Despite an earlier victory over Team Vitality, Week 2 of the
2026 League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Versus proved challenging for
Team Heretics, who now sit at 2–4 near the bottom of the standings. In an exclusive interview, mid laner
Tolga “Serin” Ölmez spoke with
Sheep Esports following the loss to Los Ratones, discussing his entry into the league, the team’s goals, and his personal aspirations moving forward.
What do you think went wrong against Los Ratones? Was there any issue with preparation coming into the match?
Tolga "Serin" Ölmez: "The mood was good since we won against Vitality the day before. I thought we would win today as well, but it is what it is. The preparation was good—we were ready. We got the draft we expected, everything was perfect until the game. I don't feel like there was any disrespect or anything of the sort.
We probably shouldn’t have given them the first two drakes. I think something definitely went wrong there. Overall though, they just played better as a team.
After playing in the TCL, going to Worlds, then moving through the ERLs, how does it feel to finally reach the LEC? Do you see this as a new beginning in your career and your first real Tier 1 experience?
Serin: Yeah. My goal was always to go to the LEC. I thought it would be sooner, but I’m really happy to be here today. I really want to prove myself in a Tier 1 league this year.
Do you consider yourself a rookie in the league?
Serin: Because of the experience I've had in my past teams, I don’t experience stage pressure; it doesn't affect me. If you look at it this way, then it doesn't really feel like I'm a rookie. I guess I may officially count as one, as this is my first year in the LEC, but I would say playing here hasn't felt noticeably different from before. Going to Worlds and MSI, it was a rather similar environment.
You've been active since mid-2019. At what stage of your career do you feel you're in today?
Serin: Honestly, as long as I enjoy the game, I will keep playing. Right now, I’m enjoying it, so I think I still have quite a few years ahead of me, if nothing goes wrong. I like League as much as I did back then.
What was your favorite season, and are there any champion picks or metas you miss?
Serin: I would say it was when there were a lot of AD Carries in midlane, because you could pick Draven, Zeri, Lucian, and Tristana. That was my favorite year. Aside from that, there was also a meta with a lot of Assassins like LeBlanc and Ahri. I wish it came back because it was so fun to play—match-ups were very skill-check heavy. I’d like to experience that again against LEC midlaners.
What is one thing you like about each of your teammates?
Serin: Tracyn is very cheerful, which always brings the team's mood up. For Sheo, he’s more of a tryharder, more like a leader. He’s the most experienced, so I like that. Ice is just very good at the game, has great mechanics, and is really strong in team fights. And Stend, he’s very open-minded about everything, so I like that as well.
How do you think your teammates would describe you?
Serin: They would say… I’m a bit… I don’t show much emotion, you know? I’m a bit cold. They’d probably say that. I guess that's just how I look from the outside.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of League of Legends?
Serin: We play a lot of table tennis as a team. It’s a really fun activity, I would say. I used to play a lot of it even before joining Heretics, so it was a good coincidence.
With your two-year contract at Heretics, what do you see as the team’s goal—should you aim to perform immediately, or is it more of a long-term project?
Serin: This is a long-term project. We are still making a lot of mistakes and, even though we want to win, I think we still have a lot to learn. But we are improving every day, and I believe we will be much better in the long term. I can't talk about specific areas we need to improve much, but for example, we need to work on our mid-game.
What do you think is this roster’s ceiling by the end of the year?
Serin: For now, our goal is the playoffs. After that, we’ll see, because it depends on how much we improve throughout the season. I can’t say anything specific yet. But our first goal is to make the playoffs and improve as much as possible, especially since this is the only split we'll play best-of-ones.
What do you think about the LEC Versus using BO1s?
Serin: I mean, I like BO3 or BO5 more, because in BO1, anyone can beat anyone. It’s only one game, so I’m not a big fan of BO1s.
Where do you see yourself among the other midlaners?
Serin: I’m probably middle of the pack right now, but I think I can improve a lot this season. I believe I can be at the top by the end of the season.
Lastly, how are the kebabs in Berlin?
Serin: I’ve tried three places so far. They were pretty good, but there’s still much more to try [chuckles]."
