podium? It was the first time in an arena like that for a lot of us, yeah, at least for Comp, Trymbi, and I. I think Malrang played in a decently big arena in Turkey. But obviously, I was not sure how I was gonna react and how my teammates would react. I knew that the change of environment would be good for us, but I didn't know how good it would be to play in an arena. I was very excited for it, but it was not like I can know how I will react when I've never played for it. In my head, I felt like it would be completely normal to be nervous in front of such a big crowd. But the complete opposite happened. I, and I think my teammates as well because they played very well, just felt insanely comfortable with the audience. When they were cheering, I felt like the nerves just disappeared somehow. I mean, I wasn't sure coming into it. Coming into the weekend, I knew we could beat Fnatic and G2 convincingly if we played to our highest level. I also knew that we could get 3-0'd if we played on our bad level, which we saw the week before. But even when we got 3-0'd by G2, I knew that we could 3-0 them if we played to our higher level. The games were very winnable, but we played very badly. <blockquote>“I felt like it would be completely normal to be nervous in front of such a big crowd. But the complete opposite happened.”</blockquote> When I look at the public perception of you, it seems like people acknowledged that you were a solid mid laner, but you were never "one of the greats". Do you think that will change now that you have a title? I hope so! [Laughs] I try to avoid social media. I watch some, but I hope I get more respect now yeah. I also feel like I've been a bit underappreciated the past few years, but it's not something I care too much about. I mean, you can care about it. It can be important what the public thinks and what narratives are there. I hope they respect me. Earlier you mentioned your "highest level" and I think that many eyes will be on Rogue for the upcoming World Championship. First of all: what do you think of your group? You're in Group C with LPL's Top Esports and VCS's GAM Esports. And, if DRX makes it out of the Play-In stage, they'll be in your group too. I'm very happy with our group. It can always be better, but it can also be a lot worse. I was just hoping that we wouldn't get a group of death like C9 did, with T1 and EDG. [Laughs] That would be the most unlucky. I was praying at the LEC afterparty to not get both of them. It's fine if we get any group, besides those two teams. Then I would actually be mad. We've been very unlucky with the group draws in the past two years, so I would be mad if we got unlucky again, now as the first seed. But C9 took the bullet. I'm happy with the group, but against any Chinese or Korean team you will get stomped if you don't play well. If you play well, you can win against anyone. So it's up to us. <img src="https://factor-cms-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Larssen1_f3a8999c3a.jpg" alt="Rogue mid laner Emil “Larssen” Larsson posing" />Source: Kirill Bashkirov for Riot Games Do you think that the level of play you showed against G2 and Fnatic is already good enough to beat teams like Top Esports? Is that the highest level of Rogue? It can always be higher, of course, but I think that was a very, very high level yeah. Everyone was playing extremely well. As a team we were playing extremely well. Everything was right. You still have some time before you play. What is the focus on now? Fixing any gameplay issues, scouting opponents, figuring out the meta... The focus is on the meta. Meta, meta, meta. We need to find out what the meta is. Sadly, we are not scrimming any Asian teams until we go to America. We won't have too many days with the Asian teams, like in the past Worlds. We'll need to adapt fast when we get there and get to scrim the Asian teams. The meta is by far the most important thing that we need to figure out. We need to try to gain info from the Asian teams already. See what they play in solo queue and stuff. <blockquote>“We'll need to adapt fast when we get there and get to scrim the Asian teams. The meta is by far the most important thing that we need to figure out.”</blockquote> Historically, though, Rogue has been pretty good at figuring out the meta at the start of LEC splits. This Summer Split was an anomaly in that sense— We also had quite some bad meta reads for playoffs. [Laughs] [Laughs] Right, but for those best-of-one environments it was generally spot-on. So, who are you scrimming against now to figure out the meta? It's just the other Worlds contenders. We'll also be scrimming a team that we've put together. Wait, so like a team of misfits? I think that's the plan. It's not every day that we get an LEC team, so we're trying to put together an LEC team. You're roster-building for other teams. [Laughs] [Laughs] Yeah, you can call it a superteam. Oh no, please not another superteam! Well, to round up Larssen, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans as you prepare for the World Championship? I want to make the fans proud for sure. I am confident that we will make the fans proud.

Rogue mid laner Emil “Larssen” Larsson holding LEC Trophy

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An interview with Rogue mid Emil “Larssen” Larsson on why Rogue were able to bounce back so convincingly and what they need to do in order to advance to the Knockout Stage.

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Larssen reflects on LEC championship and looks forward to Worlds 2022: “I'm very happy with our group.”

<h2>Have you always wondered whether LoL esports pro players get unlimited skins or free champions?</h2> While most gamers have to pay significant amounts of money buying Riot Points to unlock champions, skins, and emotes; all League of Legends pro players are provided fully unlocked accounts.&nbsp;This means that they receive access to every champion along with every skin ever released for that champion.&nbsp;This includes skins that were only available for a limited time. They are also given access to all of the emotes available to them in their region. This is why viewers will see players use so many different emotes while playing. As new champions, skins, and emotes are released, they are automatically unlocked on the players' accounts for the Tournament Realm (which is the professional match server). On pro players solo queue accounts new skins are activated at the start of a split. There are a few reasons for them to have this access. The first is to ensure there is a level playing field where all of the pros have access to the exact same game as everyone else. This makes it so that the only thing that separates one player from another is their skill, not what champions or skins they have. The main reason, though, is marketing and driving in-game sales. Riot knows that the pro players are a great way to advertise the skins and emotes, which then drives regular players to want to purchase them.

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Do LoL pro players get every League skin and emote?

<blockquote>Quickshot: “I spent twelve weeks in a mental health 'high school' (...) I learned more about myself in those twelve weeks than I have in the 34 years of life leading up to it.”</blockquote> Writer’s note: Quickshot <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/xgm62f/comment/iosqldv/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x&amp;context=3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">later clarified</a> that the ‘mental health high school’ he spoke of was a mental health clinic he attended on a daily basis, but he used the term ‘high school’ as that term was more comfortable to him. There are many people for whom working in esports is a dream. Many of the people who turned that dream into reality soon come to realize: it’s a grind to keep up with the scene. The harsh reality that eight-hour work days, five days per week, are simply not a thing in esports is something everyone has to deal with, whether you’re a veteran or new to the scene. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy what you’re doing, of course. It just means that you need to take a measured approach to your job. That realization hit Trevor “Quickshot” Henry like a wrecking ball. As one of the longest-standing casters, hosts, and managers in the scene, he had added more and more tasks to his plate over the years. Until it cracked. In August 2021, Quickshot suddenly disappeared from LEC broadcasts and social media. Months later, he revealed that he spent a long time working on his mental health and overall work-life balance. During the 2022 LEC Summer Split finals in Malmö, Sweden, Quickshot opened his heart to reflect on his decision to step away from everything. He spoke about attending daily therapy classes for three straight months and what he learned about himself in the process. Quickshot also discussed the impact it still has on him, his relationship with his wife and friends, and the people he works with in the esports industry. We're finally back in a huge arena for the LEC finals, Trevor. This must be the pinnacle of your job, right? This is what you live for. A hundred percent. The truth is, Tom, that the pinnacle of my job is commentating video games. I think that anybody who has watched me on air over the years pre and post-COVID will know that my energy doesn't change. [Laughs] It's a lot, sometimes overwhelming. But there is something extremely special about being in front of thousands of like-minded individuals that are here to share an experience for something they're passionate about. I relish, relish these moments. <blockquote>“The course that I enrolled in was Monday to Friday, ten to four, group therapy sessions, one-on-one therapy sessions, resilience training, coping mechanism training…”</blockquote> This return to a big stage also comes about one year after you took a sudden break from everything. You disappeared from broadcasts and social media. Later you revealed that you had to focus on yourself, you needed a reset. How do you look back at that moment and on making that decision? It's tough. This is the first interview I've done on the topic. I'm more than happy to share a little more. Ultimately, I hit a point with burnout, and my mental health and my professional and personal relationships were being negatively impacted. There were a number of factors at play. Quite suddenly, in the middle of the playoffs—I think it was between rounds one and two, I believe on August 24th—I had a moment where I needed to make a drastic change. It was fairly apparent at home, definitely with my wife. Once I made that call, I was very fortunate to live in a country where mental health is treated just like any other ailment. Germany is incredibly supportive and understanding. The medical aides, and the processes around it, were so supportive that it enabled me and gave me the courage, and the stability to focus on it. I took several months off work. Because I'm happy to share it: I spent twelve weeks in a mental health 'high school', basically. The course that I enrolled in was Monday to Friday, ten to four, group therapy sessions, one-on-one therapy sessions, resilience training, coping mechanism training... Just general education around things. I learned more about myself in those twelve weeks than I have in the 34 years of life leading up to it. Coming out of that process and then being able to spend several more months focusing on myself and my home life, it gave me the focus and energy to come back to work. <img src="https://factor-cms-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/51995173073_00f4b2710b_k_fde1fbad09.jpg" alt="Quickshot at the LEC Studioes">Source: Michal Konkol for Riot Games Esports is a very stressful environment. You're not only the fun and energetic caster, but you're also a talent manager. You have to make decisions, you have to be strict sometimes, so I can imagine that things can build up. What made you realize that you needed to step back? I'll put it to you this way: the straw that broke the camel's back is frankly irrelevant. It was the ten thousand straws before that which provided the weight that broke the camel's back. [Laughs] The best explanation I can give is that I'm an incredibly driven individual. We've spoken to each other over many years at this point, and you'll know that I'm always committed. I'm always pushing forward. I knew I wanted to be a manager. First of all, I knew I wanted to be successful in my job. It's incredibly competitive. Once I had hit a level I was comfortable with, I wanted to train people. Then I wanted to be a manager, I wanted to hire people. Then I wanted more responsibility to push other people to unlock their goals. I did that all while maintaining the previous roles. I was in a position where I kept asking for more to be put on my plate and, fortunately, received it. Simultaneously, more tasks and assignments came in, and the two things combined led to the point where I just couldn't maintain it. I couldn't continue at that level. You know, you can lead a horse to the water but you can't make it drink it. Once I had recognized that and realized that I needed to drink the water, that was the turning point for me. It was rough. It's not something I'll ever go super in-depth with because it was a very dark time. But what I will say and what I'm comfortable saying is that I hit that very, very low point, and then was in a position where I could seek help and could get it. I threw myself at it. My therapist, to this day, tells me there is no winning in therapy. There is no Challenger tier at being in therapy. And I said, "But there is for me!" [Laughs] I found the right people that help me and speak to me in a way that has helped me push forward. Throughout 2022, I've made a few messages about the topic. I'm trying actively to be a little more open about my experiences. My hope is that people who maybe need to hear it, people who are in a similar position as I was: don't wait until it's too late. Don't wait as long as I did and you get to a point where you need to take six months off and go radio-silent. I think, on some level, I was aware that I could've started earlier, that I could've put more energy into my own wellbeing at an earlier point. Now I look back at where I was a year ago and I couldn't be more balanced and happy. There have been drastic changes in both my work and home life. The way I communicate has evolved significantly. As you learn more about being a human being and who you are as a person, it allows you to make more informed choices. <blockquote>“My hope is that people who maybe need to hear it, people who are in a similar position as I was: don't wait until it's too late.”</blockquote> As someone who has had therapy in the past, I can only echo your sentiment about the process. I think many people also underestimate the process itself and expect you to notice differences quickly when it's a long, long process of coming to terms with things. You know, people are just like "Therapy makes you a better person!" No. [Laughs] You make yourself a better person. A therapist will guide you to that. You only get out of therapy what you put in. If you are not ready, or willing, or comfortable to be 100% honest, therapy doesn't have to be life-changing. It doesn't have to be every single day. It can be focused on small things. If you're struggling with work, if you're struggling with a relationship, if you're struggling with certain emotions, you can make it really focused. But the key is to understand and communicate what your goals are. There is a level of self-awareness and self-reflection, but there is also a commitment. It gets worse before it gets better. That's something I didn't know at the time. <img src="https://factor-cms-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/52350411938_7a582a2e69_k_3d89c22a68.jpg" alt="Quickshot in the crowd">Source: Kirill Bashkirov for Riot Games You're digging up a lot in therapy. Everyone has skeletons in their closet. Whether you think you do or don't think you do. [Laughs] Once you actually have to confront some of those elements of yourself and your past, your decisions, it puts you in a dark place. But as you're beginning to unravel and organize and understand, you can come away with a better perspective and a deeper understanding. But again, it's a very personal journey. I'm fortunate that I have friends and family that are supportive and that understand. I lean on them. I'll say, "I had this thought about something in my childhood, what do you think?" and they'll say, "Trevor, come on, that's definitely not it." I'll realize that they are right and that I have my own biases and perspectives. It's good to challenge those sometimes. <blockquote>“I carried the burdens of my work. No matter how much you love your job, no matter how much you are passionate, it's still a job.”</blockquote> Going through therapy is a deeply personal process. I don't want to make this the center of the article, but a few months ago you made an Instagram post in which you acknowledged being late in celebrating your wife's birthday. It was very personal, a deep apology. That struck me as being made by someone who is being more reflective, more open, and honest about who they are. It's hugely important. I'll tell you about that specific instance. For my wife's birthday, I was just short-sighted. I had splurged on a particularly elaborate present and I felt really content and happy. That's it, job's done. But I didn't think about the person, I didn't think about the other stuff. So, I didn't put a lot of energy or thought into the things that really mattered to her. For example, the present was great, but the card... not so much. The activities like going for dinner or having a celebration... not so much. I was back on the show and there were other personal and selfish things that distracted me. I told Rebecca that I was going to make a post on Instagram. She asked me not to and she told me she wasn't comfortable. I explained to her that, for me, it was important to acknowledge that a mistake had been made. But also, Rebecca knows how important my job is, with "Quickshot" and everything that I've built and whatnot. So if I was willing to do this, the message would get through of how aware I was. I didn't need to tell people. I didn't make this post to look for pity or to garner support for myself. I did it because it would resonate with my wife. It might even help keep me accountable for a whole bunch of things. Our relationship is social. Whether you like it or not, I don't care. We do care. Not making a post on the day hurt her. The reason I forgot was that I had a great show day. I was so wrapped up in the moment that I didn't take the time when I could have. Once that sunk in, I understood it. The whole point was to put myself in her shoes, to think what it meant and why. <img src="https://factor-cms-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/52311903937_0a9a2afaa1_k_1156628ba2.jpg" alt="Quickshot at the LEC Desk">Source: Michal Konkol for Riot Games After going through this whole journey, how have you seen it affect your work life and how you interact with the people around you? It seemed like you were quickly back to being comfortable on camera again, but there is obviously a lot more to it than that. I've got a fantastic relationship with my team and everyone that works on the broadcast side. Everyone is very supportive and happy to have me back. Working in the studio, working in the stadium, working on the show... it's something I love. I give a lot of myself to it. What I came to appreciate and realize is that I gave too much too often. I carried the burdens of my work. No matter how much you love your job, no matter how much you are passionate, it's still a job. Even if you are, fortunately, successful at it. The biggest thing that I've taken from my journey, from the six months off, was a new perspective and a new appreciation for what is personal, what is professional, and where to draw a line. I think the biggest advice that I can give anybody who finds themselves working so hard, committing so much, feeling like they're working towards burnout: You have to have boundaries. You have to know what is fair, what is appropriate, and how much you're willing to give. It's entirely personal. I still pour a hundred percent of everything I have into these show days. But importantly, when things are tough, or when there are elements of the job that are challenging to deal with, I try my best not to take those home. I have a framework and a level of understanding with my wife and my close friends that, if I am a bit obsessed with a particular topic, or a particular thing that is bothering me, either I will recognize it or someone else will. They'll ask, "Trev, is this something you really need to talk about on a Sunday afternoon?" And I'll agree that, no, we can look at this another time, you're right. It's a newfound perspective. It needed to happen. I needed time away to see the bigger picture.

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In a powerful interview, Quickshot opens up about his decision to take time away and his own mental health

Quickshot reflects on burnout and spending 12 weeks in a mental health 'high school'

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Quickshot reflects on burnout and spending 12 weeks in a mental health 'high school'