Jee: “We’ll Be Confident No Matter Who We Face”

Jee: “We’ll Be Confident No Matter Who We Face”

August 19, 2025 — Dongkai "Jee" Ji, AWPer for TYLOO, spoke candidly with HLTV ahead of the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, addressing recently fluctuating form and TSLOO’s mindset entering group play. Between a FISSURE Playground 1 title and an early IEM Cologne exit, so much has changed—yet Jee’s message is clear: confidence remains non-negotiable.

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From Glory to Letdown

TYLOO had their high with a triumph at FISSURE Playground 1, where Jee stepped in mid-event and helped guide the team to victory. His arrival was welcome after the team briefly relied on coach zhokiNg in AWP setups. Jee joked, laughing off any consideration of benching Zhoki: “zhokiNg is a legendary coach… but he's not an AWPer, so I just wanted to return to my team,” reflecting a mix of humor and respectful urgency.

However, the rebound was short-lived. At IEM Cologne, TYLOO suffered a disappointing early exit, prompting Jee to admit self-doubt and fatigue: “Maybe we were tired, but tiredness is not an excuse... I think in Cologne we didn’t play good because… we made a lot of mistakes. I also think I need to be stronger.”

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Jet Lag and Travel Woes

The travel-heavy schedule proved noteworthy. Jee acknowledged the challenge of long flights from Asia: “We needed to fly about 10, 11 hours... We don’t like to take planes, fuck planes.” Yet he quickly added that his love for CS supersedes it all: “I love Counter-Strike, I’m never tired... maybe a little bit.”

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Renewed Faith Against Astralis

TYLOO’s first challenge in Riyadh has them facing Astralis—a rematch with high stakes. Jee is undeterred: “I am feeling excited, because we beat Astralis twice in FISSURE but I think in EWC it’s a more difficult match... Astralis is a very good, very strong team.”

Despite recognizing Astralis’s level, Jee remained defiant: “Yeah, always, we will be confident no matter who we are facing.”

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Candid Outlook: Underdogs with Heart

Q: “How far can TYLOO go in this event?”
A: Jee's honesty was striking: “Only one match, because if we beat Astralis we will play Vitality maybe. Bro it's ZywOo, ZywOo with the AWP, he will fuck me up.”

This breathtaking admission blends humility with resolve—a rare duality emblematic of the Asian powerhouse. Far from cocky, Jee’s sincerity hints at a mental flexibility often absent in esports coverage.

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Strategic Reflection

• Mental Reset: Jee’s candor about fatigue and self-accountability signals a needed recalibration in TYLOO’s mindset after Cologne.

• Respect Without Fear: Acknowledging Astralis’s strength without ceding confidence shows a team refusing to be boxed into underdog status.

• Emotional Honesty: Admitting intimidation by ZywOo reflects transparency—and sets up a narrative arc: can such a grounded team rise, even believing they might not?

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Summary

Jee’s interview captures the essence of TYLOO’s summer: from fleeting triumph to stalling struggle, culminating in a reset with guns pointed at legacy teams like Astralis and Vitality. Filled with self-awareness and unfiltered reflections, he reminds us that confidence isn’t born of certainty—it’s forged in discomfort.