Finishing the 2026 LEC Summer regular season in second place with an undefeated 6-0 streak in Berlin, Team Vitality is gearing up for a decisive clash against G2 Esports for a spot at Worlds 2026. The team is heading to Madrid, where they will play a best-of-five series against the reigning champions. Head coach Patrick "Pad" Suckow-Breum is highly optimistic and expects a spectacular matchup. He emphasizes that although G2 is currently not in optimal shape, his team has no intention of underestimating them. Vitality's main task for the upcoming week is to iron out their own flaws that the opponent could exploit.
This decisive season is of critical importance for Pad, as the current split could be his last as the organization's head coach. During the offseason, Vitality CEO Fabien "Neo" Devide gave the coach complete carte blanche, advising him to "die for your ideas." This allowed him to act entirely according to his own vision, a key element of which was signing the new midlaner An "FIESTA" Hyeon-seo. According to the coach, this decision gave him significant confidence, and the pressure ahead of the World Championship is only having a positive effect on the roster's overall motivation.
A radical shift in their approach to macro play and discipline was the team's direct response to a difficult Spring split. The primary focus is now on the early game, where the squad practices reliable scenarios, discarding rigid formulas in favor of decision-making variability. Pad compares his job to the role of "Spider-Man," whose goal is to maintain the in-game balance: ensuring enough discipline for jungler Lyncas, creative space for AD carry Carzzy, and proper support for FIESTA.
Discussing the uncompromising and aggressive style of toplaner Naak Nako, which can sometimes carry risks, the coaching staff expresses absolute support for him. Pad states that he would never try to change his player's approach, acknowledging that he understands the top lane much better than he does himself. Even if opposing teams expend resources to neutralize Naak Nako, it only opens up the necessary space for the roster's other stars, who are more than capable of single-handedly securing a victory for the team.
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