Following a victory in the LEC Summer Split, Team Vitality have secured third place in the standings with a 4-2 record. The "Bees" are 98% locked in for the Madrid road trip, where they will only need a single BO5 win to qualify for the World Championship. The team's jungler, Linas "Lyncas" Nauncikas, spoke about the team's current state, roster changes, and his career prospects.
Despite the successful results, Lyncas admitted that the team lacks cleanliness in their execution. According to him, even with a significant lead, Vitality sometimes gets lost in decision-making, leading to mistakes and dragged-out matches. A technical pause in one of the series, which seemed to be a blue buff bug, turned out to just be a miscalculation of his pet's damage.
Despite these shortcomings, the player considers the current roster to be the strongest during his entire time with the organization. In his opinion, the team has the highest chance of making it to Worlds this year, compared to their unsuccessful attempts in 2024 and 2025.
Lyncas openly commented on the recent internal changes that have positively impacted their results:
- New Midlaner: Replacing Marek "Humanoid" Brázda with FIESTA has significantly improved their work ethic. According to the jungler, FIESTA not only demonstrates a better level of individual play but also contributes to a healthier team environment.
- Coaching Staff: The role swap between the coaches has benefited Vitality's structure. The new head coach, Patrick "Pad" Suckow-Breum, is more strict and carries more authority in decision-making compared to James "Mac" MacCormack, allowing him to manage the team more effectively this season.
The jungler objectively evaluates his team's position in the European league. He agrees that Karmine Corp and G2 Esports are currently a level above the other participants. Right behind them, forming the league's top 4, are Team Vitality themselves and Movistar KOI, from whom Lyncas expects a strong playoff performance. To prove their readiness to be leaders, Vitality needs to defeat KC or G2 in best-of-five series.
The Lithuanian player's contract with the organization expires at the end of this year. Lyncas notes that he rates himself highly among European junglers, but understands the need to back this up with actual results. Currently, he is in no rush to plan for the future, focusing entirely on the current split and securing a ticket to the World Championship.
As a reminder: Esports Without Barriers: Team Vitality's Fumi on Back-to-Back EWC Championships and Overcoming Physical Limitations