Anyone's Legend mid laner Cui "Shanks" Xiao-Jun shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview ahead of the crucial lower bracket final match against T1 at the Mid-Season Invitational 2025. He acknowledged the strength of the legendary Korean squad, expressed his admiration for faker , and spoke about the confidence and mentality within his team — as well as the support from LPL fans.

This interview is interesting because it reveals Shanks’ emotional and mental state before the most important match of his season. For Anyone's Legend , this is a defining moment; for Shanks personally, it’s a long-awaited face-off against a player he deeply respects.

Facing a legend — with confidence
Speaking ahead of the match, Shanks admitted the power of T1 , but made it clear that neither he nor his team are afraid:

T1 has always been a really powerful team and stomped LPL — I can admit that. I won't be intimidated by their aggression. I have absolute faith in myself — that I'm the best, and that our team is the best.

Respect without hesitation
Shanks highlighted his long-standing admiration for faker , emphasizing the aura that surrounds the legendary mid laner:

As a pro player, it's really difficult not to like faker . Just by watching him standing there, you get the sense that he's not like everyone else. That's from the bottom of my heart.

Still, he’s expecting an electric mid lane duel:

I'm certain that we'll have a really exciting match ahead.

Steady progress, untapped potential
Reflecting on the tournament so far, Shanks praised his team's performance — but noted there's still room to grow:

I think we've all been performing really well, and we can definitely keep improving. But nobody's playing perfectly, and no team has been playing perfectly.

According to him, the key to success lies in their mindset:

We just need to keep our mentality strong in order to face them and play an exciting match.

To wrap up, he left a message for their supporters:

Wait for our good news.

Anyone’s Legend have become the biggest surprise of MSI 2025. In the lower bracket, they’ve already eliminated CFO and Bilibili Gaming and now face T1 for a spot in the Grand Final. For Shanks, it’s also a personal milestone — a long-anticipated clash against faker on the international stage.