11.05.25 - 6:00 PM11.05.2025 - 6:00 PMĀ·7m7 minute(s) readĀ·
By Cecilia Ciocchettiand others
VKS Boal: "I'm still not sure what'll happen to this roster [...] I would love the opportunity to compete in other regions"
Vivo Keyd Stars return to Brazil after narrowly losing out against Bilibili Gaming. Exclusive interview with their toplaner.
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"Iām going to keep sacrificing, itās part of the job. Itās a little exhausting sometimes. But standing here, traveling the world, playing against the best teams, and performing in front of other countriesāitās just extremely rewarding."
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Two weeks ago, despite a valiant effort against Bilibili Gaming, Brazilian representatives Vivo Keyd Stars have been eliminated from Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage. With the year coming to a close, the team now turns its attention to the 2026 season, potentially facing changes ahead of CBLOLās re-inauguration. In an exclusive interview, toplaner Felipe āBoalā Boal sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss his dreams, reflect on Worlds, and look toward the future.
Can you share your raw thoughts on the match?
Felipe āBoalā Boal: āI'm a little bit confused too. I still want to rewatch everything, but it's really frustrating because I think we couldāve actually won today. It feels pretty bad because, as a minor region, everyone dreams about beating the big teams. Personally, itās always been my dream to perform well internationally against strong teams ā I donāt like to think small. Itās really hard to be in a minor region and fight against that, because throughout history, I donāt think Brazil has ever won a series against an Asian team. I donāt think itās ever even been close. So ever since I was younger, I always thought about it, and itās my personal dream. So yeah, itās really frustrating.
You still had some really good moments in the series. In game one, you got an early double kill in the top lane, and game two was extremely close, with BLG only winning through a backdoor. Can you walk me through those moments?
Boal: In the first game we were choking a lot, to be honest. With the mistakes they made early, we shouldāve definitely won that game. They played well afterward, but early on we shouldāve gotten big leads across the whole map. I wasnāt really emotional about those plays ā I wasnāt celebrating or anything, just focusing on what we needed to do to win. But as a team, we were a bit messy and not decisive when we needed to be. They played the map better, and eventually the teamfights too, and we lost pretty quickly.
Credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games
This is your first time at Worlds, and you mentioned wanting to defeat major regions. How do you see Brazil evolving into more of a powerhouse? Even in regional and international tournaments, your teams have performed better than many expected ā do you feel the region is improving?
Boal: Yes, I think so. The first split of 2025 wasnāt the best for Brazil ā teams werenāt playing well overall. But since the second split, with FURIA playing at MSI and almost beating G2 and PSG ā I donāt remember exactly ā we started playing pretty good League of Legends. We managed to keep that pace as a region. If I think about the whole situation, Iād say this is the best year Brazil has ever had in terms of competition and playing against stronger teams internationally, because in the past our performances were worse than this year. So yeah, I think as a region weāre evolving. There are some new players doing massive things in our scene, and itās really important that we keep this mindset ā that we should aim to play well against international teams, not just nationally. So yeah, I can see the region improving.
What do you think are the main factors driving Brazilās improvement internationally? Is it the rise of new players like yourself, changes in the game, or other external influences?
Boal: I think the first thing is simply the drive. FURIA, for example, has many rookies ā three young players ā and itās important that these kinds of players who are just starting have big motivation and aim high. For us, we also have Morttheus (Matheus Motta), itās his first year in CBLOL, and Disamis (Pedro Arthur GonƧalves) ā heās not old, but heās already played a few splits. I also think coaching staff is really important. FURIAās coaching staff was really strong, and Thinkcard (Thomas Slotkin) did a good job. Our coaching staff also did a great job throughout the year.
Besides that, the cross-conference helped us a lot. We learned so much from it, and also from the bootcamp we did in the middle of the year in Los Angeles. Having that experience against better teams ā mainly FlyQuest in NA ā helped us improve a lot. So yeah, I think the coaching staff is a really big part of it.
Youāve been playing League professionally since 2019. With this yearās anthem being āSacrifice,ā what personal sacrifices did you have to make to stand here at Worlds?
Boal: If I had to pick one right now, it would be spending time with the people I love. For example, this year my sister had a baby, and I only managed to see him once for one hour. Itās a little frustrating because I want to be part of it, and I really appreciate my family. I think my whole experience this year has been a sacrifice, because the last two years I didnāt compete. I was thinking about whether I should come back or not. So yeah, I was thinking about other things I could do with my life ā maybe college or pursuing other paths ā and you need to sacrifice everything you like if you want to be here, because it takes so much time and effort. So yeah, I think these two are the main things.
Do you think those sacrifices were worth it, and will you continue on this path next year?
Boal: Yes. When we won in Brazil, to be honest, I didnāt feel that great about it,it felt a little weird for me. I had some thoughts about it because we didnāt feel fully satisfied. But coming here, and also when we went to the States ā playing in Dallas and in LA ā those moments were really precious for me because they made me feel like everything was worth it. And for sure, Iām going to keep sacrificing. Itās part of the job; I knew that since I started this career. Itās a type of life I had to accept. And yeah, itās a little exhausting sometimes. But standing here, traveling the world, playing against the best teams, and performing in front of other countriesāitās just extremely rewarding.
Are there any Brazilian players you look up to or have been in contact with? Someone who inspires you in your career, even if itās not the same role, like Felipe "brTT" GonƧalves da Rocha?
Boal: Throughout my whole career Iāve had many people helping me, so itās a little hard to name just one. Honestly, I donāt really look up to anyone in Brazil. If I had to say who I actually look up to, theyāre from other regions, or even other sports. If I had to name someone, maybe it would be Revolta (Gabriel Henud Cresci) because heās a close friend of mine and he already won against EDG, which was LPLās first seed in 2016. That was a long time ago ā heās pretty old now. But yeah, I also want to have that experience in my career: to beat a strong team from a strong region. So yeah, I think thatās a good example.
Your contract and your teammatesā contracts end this November. Have you heard anything about the 2026 season, especially after your strong performance at Worlds?
Boal: My coach Chris (SeeEl ā Christopher Lee) has already talked a little bit about some players in the past. After we won in Brazil, he mentioned in an interview that some people wanted to re-sign or do other things. But regarding my situation, Iām still not sure whatās going to happen. Since I started, my goal has always been to perform internationally. So of course, going to a stronger region is part of that because you have better odds ā itās what Iāve wanted since the beginning. I would love the opportunity to compete in other regions, but Iām still not sure what will happen with this roster.ā
Header Photo Credit: Aiksoon Lee/Riot Games
