GIANTX held their ground, finishing their respective League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Summer Group in third place after a victory over Natus Vincere. Now preparing for the playoffs, the squad has their sights set on Team BDS, aiming for a deep run in the bracket. In an exclusive interview, toplaner Eren “Lot” Yıldız sits down with Sheep Esports to discuss his team's “scrim gods” identity, areas for improvement, and his personal growth since the start of the year.

How did you approach the match against NAVI? Did NAVI’s performance match your expectations?

Eren “Lot” Yıldız: “I'm happy to secure third place. I was expecting the match to go this way because NAVI was already out of playoffs, so we were thinking they would play with no pressure. They brought new stuff, like Olaf. We expected it to be a hard match because if there’s no pressure, people play much more comfortably. We kept it disciplined, came back into the game, and we won.

GIANTX has looked shaky this split, even though people call you the scrim gods. Why do you think the team struggles on stage compared to scrims?

Lot: At the start of the split, our lane swaps were really good, and we gained a lot of advantages from them. In scrims, we were getting even more because sometimes we’d pick up a 2v1 kill when swapping against the enemy top, or I’d win a 1v2. Often, opponents just didn’t expect our swaps. Since scrims are looser, there were a lot more deaths, so the advantages we got were much bigger. In official matches, though, there aren’t as many deaths. The swaps don’t give as much, and we weren’t able to snowball the same way. In scrims, if we were ahead, we’d just stomp and end the game instantly. But on stage, when the gap wasn’t that high, it became hard to close games. Because of that, our mid-game didn’t improve much.

This really showed after losing to MKOI. We threw a 6k gold lead in what should have been an easy win. We got too hyped, and because we weren’t used to just clicking on the enemy and killing them, we ended up throwing. After that game, our level dropped, and we focused more on improving our mid-game. Today it showed. If we had been behind one or two weeks ago, we probably wouldn’t have come back. But this time we played smart, did good things, and managed to turn around game one.

We were much more passive in officials than in scrims, and the enemies were also more passive there. People care much more about dying, so even if you don’t want to, you become more passive. Because of that, the games are not the same. I don’t think we’re a “scrim team” anymore. We’re trying to play in officials the same way we play in scrims. Our scrim level is getting worse, but I believe our official level will get much better from it.

Do you think this version of GIANTX in Summer is the best we’ve seen so far this year?

Lot: We’re not at our full potential yet, but I think this is our best so far. I wouldn’t say it’s our peak because we still make individual mistakes. Our individual level isn’t as good as it used to be, and I’ve seen stronger individual performances in the past. We need to bring that back. Aside from that, our team play is improving. If we can match that with stronger individual performances, we can do good things in the playoffs.

Back in Winter, you said GIANTX felt like a family and gave you the chance to grow. Now in Summer, after a full year, how do you feel about your level compared to back then?

Lot: My level during Winter was kind of ERL level. What I mean is that I was just playing based on my mechanics and individual level, without thinking about the bigger picture or the team game. That part was hard for me. I started Winter a little badly because I was just playing my own game, but once you start thinking about team play, your level usually drops. It’s normal for every player—you go down, then grow again. From Winter to Summer, I’ve had ups and downs, but I feel like I’m rising again. This Summer Split, I want to reach my peak for the playoffs. I’m doing well for myself now, and I’ll try my best for playoffs too.

You said you wanted to win a title this year. Do you think GIANTX can realistically win this split?

Lot: Of course, we can win. For me, Summer is about mentality—you just need to be on a good day. For example, if we’re at our best and the enemy is at their worst, we can even win against stronger teams. I’m maybe being a bit delusional, but it’s kind of like that. It depends on the day, how you come, how you prepare. So everything can happen.

Is there anything you want to say to GIANTX fans?

Lot: In Spring, Madrid was insane and it kind of brought me back to life. Before Madrid, my performance was pretty bad. When I saw the crowd and how many people were supporting us, it was amazing. I really wanted to win. I really appreciate the support, and I still feel it. I want to experience that again in Madrid this Summer.”