Following their 0–2 defeat to G2 Esports in the LEC 2025 Summer Split, SK Gaming’s playoff future hung in the balance. At that moment, German bot laner Tim “Keduii” Willers sat down with LOLNOW to reflect on the challenges of competing at Europe’s highest level. The interview delved into crucial topics, from the structure of the LEC format to the atmosphere within SK Gaming and their performance against G2. While SK’s postseason hopes were still alive during the conversation, Heretics’ win over BDS soon after confirmed their elimination. Still, Keduii’s insight offers a valuable player perspective on the current state of competitive League of Legends in Europe.
Watch the full interview with Keduii on our YouTube channel below, where he also shares his thoughts on the current meta and the G2 matchup:
Evaluating the LEC Format: Stakes, Structure, and Shortcomings
The League of Legends EMEA Championship’s evolving format continues to be a subject of heated debate, particularly among players navigating the lower ranks. Keduii was candid in his assessment of the system’s flaws, emphasizing the challenges posed by a compressed split. The Summer 2025 format featured two groups battling through four best-of-threes each—just nine games total for teams that fail to advance. For rising talents like Keduii, the margin for growth and success is razor thin.
“Back then [In the LFL] I did not worry about last place, because I was usually first in ERL. Now I know how it feels when your season can be over very fast if you finish last.”
Despite SK’s uncertain playoff fate at the time, it was clear how important competitive progression was for Keduii. He believes in the value of longer series and notes a positive shift away from best-of-ones, a format that often leaves underdog teams with limited postseason experience or exposure.
“You probably get very hype playoffs, and you see less of last-place teams, which is good for viewership. I just hope you do not see less of SK Gaming because of it.”
“I like best of threes, because if you are a bottom tier team in best of ones, you might never reach playoffs, so you would never play best of fives or best of threes. That would be boring.”
With many fans focused on Worlds implications, Keduii highlighted the emotional letdown of missing playoffs entirely. For teams like SK, a shortened journey not only ends dreams of international play but limits critical developmental time.
Life Inside SK Gaming: Culture Shifts and Competitive Growth
While results on the Rift painted a grim picture, Keduii described the internal state of the team as more stable compared to the previous split. Roster changes made earlier in the year appear to have sparked a healthier atmosphere, even if they didn’t translate immediately to in-game success.
“Last split, before we changed three players, it felt depressing, people were very negative.”
As a relative newcomer to the LEC stage, Keduii detailed his personal learning experiences. Though SK registered early struggles and failed to find their rhythm, he expressed growing comfort in his role.
“Last split was my first time in the LEC, and I had to learn a lot. Now I feel comfortable with myself, but there is a lot going wrong in the team.”
The format’s structure didn’t make it any easier. SK’s entire summer journey spanned just four series—nine total games—before coming to an unsatisfying end. Keduii compared this to his time in the French LFL, where BDS Academy played 18 games during the regular season.
“I usually like a long regular season, because you need time to work as a team and to practice.”
Taking on G2: What Separates the Elite
Facing G2 Esports was always going to be a mountain to climb. Despite a promising early game in Game 1, SK quickly found themselves outclassed as G2 punished every misstep. Keduii openly voiced the team’s difficulties in adapting during high-pressure moments.
“They [G2] are a really good team, so any small thing you give them, they punish very hard. We are not such a good team right now, so our mistakes get punished more, because we do not adapt well to our own mistakes.”
Although Game 2 had glimpses of potential, SK never truly wrested control of the match. There were individual plays and good ideas, but execution lagged behind their opponents’ consistency and coordination.
“In game two we did some things well, but a lot of the time we were not doing anything. It felt really hard to win. There was a very low chance we would win either game.”
Their fate now rested on others. Following the loss to G2, SK’s final chance to qualify hinged on BDS defeating Heretics. A narrow 2–1 defeat for BDS gave Heretics the final playoff slot, cutting SK’s run short.
Reality Check: Confidence Without Complacency
Asked about how far SK could go if they had qualified, Keduii did not sugarcoat the team’s readiness. His realistic perspective underscored the team’s need for improvement before competing with Europe’s top-tier rosters.
“If we get into playoffs, we will play a best of five against a team from the other group, and if we play like we are playing now, we will lose for sure.”
This hard truth reinforces just how steep the climb is in the LEC, where even making playoffs is a serious challenge for fringe teams struggling to find form in a limited window.
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