With another victory on the board,
Team BDS now stands at 2-1 in the
League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Spring Season after besting SK Gaming. Graced with a relatively easy schedule, the team must prepare for some tough matches in the coming two weeks, with games against Movistar KOI and G2 Esports on the horizon. In an exclusive piece, the team's midlaner and captain,
Ilias "nuc" Bizriken, sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss the progression of his team, his role as a leader, and his ambitions.
Good to see you again! No leather jacket this time?
Ilias "nuc" Bizriken: "This jacket is so beautiful! I'm kind of old now... I've been through a lot in my life, so I think that reflects in my style. This explains the leather jacket.
You're at 2-1, just as you were at the start of the Winter Split. We've seen some great things, like Ice's penta - how would you judge your start of the season, especially compared to the Winter?
nuc: It's weird, because the split has started, but I feel like there's a lot more doubt in my play and in our team than there were during Winter. I couldn't say exactly why. Our scrims haven't been going well overall—we're not winning as much as we'd like. And I think the difference is that during the Winter, when I arrived, I still had my reflexes of 2024. I had my flow, my feel for the game, so everything was clearer in my head.
But now, with everything that's happened in the meantime—the problems we've had, the ups and downs—it’s more complicated to find our rhythm and be on the same wavelength with the team. So, it was a bit of a messy start, but in the end, we got through it: we've already got two wins, and against big teams.
You say it's a bit blurry at the moment, but do you see any progress since Winter? You had quite a few problems then, and now I imagine you're aiming for a better result for the Spring?
nuc: Yes, of course. For example, all the problems we had during the match against Fnatic during the Winter—particularly on the Nashor pre-setup—have disappeared. That was something that really surprised me at the time. Even against Vitality in the playoffs, if we don't miss a timer in game 2, the one at Herald, I think it could have been a 2-0 stomp too.
I have the impression that we’ve kind of forgotten some things since then, and that we’ve reverted to a sort of "default mode," like a reset. But today, I see that we’ve managed certain aspects well—whether in scrims or in official matches, like against Rogue. This is exactly the kind of thing we wouldn’t have been able to handle properly before. And Rogue wasn't a better team than today either in terms of pressure on the map or overall level. So I don’t really know... We’re kind of an unpredictable team.
Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Since last year, BDS has always said the objective was to win the LEC. Does it worry you a little to see that you're still struggling in scrims, and that in the LEC you haven't yet faced any of the big teams? Do you think you're progressing fast enough to aim for the title, or is it still not quite enough?
nuc: Honestly, if we're being realistic, our current level of play doesn’t allow us to win the LEC. It's pretty obvious. We're far from it. Personally, it’s still my goal, both as an individual and as a team. From 2023 to the start of 2024, I felt like we were making steady progress—my level of play was rising, and so was the team’s. So I came into this year with the ambition of winning a title, especially since we’ve been close a few times before.
That’s why the first few weeks of the split were a bit frustrating. I felt like we were back to where we were in 2023—at least, that’s how I saw it. But that’s also normal in a way. A lot has changed. Ice, who is Korean, needs to establish new interactions with the team. The systems have to be reworked. And for me, all the habits I had with Sheo and Labrov, I don’t yet have that with Parus and 113. They're two new players, with a different approach to the game.
So, I have to adapt to all of that while keeping my individual performance high and trying to integrate into new systems of communication and team play. That’s why I call it a "fog"—it’s hard to find your bearings. But we’ll make it through. We’ll do everything we can.
You’re performing well this year, and as you’ve been here for three years, you’re one of the last veterans on the team. Do you feel more pressure or responsibility to play a leading role and guide the newcomers?
nuc: Yes, clearly. I felt that pressure from the very first weeks. I was still relying on my old habits, especially with macro decisions, and I could see the new players struggling to keep up. That’s when I realized I had to adapt, both in and out of the game. Initially, I was more of an individualist. My main focus was on improving myself: doing my 1v1s, reviewing my VODs, raising my level of play and understanding so that no one had to tell me what to do. I was doing my job, clicking at the right moment and making the right decisions.
But now, I also have to think about others. Of course, I still need to maintain a high individual level, or everything falls apart. But I also have to be mindful of how I communicate, the words I use, and the way I speak in-game, because my calls carry more weight than they used to. Last year, when I made a call, everyone saw the same thing and followed the same plan. Now, even if I make a good call, sometimes one or two steps—or even all of them—are missing. Details like “ward here,” “push this wave,” or “don’t give up the side wave.” And if the call is bad, it’s even worse because everyone will follow me blindly.
So yes, it’s a lot more complex, both in terms of communication and the overall functioning of the team. But we’re working hard to improve.
Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Next week you play Heretics and Movistar KOI, so it's a bit of a France-Spain battle. Against their midlaners, Jojopyun and Kamiloo, you're technically 0-4. Do you feel confident despite that?
nuc: Yes, I'm confident. Jojopyun is a good player, he understands the game well, but I'm not particularly afraid of him. It's not like facing Caps at his prime in a BO5, where you know he can pull off some completely crazy stuff.
The defeats we had against Heretics were mostly down to team issues. Against KOI, for example, we got crushed in the early game, and they completely outplayed us as a team. In the second game, we had a big advantage, but we weren’t able to execute the mid-game properly. That’s exactly where we’ve improved a lot since then.
So yes, I can’t wait to play these two games again. They’re important games to win—whether it’s Heretics, Rogue, or SK—because they can also help build confidence within the team. I’m really looking forward to playing KOI again, and against Heretics, we have to win.
If you had to make a prediction for the end of the Spring Split, where do you see BDS? Top 6?
nuc: With our current level and in the current conditions, I’d say we’re aiming for 5th-6th place, which would qualify us for the playoffs. Unless we make a huge improvement in our game, it would be a surprise for the whole team if we finished higher up the standings. But realistically, I think we can make the top 6 because we’ve learned from our mistakes in the games we’ve lost. What happens in the playoffs will depend on how much we improve between now and then."
Header Photo Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
