In this vlog‑style monologue, Perry Norman, a long‑time Challenger player and seasoned coach, announces that he and a developmental Team USA roster have been invited by KESPA to play two evaluation matches against South Korea’s national team legends—including Faker, Canyon, Zeus, and others—ahead of the 2026 Asian Games. He explains why the usual LCS representatives are unavailable (they are in playoffs), how the opportunity was arranged by Daniel Clerici of USA Esports, and why the Asian Games esports event is culturally significant for Korea (including military exemption for medalists). Perry shares his personal background (Dignitas Academy, Disguised Toast’s team, coaching over 1,000 players), expresses a mix of excitement and intimidation about facing iconic Korean players on a large stage, and promises to document the experience for his audience. He acknowledges the pressure of a larger audience, the reactions of other pro figures, and the potential for chaotic matches, while thanking his supporters and noting his cat’s presence.
Chapters
You guys heard it. The title is real. This is really happening. I am playing against Faker and a few other Korean legends. This is an insane opportunity, and I'm super excited to be able to do this. So first, a little bit about myself. I've been Challenger for the last 6 years or so. I've played in Tier 2 in North America. I played on Dignitas Academy. I played on Disguised Toast's team as well a while back. And so I have a lot of experience in the developmental scene in North America. I've also been Challenger, and I've been helping people get better at League of Legends by coaching them. I've coached and helped probably over 1,000 people at this time, and I aspire to continue doing that. So let's jump a little bit into how this is possible and, you know, what's going on. You have Zeus, Canyon, Faker, Zeka, Gumayusi, Keria versus Team USA, which is Denethor, Perry, Ao Jun, Scarra, Jerry, and Zyko. Pretty much everybody here, you probably have no idea who we are, and that's completely understandable. We're all tier 2 developmental players or people who have had very little experience in the LCS. Pretty much in this event, KESPA is hosting 2 evaluation matches for South Korea's national team ahead of the 2026 Asian Games. The Asian Games is pretty much the Olympics of, uh, for Asia. And in the Olympics, there is esports. And so it's very important over there. They take it very seriously because you can also get military exemption if you win for Korea. So it's very important for them. And I believe KESPA formally invited Team USA And we are representing Team USA rather than LCS players because all the LCS players are trying to qualify for Worlds right now. They're in playoffs. They're at a very important time in their careers. And if they make it to Worlds, well, that's kind of more important than this match, essentially. And so the people who would normally represent Team USA are busy. And that's how it's kind of been developed into a developmental roster, which is an insane opportunity for all of us. And so Daniel Clerici is kind of the guy who's helped set this entire thing up. And here's what he has to say. USA Esports was invited to this event. The dates overlap with LCS playoffs, so we couldn't send our ENC roster. It also overlaps with Tier 2 playoffs. This is an incredible opportunity to give to our players, and we are excited to celebrate/send Team Korea off to the Asian Games. The dream here that Daniel Cloakey has is to give America's up-and-coming talent an international experience, an insane opportunity for development. And so ultimately, guys, we've been given this opportunity as a developmental roster to compete in this international tournament. And I'm really excited to show you guys and share the experience about what's happening here. And so I want to be very honest with you guys, just give you my authentic real thoughts. It's pretty scary. I've never played in an international event. I've never played on a stage for more than, I don't know, say 20 people in terms of League of Legends. It's really crazy. I have eyes on me. I have a decent-sized social media following. I know people have brought my name up here and there, but playing against Faker And doing that on stage in front of thousands of people, there is something different about that. And even hearing people like Doublelift or Kedrill say like, who the fuck are these guys? Um, what is happening? And what is this shit show going to be? I'll say it is very intimidating for us, and at least for me for sure, to like go and do this. Like, it is scary, guys. You know, it's Faker. I've looked up to Faker since like, you know, the dawn of time when I started playing League. And Canyon is one of the junglers that I've also looked up to, and I'm gonna be Playing against Canyon, which is going to be really crazy. Like I don't know that guy's going to do some crazy things to me. I mean yeah guys, like I'm I just feel like this is a really great great opportunity, but I just want to let you guys know that this is pretty fucking terrifying, and I will do my best. I will show up. I will have a good time and really enjoy the experience and the ride. But truthfully speaking guys, it's going to be an interesting one. It's going to be a crazy opportunity, but at the same time. You guys might see the most fucked up matches you've ever seen before. And so yeah guys, we're gonna do our best. We're gonna show up, try everything we possibly can. Um, it's crazy that I've been able to get to this point where I have this opportunity. And yeah, I have a cat who's joined me here. Uh, this is great. But yeah guys, um, I don't know, I'm going in circles at this point. I just wanted to say that I will appreciate all of you guys supporting me and wishing the best of luck and watching the match happen. And I just want to say that I'm nervous. I'm going to try to document as much as I can and show you guys the process, show you guys what it's like, give you guys some kind of vlog content. And anyway, I really appreciate all of you and all of you guys' support. It really makes me enjoy what I do. And yeah.
