The sixth Week of the 2026
League of Legends Championship Series (
LCS) Regular Season had a powerhouse bout. First-place
was looking to extend its unbeaten streak against
. Though the fourth-placed team has come close to upsetting the team at the top of the table, FlyQuest hasn’t been able to clear the last hurdle.
The series was an explosive back-and-forth, yet FlyQuest
lost 1-2 against C9. Though their fate remains in their hands, FLY is forced to beat
next week to secure a top 4 playoff slot. FlyQuest’s botlaner, Fahad “
" Abdulmalek, sat with
Sheep Esports to share his 1v1 record against teammate Ibrahim “
" Samet Bulut, how his gameplay resembled Ronaldinho’s flair, his growth as a leader inside FlyQuest, and Jhin.
One of your signature picks is Senna, and you had to face her today. How good is Senna in Patch 26.09?
Fahad “Massu” Abdulmalek: “Without revealing too much, Senna is in the same spot she was a couple of months ago. There are places where she can be picked because she is good, but because we’re still playing the season, I don’t think I can say more than that, for now.
FlyQuest described Michael “” Luu’s Game 1 performance with Messi. If Messi is Cryogen’s comparison, who would your player comparison be?
Massu: Ever since I was young, I really liked watching Ronaldinho play. I feel like maybe I have the same free spirit Dinho has when I play the game. I like to think loosely and calmly, which I think I remember him doing when I watched him play.
That’s a baller answer. Ronaldinho was also known for his flair and tricks. Would you say these adjectives also describe your gameplay?
Massu: Yeah! I think I’m decent mechanically, so sometimes my plays can look flashy. At other times, the things I do are stupid, but they look flashy. I would agree.
Gakgos said he is forced to pick bruisers because he has to carry you. Do you have a response to your teammate's statement?
Massu: He is making up for it because, every time we 1v1, it usually goes pretty bad for him. I think that’s why we keep sticking him with the good champions.
The Soul for Baron trade has been heavily criticized before, but FlyQuest was able to capitalize on such a trade. Why did you decide to trade Chemtech Soul?
Massu: I think Chemtech Soul is the one you can decide to give without complicating the game too much. There are many variables because it usually depends on both compositions, the space you have on the map, and how much pressure you can apply with the Baron buff if you trade it for the soul. All of these conditions lined up for us during Game 1, so we thought it was the best decision to play for ourselves and look to capitalize after securing the three-minute buff rather than walking into them.
Game 1 had a tense close to a 3-minute teamfight for Elder and that mid push. Could you guide me through the team’s comms and decision-making to navigate these teamfights flawlessly?
Massu: It’s important to know the goal and objective we have in these situations. This late into the game, when both teams have to fight to secure the Elder Dragon, we must identify whether we can end the game, fight, or flip the game to get the buff. That’s the kind of discussion we had to have quickly to solve the situation, then every individual has to know their role and what to do. It’s a game of inches, and anyone can have an angle that they see that can be shared with the team, like reset the Elder, push mid, and threaten to end the game. It’s a game of split-second decision-making.
Throughout the 2026 season, FlyQuest has slowly built itself up and has matched the Top 3 teams better. However, the wins against these competitors have escaped the tip of your fingers. What side of FlyQuest needs to be polished all the way to Summer to topple these teams?
Massu: We’ve improved massively from the start of the season. First, everyone needs to focus on the individual details, but as a team, communicating is really important. The player with the tools to carry the game must be aware of his position and communicate his status. The rest have to find out during that time what our role is and help others find their role. The small details in the game are crucial now because we’ve improved at the basics. We need to improve on these minute details.
For Game 3, a champion who received its own spotlight during the week was selected: your notorious Jhin. Could you tell me more about your inclination to pick this champion?
Massu: Jhin is a very stable laner. He can push the wave; he opens roaming windows for his support; he can 1v2 if needed; he can clear the wave; he is great at setting up if anyone else has cc; or he has a lot of utility. In summary, Jhin is a utility-heavy champion that also scales well and is strong in the laning phase. Our laning phase wasn’t great this game because we should have pressured Corki and Nami more. It would have opened the game up for us if we did, but we ended up behind Corki and Nami. No matter what champion I’m playing, but especially because I was Jhin, we had to do well during the early game.
FlyQuest has a tough task next week, as you’re closing the regular season facing LYON while not being locked in the top 4 yet. What does FlyQuest excel at over LYON that will guide you to victory next week?
Massu: We’re a much more opportunistic team than LYON. LYON likes to choke you out slowly. We have our own style that can sometimes be inconsistent. Sometimes we find opportunities because we have great mechanics, which leads us to find these opportunities in split-second decisions. We have players who can open the game after capitalizing on these decisions. If we can play our game and avoid getting sucked into their standard game, we will have a good chance of winning.
The last time you spoke with Sheep Esports, you shared how you had to step into the role of being a leader, though not a voice in the game. How much have you progressed in this role from the end of Lock-In to today?
Massu: It’s gotten a lot better since Lock-In, but there’s still considerable room for me to improve. I need to be better at guiding the game around me when I’m in a carry position, telling my team what I need from them, and I need the patience to play on those timers. I could improve my comms by relaying useful information more efficiently. My goal is to stay clean and consistent with my comms, know what I need in the game when I’m in a position to carry, and communicate the resources I need to my teammates.”
