Natus Vincere (NAVI) entered LEC Versus 2026 with an virtually totally rookie roster and little expectations after its Summer time 2025 debut.
Nevertheless, the roster has shortly shaken up the standings and have become one of many first three groups to safe a spot within the Playoffs, ending its debut common season in second place. A key a part of that run has been the staff’s jungler, Enes ‘Rhilech‘ Uçan.
In an interview with Esports Insider after NAVI’s win over G2, Rhilech opened up in regards to the mindset that has formed his journey from ERL champion to one of many LEC’s standout rookies. Rhilech shared insights on NAVI’s underdog mentality, the staff’s concentrate on enchancment over outcomes, and the champion picks he hopes to unleash in Fearless Draft — Shaco not included.
Learn the complete interview beneath.
Esports Insider: To start with, are you able to give me your ideas on the sport towards G2?
Rhilech: It feels wonderful. We simply beat G2. It was form of like a stomp recreation.
It was actually wonderful to win towards G2, particularly towards SkewMond, as a result of two years in the past, when he was in LFL, I by no means gained towards him. And coming into LEC, fourth week in my early profession, he did Worlds like high eight, beating him right here feels actually wonderful.
ESI: You guys [NAVI] got here into the league very confidently, proved your self with a number of rookies in your roster, and everybody now could be speaking about you as one of many potential winners for LEC Versus. Mentally talking, how does that make you are feeling?
Rhilech: It feels actually wonderful. We’re the underdogs, and we’re successful. It’s a actually good feeling.
For different gamers, I don’t assume we’re underdogs anymore. We’re going to be a high 4, high 5 staff in different groups’ eyes any longer. So it’s going to be actually wonderful to play within the playoffs as properly.
ESI: Is there something about your gameplay that you simply wished to enhance on heading into the final common season week?
Rhilech: Usually talking, macro gameplay, I feel that’s the most important situation. We’re actually proficient gamers. We’re actually good at mechanics. We’re form of on the identical web page, however our macro is typically missing — particularly towards Karmine Corp. That was a extremely exhausting recreation to play. They had been actually good at taking management of the map. They form of beat us on the map. So we wish to enhance on micro gameplay.
ESI: Heading into the playoffs, how excited are you for Fearless Draft? Are there some jungle champions that you simply want to play?
Rhilech: I feel I already convey ahead a number of champions. I’ve a extremely good feeling for Fearless, however we’ll see, as a result of we didn’t scrim in Fearless. It was like 4 weeks of best-of-one in LEC.
There was no level to scrim Fearless. However from subsequent week, we’ll begin scrimming Fearless, and we’ll see what we are able to convey. I don’t know but, the potential, the utmost variety of champions that I can convey, however you will notice.
ESI: We spoke with Sheo immediately from Crew Heretics, and he stated one thing a few Shaco jungle…
ESI: Too troublesome?
Rhilech: No, no, no manner. There isn’t a probability. No manner Shaco is coming and stealing my pink stage 1 too. Oh my God. I can not think about. [laughs]
ESI: What’s perhaps a champion that you simply would love to play? You stated you might have a extremely good champion pool, and also you’ve been displaying it throughout this week. Is there perhaps a champion that, with Patch 26.03, you assume is sweet to play?
Rhilech: I noticed Hecarim bought buffed and in addition tried him in SoloQ, and I actually like him. Really, after I began taking part in League, Ekko, Hecarim, and Kayn had been my high three champions. I used to be solely taking part in these three.
I wish to perhaps convey Hecarim or Kayn to the Fearless Draft within the playoffs. It will likely be actually wonderful to win with my very own champions within the playoffs towards good high groups within the LEC.
ESI: How had been you feeling if you got here to the LEC? Did you might have any expectations that perhaps weren’t met?
Rhilech: My expectations had been to be within the high 4 junglers within the LEC in my first 12 months.
For my second 12 months, I wish to change into the perfect. I wish to be the perfect jungler within the league subsequent 12 months, that’s my expectation. To this point it’s going good, I feel. I really feel like I’m among the many high 4 junglers and we’ll see in subsequent month’s the way it goes after which subsequent 12 months.
ESI: Had been you upset by something when taking part in within the LEC?
Rhilech: The one disappointing half was just like the spectators. I don’t assume there are a lot of spectators for LEC. Possibly it’s simply due to common video games, however the stage feels somewhat bit smaller than I anticipated.
And there aren’t too many individuals watching. It’s like 200 folks, I feel. I used to be anticipating 1,000 or one thing form of a bit extra, however the remaining, I don’t have any disappointments or something.
ESI: You do have street journeys coming in Spring, so you may even see a special facet of the viewers there. Did you see the followers on the LEC meet and greet?
Rhilech: After video games we have now fan meets, and it’s actually good to see folks speaking with you, seeing their feedback on Twitter and all over the place else. It feels actually good. The artwork is basically good. Individuals know you, folks know you might be good, folks know you might be taking part in good — that feels wonderful.
For the street journey, that’s our staff objective proper now, to go to Barcelona, and we’re engaged on that, and we will likely be there.
ESI: There’s a current partnership with Movember that the LEC introduced. What do you concentrate on the LEC giving extra assist to gamers for his or her psychological well being?
Rhilech: I don’t know how this works as a result of I didn’t get any unhealthy habits or something, however the thought is sweet. To convey this to assist gamers, to assist them enhance and construct self-discipline.
ESI: In case you’re snug sharing, how is your psychological well being method to the sport and being a professional participant?
Rhilech: My method is ‘not successful to enhance’. I don’t wish to solely win. I wish to preserve bettering. In case you preserve bettering, even simply 1% on daily basis, finally, in the long run, you’ll win. That’s the most important factor that issues if you’re a professional participant. And many of the gamers don’t perceive this, they wish to solely win, win, win… However successful will not be the one factor that issues.
ESI: How did you attain this conclusion? Did you might have anybody supporting you within the early levels of your profession?
Rhilech: The largest set off level was final 12 months in BK ROG Esports after we gained the LFL. However the whole lot — scrims — was going actually badly, we had been shaky in official matches. We had been form of choking, however after one level, I realised, “okay, it doesn’t matter. In the long run, we simply want to enhance. We simply have to concentrate on what’s subsequent.”
With this mentality, collectively as a staff, we approached it like this. It labored out rather well; we gained the LFL. We went from virtually getting eradicated by one recreation to successful the LFL. It was a extremely wonderful one.
This 12 months, within the LEC staff, we’re actually skilled. All of us have a psychological coach, Zuzanna Hejduk-Mostowy. She’s actually serving to on this matter as properly and everyone seems to be form of on the identical web page about bettering. We care about successful, however the principle objective is to enhance, and everybody has this mindset within the staff.
