Report: Adam, Bwipo, Saken, 3XA, Targamas to compete for French Flair at the LFL Invitational

Never before has an LFL-related roster looked so stacked for an event before it even started — even if this one isn't qualified yet for the regular LFL season. For the upcoming LFL Invitational, a special 20-team tournament allowing influencer teams, Jean “TraYtoN” Medzadourian will arrive with a lineup far more competitive than originally intended.

This tournament, taking place during the winter split over multiple weeks, will see Trayton's team face off against other LFL teams. The name of Trayton's new team will be French Flair (FF). While the news is now official, multiple sources have shared additional details with Sheep Esports for this report.

The project, initially possible due to Webedia offering Trayton one of the two influencer spots for their new LFL Invitational, will look far more competitive than expected. At first, supposed to be a team around content creation, the plan changed dramatically after Trayton had a personal desire to help Lucas “Saken” Fayard return to competition. A long list of LEC-level players had no team this offseason, and Adam “Adam” Maanane and Thomas “3XA” Foucou, both of whom were left without an LEC opportunity, quickly became the backbone of early discussions.

What began as a light influencer exhibition turned into one of the strongest lineups ever assembled for an LFL-adjacent event. Competing in the LFL Invitational, this newly formed roster will have the possibility to qualify both to EMEA Masters Winter’s edition and to the remainder of the competitive year in the LFL.

Behind the scenes, the first three French-speaking players involved — Adam, Saken, and 3XA — were considering taking a break from competition entirely rather than building a roster. The original plan for French Flair was even to remain fully French, with junglers like Theo “Theocass” Sauda and Stéphane "Manaty" Dimier discussed as early options.

Trayton himself was at one point considering playing on the roster, but while he was motivated, the players were “less interested” in this idea, preferring a fully competitive approach rather than a content-driven one.

The project was not only built to “win the Invitational,” but to create a structure where the players could improve, rebuild their careers, and eventually return to the LEC. The group made it clear: if the players get LEC offers, the project ends — that is the goal.

The turning point came when Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé became available. For the team, it felt almost unfair: an LEC-winning support joining an influencer slot. But it also opened new doors, as discussions started with other high-profile players.

Around the same time, the idea emerged that Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau might be available. Bwipo, the only non-French-speaking player, had just exited FlyQuest, dominating the LTA North and qualifying for Worlds. Despite exploring options both as a toplaner and jungler, he received no suitable LEC or LCS offers.

Adam, who had played with Bwipo as a jungler during his time on Fnatic, spoke highly of him, especially regarding his work ethic and intelligence in group dynamics. That recommendation weighed heavily.

When Trayton first contacted Bwipo, the Belgian immediately stated that his goal in life is to play competitive League of Legends and to help others improve.

This attitude resonated with the entire roster. Every player gave an enthusiastic “yes,” recognizing that working with a veteran like him would not only raise their level but help them learn more than they would from a purely French lineup.

And while bringing in an English-speaking jungler could hurt the “full French content” aspect of the project, Trayton was convinced by two arguments:

The name French Flair reflects Trayton’s long-term vision: in the scenario where the project evolves, it will keep a strong French core whenever possible. He believes that, just like Korean or Chinese teams benefit from sharing the same language and culture, a tight French-speaking system can be a benefit in a single team. One slight debuff of Europe is that rosters are being built out of players who don't speak the same mother language.

Still, the main purpose is not to create a long-term LFL team. This roster exists only for the LFL Invitational, and if players get picked up by LEC teams — which is the actual objective — French Flair dissolves.

Despite the influencer nature of the project, French Flair will not stream all their scrims. The roster is so strong that they expect to scrim and sometimes stream, LEC teams themselves. The priority remains improvement, not entertainment, though Trayton will still use the team to create content where possible.