Worlds 2018: A Lightning Round with Team Vitality’s Kikis

Team Vitality put up a really good fight in their group but didn’t quite make it out. Following Group B’s close at the 2018 World Championship, we interviewed Team Vitality’s jungler, Mateusz “Kikis” Szkudlarek for our Lightning Round.

Starting on day five of Group Stages, we have a new source for some of our questions. Normally they just come from players, Vox Media employees, some press, etc. Now we’ve started talking some questions from fans on Twitter, too!

The interview below has been edited for clarity and length.

What’s your favorite season?

Kikis: Like, from League, right?

The Rift Herald: Oh! No, like spring, summer, fall or winter.

Kikis: Oh!! I think it’s actually fall. I don’t like when it’s too cold. I also don’t like it when it’s too hot. I like to go out of the house with either a t-shirt or hoodie when there’s wind and sun.

What’s your favorite anime?

Kikis: I actually haven’t watched anime in like, two years by now. I think my all time favorite is Tokyo Ghoul since it brings out all the emotions, and I really like the storyline. I was thinking about making a Tokyo Ghoul tattoo with Touka. I guess it’s hard to describe. It’s like a red and black tattoo ... It’s hard to describe. Just give me another one!

Who do you think is the cutest player at Worlds? (From Xander Torres.)

Kikis: [laughs] I mean ... I’m not really into it, but if I had to say then Deft, I guess?

What is your go-to food after a night of drinking? (From Ashley Kang.)

Kikis: In my city I have my favorite kabob place. It’s a tradition, actually. I have three other brothers and that place has been there for 10 years and it’s open 24/7, so we can go there whenever.

If you retire, what do you want to do after? (From Afreeca’s Kuro.)

Kikis: After retirement, either I stay in League — and I think I have enough charisma to become a coach, but if outside of League, like streaming/YouTube, I’d make my own business like opening a restaurant or being a business man or something depending on how much money I earn already. Or real estate because I already have one apartment, so maybe I could do that.

If you had to switch roles, which would you pick? (From IG’s Duke.)

Kikis: My favorite role to switch, since I was switching between top and jungle, is ADC actually. I think my movement on ranged champions in teamfights is really good. Though my laning is pretty shitty. I’d need to play like, two months of solo queue in AD only to do that. AD is a really fun role. I almost had my pentakill on Kindred, who’s also an AD champion so ...

What temperature do you keep your home?

Kikis: Just enough to not feel cold, I guess. I don’t really have AC, I just have a boiler or whatever.

What’s your favorite skin? (From EDG’s Meiko.)

Kikis: I actually don’t use many skins. My team gets tilted sometimes because I’m playing base skins, but for favorite one I’d say Winged Hussar Xin Zhao, since it’s a Polish team skin and I’m really proud of Poland during the times when the Polish were dominating. Poland was a pretty strong country at one point in history.

Riot Games

Beef, chicken, pork or fish?

Kikis: Ah ... I just love meat. Spicy pork is my favorite whenever I go to Korean barbecue.

The last task: Contribute a question to add for future Lightning Rounds.

Kikis: I’m thinking of a good one, but my brain is pretty fried, so give me a second.

The Rift Herald: Of course! It can be anything. I mean, you saw how simple some of these questions were.

Kikis: Yeah. Do you think if I say, “What is your go-to pick-up line?” anyone is going to answer?

The Rift Herald: [laughs] I think that’s fine!