XG’s Xm rates the best mid-laners in the world: GPK is #1

Xm is one of the rising stars of Xtreme Gaming (XG), the Chinese team that took 1st place at Elite League in March.

Interestingly, in the space of just a few months in 2024, the mid-laner has surpassed his total prize winnings from 2017 to 2023, leading to him becoming a beloved meme. We sat down with Guo "Xm" Hongcheng at ESL One Birmingham to reflect on the event and also to pick his brains about Viper, the best-mid laners in the world and more importantly - what does he think about his Chinese prize winnings meme?

This interview was conducted in Chinese and translated to English by the interviewer.

esports.gg: First, congratulations on winning Elite League! The team seemed a bit slow to start in the ESL One Birmingham. What do you think was the reason for yesterday's loss? What's the mood in the team?

XG Xm: We just won the championship, so perhaps we were a bit loose, leading to a not-good performance on the first day. Also, the current patch has been around for a long time, and we wanted to try out some new things, but it didn't work out. The team vibe has always been good, everyone is generally positive. Later on we will return to China for a rest, then prepare for the next tournament.

It's been four years since you last teamed up with Ame. Do you notice any of his differences or changes compared to before?

XG Xm: To be honest, my memory of four years ago isn't very clear. But now, he seems to make more decisions in the game and has become more mature than before. It feels like more of a personality change.

There's been a meme in the community about how you've won more money in the last six months than you did in the last seven years. Have these discussions or the increased winnings had any impact on you or changed your life?

XG Xm: Not really, the winnings definitely make me happy. But there haven't been many changes in my life because I don't have anything specific I want to buy or pursue. Playing Dota makes me happy.

Why do you think there's such a big difference in earnings between this short period and the previous years?

XG Xm: I think there were fewer opportunities before to participate in these tournaments, my skills were sufficient. It's probably because the timing wasn't right, like in 2019 when we lost many qualifiers with a score of 2-3.

This year's schedule is particularly tight. How do you usually deal with such situations? Do you think it has any impact on this tournament?

XG Xm: We usually rest first, then scrim for a day or two. Otherwise, it's not good to be too tense for the next tournament. Actually, after Elite League ended, we thought there would be a new patch, so we didn't practice at all, but then we found out there was no update. [Interviewer: Do you like this new update?] New updates are generally good, at least we have new Arcanas. But I don't play either of Skywrath or Vengeful Spirit.

Viper is your signature hero. Why do you choose Viper? And why do you think players are reluctant to pick him?

XG Xm: Because Viper makes opponents feel uncomfortable, but they can't do much about it. Players may be reluctant to pick Viper because they think he's a bit clumsy, and playing this hero poorly can make you look dumb.

Who are the three heroes you dislike the most?

XG Xm: Meepo, Dazzle, and Faceless Void.

As a mid-laner I was interesting to know who you would rank the top 5 mid-laners in the world right now?

XG Xm: my top five would be:

Who is the player you like the most? What's the most memorable recent game with him?

XG Xm: Topson. Meeting him in a pub game feels like being shocked by his innovative itemizations. Once, I encountered him playing Pudge in a pub game, and even though I picked a hero that countered him, I couldn't control him at all. He kept hooking creeps. [laughs]

Do you have any expectations for Riyadh Masters this year?

XG Xm: I don't know what expectations my teammates have, but I definitely want to win the championship.

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