To little surprise,
FlyQuest once again reigns supreme in the
League of Legends Championship of The Americas (LTA), advancing to the Grand Finals after a 3-0 victory over Vivo Keyd Stars. Now heading to Allen, Texas, the team is ready to claim another title and lift the definitive trophy of the 2025 season. Despite this, the road to the playoffs has not been entirely smooth for the squad, as the organization
decided to suspend starting toplaner Gabriël "Bwipo" Rau last week following misogynistic comments he made on stream. In an exclusive interview, Sheep Esports sat down with the team’s sixth man and toplaner,
İbrahim "Gakgos" Samet Bulut, to discuss his strong recent performances, practice leading up to the match, and the mentorship he’s receiving from his teammates.
Did you expect to beat VKS 3-0?
İbrahim "Gakgos" Samet Bulut: "Honestly, I didn't really watch many games from VKS when they were playing in the LTA South. I knew our team is really, really good, and I knew that if I played well and didn't int, we were going to win. That said, I didn't think it was going to be a 3-0.
Were you expecting the lane swaps in game 3? You responded to them very quickly.
Gakgos: I saw this lane swap in the LCK earlier today. In that game, the toplaner went and warded the middle bush in top lane, so I did the same. Inspired (Kacper Słoma) was really confused and asked me, "Why did you ward there? Isn't it useless?" Because of that ward, I saw the Sion recalling and knew he would try to swap. I told the team about it in comms, and we decided to match it because we knew it would be good for both our lanes.
How do you feel about your role in the team, especially compared to Bwipo, and were there discussions to give you a carry role with resources going into today’s match?
Gakgos: Bwipo's champion pool is huge. Mine isn't that great yet, so I'm trying to get better at playing the meta champs for now. I play way fewer champions than he does. For example, I'm not very good at tanks yet, so I'm playing a lot of bruisers, and that's a conscious decision by the team. I'm working on that the most in scrims right now.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since joining FlyQuest, and how is your relationship with Bwipo?
Gakgos: I've learned a lot from Bwipo already. When we scrim, he always comes to me after games and gives me feedback to help me improve. Kacper also tries to help me a lot. The two of them in particular have taught me a lot. I'm spending more time with Bwipo, though. Kacper offers help in-game, while Bwipo also invests more time outside of it. Our relationship is really good—I see him as my mentor, and we sometimes go on walks together to talk about the game.
You performed much better today than in your first two LTA North matches. Do you feel like you've improved from when you joined the team already, or was it partly due to VKS being a weaker opponent?
Gakgos: Before my first two games, I was not getting a lot of scrim time. I would play about one game per day, whereas this week, I played the majority of scrims. I was much better prepared and had a lot more confidence going into our best-of-five against VKS. Everyone on the team is really nice to me; I feel very close to them. They're all very funny to be around.
How has it been finding scrim opponents, given that many teams have already been eliminated?
Gakgos: We were scrimming against RED Canids and Disguised this week mostly.
How has it been adapting to living in America as a young player, being far from home?
Gakgos: I miss my home, but it is what it is. I'm slowly getting used to America. I like Turkish food better though—that's what I miss the most, and then my family.
How do you feel you compare to the toplaners in the region, and do you think you’re at a level to compete with them consistently?
Gakgos: Yeah, I believe so. I think I improved a lot. Bwipo is still by far the best toplaner in the league. Fudge (Ibrahim Allami) is good as well.
Are there things you do better than Bwipo?
Gakgos: Not really for now. He is teaching me his game, so I'm playing his style as well, you know? Most of the things we do are similar. I would say the biggest difference is in our communication. He is a very vocal player, whereas I don't talk that much yet.
What are your expectations for Worlds, and do you know if you’ll get to play there?
Gakgos: I'm not sure if I will yet. It'll depend on how I perform in scrims. Regardless, I trust my teammates. They are playing so well right now, and everyone is in great shape. FlyQuest can do a lot at Worlds this year. I'm really excited to go to China. Every different country is beautiful, and I'm really impatient to go there.
Are there any toplaners you particularly want to play against at Worlds?
Gakgos: Gen.G's Kiin (Kim Gi-in) is the best toplaner in the world in my eyes; I would love to play against him. I don't think I can match him right now, but maybe after watching scrims and analyzing how he plays more, I could perhaps play against him. For now, being honest, I don't think I can match him."
Header Photo Credit: Robert Paul/ Riot Games
