“These drafts are just boring to play”: Team Vitality’s Naak Nako on the LEC current meta

The LEC Versus season is well and truly underway, and Team Vitality sits in the middle with a 3-3 record after the first two weeks.

Despite its mixed performances, Team Vitality still remains within striking distance of the top teams and could easily get into the LEC Versus Playoffs provided it can create some consistency in the final stretch.

In an interview with Esports Insider following their second week in the LEC Versus, Team Vitality top laner Kaan “Naak Nako’ Okan shared his thoughts on the team’s current situation

Team Vitality’s latest match was against Fnatic, another organisation that is looking to prove a point this season in the LEC. Ahead of the match, both teams were equal in score, meaning it was a game that could help solidify a solid Regular Season position. 

Naak Nako described the match as “playable.” However, the match eventually started snowballing out of control, leading to Fnatic walking away with the victory.

“I think we had a good draft and good early game, but then we had a top lane play where we lost three men,” he said, explaining how a sequence of missteps in both side lanes made it difficult for his team to regain momentum.

The top laner acknowledged that he could have taken more risks in certain moments, saying he might have “played more flippy on top lane.” Nevertheless, he added that his overall performance was stable and that the loss came down more to team-wide execution than individual play.

Interestingly, when discussing scrims, Naak Nako explained that players approach practice games with fewer consequences, while on stage, the pace is slower and safer.

According to the top laner, in scrims, “no one really cares what happens in the laning phase,” which makes them useful for experimenting and testing limits, but less prepared for real matches.

This player also highlighted the current meta, especially inbest-of-one formats like the 2025 LEC Versus. The top laner highlighted that teams focus on comfort and safety rather than creativity.

“I think just because of best-of-one, everyone is just playing the safest champ they can play. But when the Playoffs come, they will pick their pocket champs in some games,” explained Naak Nako.

So far in the LEC, the current draft environment has made top lane, in particular, repetitive. Naak Nako described it as “boring to play” saying that at the moment everyone is playing the same champions and the same drafts.

He confirmed that there are champions he would like to play, but that they are better suited for best-of-three or best-of-five series — Los Ratones’ support, Carl Martin Erik “Rekkles” Larsson also expressed the same feeling.

Team Vitaly’s top laner added: “There are some comfort picks that I want to play, but in best-of-ones, I’m not really picking them, I guess, because we have to do some basic drafts. But in best-of-five, best-of-three, everything can change.”

Despite the on-stage struggles, Naak Nako described Team Vitality’s atmosphere as relaxed and positive — and fans can see it from the team’s comms. While the team’s core remained the same from 2025, the addition of Marek ‘Humanoid’ Brázda and Kadir ‘Fleshy’ Kemiksiz seems to help the players maintain a lighter mood during a demanding schedule.

Naak Nako said the team spends time together watching movies and talking, adding that “we are just laughing and having some…interesting conversations” when they are off stage. However, he playey didn’t want to share what exactly was being discussed, “I might be in trouble.”

Next up for Team Vitality will be a crucial best-of-one clash against Karmine Corp. Not only is this a French rivalry, but Team Vitality will be looking to take down the leading team in the LEC Versus group stage.

With playoffs approaching, Team Vitality must begin separating itself from direct competitors, and a strong performance against the current best team in the league could help build crucial momentum.

Fans can watch the clash live, as well as all the other action, on the official LEC’s Twitch and YouTube channels on January 31st.