BKR XnS: "We went into NNO Cup with zero scrims. The bottom of the LEC isn’t that high"

BK ROG XnS

"The goal is the LEC"

Two weeks before the end of the LFL Summer Split regular season, BK ROG Esports’ new jungler, Enes "XnS" Hansu, granted us an interview to talk about his arrival in the Spring Split LFL champions roster, his short but intense stint with BoostGate Esports, his ambition to join the LEC, his thoughts on SK Gaming after the NNO Cup, and his favorite champion. BK ROG are currently fifth in the LFL with two series left this week: the first against Ici Japon Corp Esport. on Thursday, August 21, and the second against Gentle Mates on Friday, 22—two crucial series in the race for the playoffs.

You started the year with BBL Dark Passage, spent Spring with BoostGate, and now you’re with BK ROG for Summer. How do you feel about going through so many changes in a single year?

Enes "XnS" Hansu: "Obviously, it’s not great to switch teams so much—three splits, three teams—because it takes time to adapt, and you only really get to show your potential a bit later, not right at the start. But that’s how it had to be, so I’m okay with it.

Last split went really well for you with BoostGate, as you won the TCL. How did you experience that victory?

XnS: I joined after they had already played a split together, and the players were really easy to work with, so it was pretty easy to get used to them. Pretty quickly, the team started trusting me a lot, which made it easier to improve together. In the end, we were really strong, and honestly, we should have won that EMEA Masters quarterfinal against Los Ratones. We were the better team, but we made some silly mistakes and just ended up losing.

How is your integration going in this BK ROG roster?

XnS: After the BoostGate split, I had a few offers, but I felt the BK ROG roster was really strong. I also got a lot of positive feedback about Craft1x (Ali Aklan, BK ROG's Head Coach), so I ended up choosing BK ROG mainly because of the roster.

Did you talk to Enes "Rhilech" Uçan?

XnS: Yeah, I talked to some players who had worked with Craft1x, and they all said he’s really good. Plus, this roster had just won the LFL, so I knew they couldn’t be bad.

The results have been mixed so far, with the team sitting at 3-3. What do you think still isn’t working perfectly?

XnS: I’m still getting used to the team. With BK ROG it took a bit longer than it did at BoostGate because the players here were used to a completely different style, and I play the game differently too. We had to meet in the middle— or either I adapt to them or they adapt to me. That’s why we had some issues in-game. It’s never personal, just about getting on the same page. It’s getting better step by step. At the start of the split it was harder, especially since we didn’t have much time to scrim, which was a bit unlucky. We could’ve been better much earlier, but now we’re already in a much stronger spot than when we started.

This week you will face Ici Japon Corp and Gentle Mates. How do you feel about these two series, which will be crucial for the playoff race?

XnS: I don’t really think about the opponents—it’s always on us. That’s how I’ve done things my whole career. I don’t even check who we’re playing before the week starts; I just focus on ourselves.

So far, how would you describe your synergy with Šimon "OMON" Řiháček in the mid-jungle duo?

XnS: Honestly, I don’t think it’s been the best so far—we haven’t really played that well together. But in the last official matches, I felt we were already improving. We played better as a duo, and it’s definitely getting better step by step.

What about with your support, Mads "Doss" Schwartz?

XnS: I’d say it’s similar—it wasn’t great at the start, but it’s been slowly getting better over time.

At the NNO Cup you beat SK Gaming in a BO3 and took them to five games in the Lower Bracket Final. Do you think the LEC’s lower tier is within reach?

XnS: They were not good. We even threw a few times, but still managed to win, even though we were playing pretty badly. And we went into that tournament with zero scrims, barely knowing each other. Honestly, the bottom of the LEC isn’t that high.

Where does your in-game name come from?

XnS: It’s basically my name. In Turkish, it’s spelled a bit differently, but in English you can just type it as N and S. And the X, I just needed three letters, and it looked good.

Among your most played champions Lee Sin, Viego, and Nidalee, do you enjoy that aggressive playstyle, and which one do you like playing the most?

XnS: I like the carry and aggressive playstyle—that’s what makes me different from others in EMEA. If I had to pick one, probably Lee Sin or Nidalee… I’d say Nidalee.

Do you think BK ROG can go back-to-back and win the Summer Split, or are there some LFL teams that look stronger?

XnS: Like I said, the teams don’t really matter. If we get good enough, of course we can win. But we’re not at that level yet. Practice will make us a lot better as a team, and then we can win. Right now, I don’t think we’re there yet. Of course, it’s winnable—I never really think about opponents; it’s always just about us.

Is the LEC something you think about?

XnS: The goal is the LEC.

This is your first time leaving Türkiye—how’s it going so far?

XnS: It wasn’t hard for me to get used to. Even though I hadn’t left Türkiye before, I’ve lived in gaming houses, so I’m used to being away from home. The only difference is I can’t go out with my friends, but overall it was easy for me to adapt.

In the BK ROG roster, which player do you get along with the most?

XnS: More or less the same with everyone, but if I had to pick a name, I’d say Szygenda (Mathias Jensen).

Header Photo Credit: BK ROG Esports