It is one of the biggest talking points among League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) and Karmine Corp fans in recent days: will Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer replace Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis in the Summer Split playoffs? According to Sheep Esports sources, the Belgian veteran — who joined the Blue Wall this summer — has been actively involved in scrim sessions over the past weeks. The stakes are particularly high, as KC’s opening BO5 against G2 Esports on Sunday could directly secure their ticket to Worlds. Such a result would mark a major step toward founder Kamel “Kameto” Kebir’s long-standing dream of winning the most prestigious title in League of Legends.

In a pre-match interview with L’Équipe published on Thursday, ahead of what could be one of the most significant match in the club’s history, KC support Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé addressed the topic. “It’s almost certain that Nisqy will play during these playoffs,” the Belgian support stated. “It’s something we would have liked to implement earlier in the season. He’s a player with experience, he’s used to moments like this. We trust him — we know he’ll deliver. He’s a real asset, offering us options in draft, in-game flexibility, and versatility. But fans will find out on the day itself who starts in the opening match — it’s a surprise.”

Toward a six-man roster

According to Targamas, KC are looking to emulate the model pioneered by CTBC Flying Oyster, who frequently rotate between toplaners Hsu "Rest" Shih-chieh and Shen "Driver" Tsung-hua during series, and currently dominate the 2025 LCP season. Such flexibility has become increasingly valuable with the introduction — and now permanence — of Fearless Draft, which forces teams to dig deeper into champion pools. Similar approaches have been seen in North America, with organizations such as 100 Thieves and FlyQuest.

The uncertainty, however, lies in Nisqy’s current form. A long-time midlaner, the former MAD Lions or Cloud9 player accepted to role swap Support with Team Vitality for the Spring 2025 Split after finding no offers for his primary position. That experiment was short-lived. At the end of the split, Nisqy returned to midlane, even hinting on stream that he might retire if no project emerged for 2026. Weeks later, he was officially announced as KC’s sixth man.

At the time, it seemed unlikely that Nisqy would challenge Vladi’s starting role. The Greek midlaner was coming off an exceptional Winter Split and maintained high standards in the Spring, where he was statistically ranked the best midlaner across both splits, according to Sheep Stats. This summer, however, has proven more challenging. Vladi has shown signs of inconsistency — currently ranked only fifth among midlaners — and those dips in form, combined with scrim rumors, have strengthened the case for Nisqy’s inclusion in Sunday’s decisive match — or later in the playoffs.