Duro couldn’t stop laughing at the start of the interview. Across the room, Gen.G’s top laner, Kiin, shot him a mock glare—the kind that only teammates comfortable with each other can exchange. It was a glimpse of Gen.G’s team chemistry and how effortlessly Duro fits among the veterans.
When the laughter finally subsided, Duro reflected on Gen.G’s comfortable 2-0 win over Top Esports to secure their place in the Worlds 2025 Knockout Stage. “Yeah, I feel like today my performance was pretty decent, so overall, I’m quite satisfied,” Duro told Dot Esports.
2025 has been a great year for Duro as he got his breakthrough as a rookie player from the academy team, finding his place as the support in a star-studded Gen.G roster. The team finished as runner-up in the LCK Cup before winning the LCK Road to MSI and the season playoffs, eventually securing titles at the Esports World Cup and MSI 2025.
They are undoubtedly one of the favorites to win it all at the Worlds 2025 in China, reflected in their mammoth 27-match win streak (broken by T1).
Duro has emerged as a source of morale and confidence as the rookie among Gen. G’s veterans. When asked who keeps the squad’s energy high, he didn’t hesitate. “It’s either me or Ruler. Honestly, we contribute to lifting the spirit up, so we actually change the entire mood of the team,” he said, showing the camaraderie that has made him feel at home.
With such experienced players in the dressing room, he knows there’s still a lot to learn, and he fully embraces it. He explained he gets “a lot of insights” from his teammates. “That’s honestly because it’s bound to happen because I’m the rookie of the team,” he said. “And I basically came into the team, the main roster of a tier-one League team, without really knowing anything that happens around here.”
That self-awareness has become one of Duro’s quiet strengths. In a room full of veterans, he quickly recognized the gap between where he started and the standards Gen.G lives by. “I definitely noticed that the type of conversation that they have is completely different from what I am used to, and I feel a lot of those parts where I lack in. So I think that’s just a very necessary part of the process,” he said, acknowledging how every exchange helps him grow into his role.
That same maturity extends to how he handles the grind of Worlds. For Duro, structure and self-care are non-negotiable. “Honestly, I feel like it’s almost a necessity to take care of my health because I’m just stuck in my practice room and I’m there 24×7, eating well and sleeping,” he said. “I think that’s just a repetition right now. As for what I eat, you can definitely call it healthy.”
Duro’s admiration for iconic supports like MadLife and Keria has shaped how he defines greatness. “So the ideal support is, in my mind, a support that… even if it requires sacrifice, you have to make sure that your team gains something out of it, and I think those kinds of behaviors have to be most of their plays,” he said. “So, always trying to benefit the team. For example, just being able to die for your own teammate. I think your actions have to be full of those.”
Duro’s commitment to sacrifice mirrors this year’s Worlds anthem, Sacrifice, making his words a living reflection of his playstyle. According to stats site Oracle’s Elixir, while Duro holds the third-highest share of team deaths, he boasts over 80 percent kill participation, showing how every risk he takes is tied directly to Gen.G’s success.
Among the great supports he admires, Duro hopes to leave his mark with a style built on selflessness, steady composure, and quiet conviction.
“The signature support style that I want my fans to remember me as someone who is basically very stable and sometimes, aggressive when necessary. So I want to be someone that’s remembered, as you know… very well-rounded. So, in a way, almost ideal and perfect in every way,” he said
And if Duro’s storybook rookie year ended with a Worlds title, it would cement his legacy alongside the very few who’ve reached the pinnacle in their debut year. “Obviously, just being able to stand alongside these legendary players who’ve achieved so many things in their careers, like Faker and Jackeylove, it would be such an honor to be in the same lineup with them, just hearing their name and my name alongside them,” he said.
Gen.G face Hanwha Life Esports on Oct. 28 in a do-or-die showdown to secure their place in the semifinals of Worlds 2025.
