After Invictus Gaming(IG) won 2018 League of Legends World Championship in Korea, there was a news that IG's mid laner Eui-jin 'Rookie' Song has a girlfriend. At the time, Rookie revealed that his girlfriend is LPL host Hilda on Weibo and said, "It's good to be with you." Hilda, who got attention for Rookie's girlfriend, is firmly working as a main host with 'Candis' and 'Iris' on LPL.

She also showed fluent Korean in an interview at the Worlds last year. Dailyesports had an interview with her in the middle of 2021 LPL Summer split. "I want to get rid of my fear of speaking Chinese and Korean in the Worlds which will be held in China," she said.

Q, Please introduce yourself to Korean fans.
A, Hi! I'm LPL interviewer Hilda(小钰). It takes long time to meet Korean fans since last Worlds. Haha.

Q, Why did you choose your nickname as 'Hilda'?
A, When I was in HIgh school, I happened to find the word during reading a book. Maybe it means a woman soldier of Greece. I wanted to have strong heart and strength as the word means. That's the reason why I chose this nickname.
Q, Then how did you become an LPL host?
A, I started playing League of Legends(LoL) when I was a freshman in college. Since then, I decided to work in e-sports with my friends, but I had no chance because I was a student. I have been a girl group for 2 years because I liked singing and dancing since I was young. At that time, I saw the recruitment information for LoL competition coincidently. So I had an interview and passed. And in 2017, an unexpected situation occurred at the Demacia Cup, so I took over as the host. Perhaps I did well then, I started to work in LPL starting next season. (Laugh)

Q, Have you been familiar with e-sports? How have you been trying to adapt?
A, (About e-sports) I knew it well. I played games for 3 years before joining LPL. There was no big problem to understand about the game. But there were a lot of things to learn about host progress. At first, I had watched the other interviewers' interviews. Then, I created my own interview style. And before the interview, I checked meta-change of the game and funny episodes of players. Because If I know the player's behind story, I could do an interview and ask a question which fans want to know.

Q, And there are many female castors and hosts, what do you think are your strengths?
A, There are no requirements about game tier. I have played the game almost 7-8 years, but I'm still at Gold tier. I couldn't keep up with. Just need to understand and know a bit about the game. I think my strength is that I can make both light and serious atmosphere.

Q, You were awarded as the most popular host at the LPL Awards. How was your feeling?
A, I did never expect that. I think I got more stressed than happy. I think other seniors will be able to win this award. But I felt like I was recognized and be honored becasue the fans voted me to be awarded.

Q, 10 months have passed since you did the interview last year at the Worlds. What has changed as the LPL host?
A, I've become more relaxed in my daily life. I think my internal tempo has been slower than before because I have some experience. And I feel more comfortable with this interview.

Q, You are famous for studying Korean hard among LPL hosts, how much have you improved?
A, There's no big problem with listening, but it's a little difficult with speaking. It's not easy to speak because I'm shy. But I think I should practice quickly. Since 2021 Worlds coming soon, I'll practice speaking hard this month so that I can show my best.

Q, There are 3 hosts in LPL who can speak Korean include you, Iris and Wendy. Do you have any thoughts on interviewing Korean players in Korean on LPL and their styles?
A, Both Iris and Wendy's university majors are somewhat related to English, so it would be relatively easy to learn a third language. Actually, studying languages is very difficult, so I need to practice a lot to speak on the stage. I'm not sure about their styles.

It is true that my language skill is less than two of them. I think I should try harder. I want to have an interview with a Korean player in LPL. They are all cute players, but they speak Chinese better than I thought before. Korean players' Chinese is better than my Korean.

Q, Who was the most impressive interviewee in LPL?
A, The Chinese Player is RNG 'Xiaohu' and all players in FPX. They are all fun. I feel like a friend even during the interview. In the case of Korean players, the most impressive person was 'Jinu' Im Jin-woo(retired). Every time I had an interview with him, he answered me in Chinese, and the way he spoke was so cute. It was impressive to see him trying hard to speak Chinese.

Q, There's not much time left until the Worlds. What role do you want to play in this Worlds?
A, Although my work has not been decided yet, I determined that I should do better than last year because the Worlds will be held in China. I want to get rid of the fear of speaking in both languages.

Q, Lastly, if you say something to your Korean fans.
A, I'm always thankful to the fans. I didn't work as a host much this year. I just feel sorry for the fans. I will work harder from now on. If I have a chance, I want to communicate with Korean fans. Thank you for your support.

김용우 기자 (kenzi@dailyesports.com)