The youngest pro in the LoL esports reflects on his journey, his team, and the challenge of Worlds ahead.
As the youngest player in League of Legends (LoL) Esports this season, 
Tsai “hongQ” Ming-Hong has already made waves in his debut year. His first Split couldn’t have gone any better: starting with back-to-back victories at the LoL Championship Pacific (LCP) Season Kickoff and LCP Mid-Season titles, followed by an impressive run at the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) where 
CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO) pushed teams like 
T1 and even went toe-to-toe with LoL G.O.A.T. 
Sang-hyeok “Faker” Lee with fearless, aggressive plays.
To cap it off, right before Worlds, hongQ played a pivotal role in helping CFO sweep hometown favourites Team Secret Whales 3-0 in Da Nang to claim the inaugural LCP 2025 Season Finals title.
GosuGamers caught up with hongQ after the championship to talk about the win, the challenges of being the youngest pro in the scene, and what’s next as he prepares for Worlds 2025.
When asked about how he felt about winning the championship title, he was clear. “I’m really happy about this,” hongQ said. “My teammates and I put on a really good performance today. I’m glad to see our hard work has rewarded us.”
When asked about the highlight of the season beyond the title, hongQ didn’t hesitate. “I actually think it’s game three from today when I was having a 1v1 with the Sylas. I won by a strand, but I think that really made a difference to our game.”
Growing as the youngest player in LoL Esports
As the youngest player in the league this season, hongQ knows the road ahead will be demanding. “As a pro player, I have to think about this game wholeheartedly. I hope I can play very well. Being a pro player, you kind of just have to keep practicing, keep improving, even if it means taking out leisure time. I don’t have much time to relax. So I think just from now on, I’ll keep on practicing and keep on improving. I hope I can keep it up.”
He credits much of his rapid progress to CTBC Flying Oyster’s coach, Chawy. “When we were practicing, he helped me a lot. He also pointed out where I have to improve and where I can do better. So I think that really helped me to grow as a performance and made the player that I am today.”
What makes the LCP unique?
For hongQ, the strength of the LCP lies in its Diversity. “The biggest thing about the LCP is the diversity. There’s a lot of teams from different countries and regions,” he said.
HongQ went on and mentioned the addition of the VCS. “With the addition of the VCS, it’s very food for the region. They have a really aggressive playstyle,” he added. He shared how Vietnamese teams are “pretty good at teamfights”, also saying that this also helped their team improve “in terms of dealing with teamfights and having a more aggressive playstyle in general.”
Da Nang also left a lasting impression outside the Rift. “It’s my first time in Da Nang and in Vietnam, and it has some beautiful views, the scenery is great and the food is delicious. Especially the beach, it’s great for going for beach walks. It’s generally a good place for travel and tourism.”
Eyes set on Worlds
Looking ahead, hongQ is already focused on the next stage of competition. “The next steps for us is to come and prepare for the next patch, which is the Worlds patch, and to keep on focusing on our scrims and practices, and we have to lock in all the way until we get to Worlds.”
And who does he want to face? His answer came without hesitation: KT Rolster. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen them. Especially BDD, their midlaner.”
HongQ added that he thinks BDD is “a very well-rounded player, he knows a lot of champions and he’s good at a lot of things. So yeah, I’m excited to match up against such a good player.”
For hongQ, lifting the LCP trophy is just the beginning. His debut year has already been remarkable, but what will truly define it is how he and CTBC Flying Oyster rise to the challenge on the Worlds stage.
