Origen Kold has some advice for NA teams after Rift Rivals

For the second consecutive year, European teams demonstrated their regional supremacy by claiming the Rift Rivals championship trophy.

While Team Liquid managed to overcome G2 Esports in the grand finals matchup, their individual success couldn’t prevent the LEC from collectively dominating the competition. The impressive showing from North America’s top squad prompted Origen to reconsider the competitive potential across the Atlantic.

WIN.gg conducted an exclusive interview with Origen’s strategic jungler Jonas “Kold” Andersen, discussing Europe’s triumph and his professional assessment of what North American organizations must address following their Rift Rivals performance.

How do you feel about the LEC taking home the Rift Rivals trophy?

Kold: Winning always brings satisfaction, though this victory doesn’t provide complete fulfillment personally.

I genuinely wanted the opportunity to compete against Team Liquid in a more competitively intense setting. We anticipated facing them during the tournament’s crucial stages.

What motivated your desire to compete against Team Liquid specifically?

Facing them when both rosters were operating at maximum competitive intensity would have provided clearer benchmarking data. They demonstrated strong capabilities during the finals, but other NA representatives failed to match that performance level. While it’s straightforward to declare European superiority, I wanted to measure our team’s performance against North America’s elite squad. The tournament outcome seemed predetermined—Europe would likely secure victory in a five-game series regardless of specific matchups.

Did you anticipate this regional dominance before the event began?

Pre-tournament confidence wasn’t absolute for me personally. The clarity emerged once we arrived and began scrimmaging against them. Competing on the main stage revealed we possessed significant strategic advantages.

What caused your uncertainty before this weekend’s matches?

Evaluating team strength without direct competition always presents challenges. I recognized all three European qualifiers as formidable opponents, but we understood Team Liquid could challenge any of our squads.

My assessment of Cloud9 and Team SoloMid was less definitive. Cloud9 contended with health issues among players, complicating accurate assessment. Team Liquid clearly possessed competitive capabilities, while their regional counterparts struggled significantly more.

What specific factors limited TSM’s competitive performance throughout the tournament?

TSM exhibits noticeable vulnerabilities during early game phases. Their jungle pathing and resource allocation strategies appear underdeveloped from my analytical perspective. They demonstrated coherent planning only during their Fnatic match where Akaadian selected Elise. Competing against them provides exceptional strategic freedom—we could systematically defeat them through superior macro gameplay alone.

From my observation, their playstyle contains systemic issues. They lack comprehension of League of Legends’ foundational principles that separate elite teams from average competitors.

Conversely, what enables your team to consistently perform at high levels?

We dedicate extensive time to strategic discussion and analysis. Our team consistently reviews gameplay footage from both our matches and world-class organizations globally. Analyzing how top teams establish map control and objective priorities forms our improvement methodology. With multiple veteran players on our roster, this knowledge naturally translates into in-game decision making.

Did your team gain valuable insights from competing at Rift Rivals?

Honestly, we extracted minimal strategic knowledge from the matches themselves regarding opponent capabilities. However, competing in high-stakes stage environments always provides developmental benefits. We acquired meaningful experience from this tournament.

We maintained an experimental mindset throughout the competition. This provided clarity regarding strategic approaches we hadn’t previously tested extensively. This experiential learning approach proves effective in any competitive setting with proper mental preparation.

With Rift Rivals concluded, what preparations will your team undertake before LEC resumption?

We remain in Los Angeles for two additional days creating promotional content. Following our return to Denmark, we’ll enjoy brief downtime before commencing intensive practice sessions leading into the next LEC split.

The schedule involves considerable international travel as we prepare for upcoming LEC matches. Qualifying for the World Championship remains our primary objective—the competitive grind continues despite this tournament’s conclusion.

What activities do you anticipate during your final day in Los Angeles?

We arrived slightly early planning outdoor activities, though weather conditions didn’t cooperate. Tomorrow represents a complete rest day—I expect beach visits and relaxation time. Such unstructured days in Los Angeles represent rare opportunities we intend to fully appreciate.

Do you have any strategic recommendations for North American teams moving forward?

Team Liquid represents a competitive benchmark for the region. Other NA organizations should analyze their successful methodologies. To compete internationally, teams must not only reach their performance level but exceed it substantially. This requires both intensive gameplay practice and systematic study of global top teams’ strategies. Several easily identifiable improvement areas exist from my professional perspective. North American teams must return to focused, deliberate practice regimens.

Any final messages for your dedicated fanbase?

I hope our supporters enjoyed the Rift Rivals spectacle as much as we did competing. They witnessed previously unseen dimensions of Origen’s strategic approach. We aim to transfer this competitive momentum back to Europe and maintain our position among the region’s elite teams.

We sincerely appreciate the ongoing support from our fans worldwide.

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