In the highly competitive landscape of the LEC Summer 2025 Playoffs, Team Vitality’s top laner Kaan “Naak Nako” Okan delivered a no-holds-barred post-match interview following a 3-1 victory over Team Heretics. Despite advancing in the lower bracket, Naak Nako characterized the win as less dominant than it should have been – a missed opportunity for a clean sweep that revealed his high confidence and high standards. Watch the full interview on YouTube (via the LEC Official Channel), or continue reading for a complete breakdown of his comments and strategic insights.
Naak Nako Delivers Brutal Honesty Post-Series
Vitality entered the series against Team Heretics as clear favorites. Based on regular season performance and playoff trajectory, many analysts and fans anticipated a 3-0 finish. Naak Nako echoed that sentiment, expressing dissatisfaction with the team’s slower-than-expected progression:
“I was expecting a 3-0, clean stomp. I do not think they are good. One more game was a waste of time.”
This evaluation came after Heretics stole the opener from the jaws of defeat – a result that seemed to unnecessarily prolong the series. Despite the hiccup, Vitality closed out the next three games and advanced with confidence intact, but not unscathed from criticism – from outside and within.
Vitality’s Game One Collapse: A Preventable Loss
The series began with Vitality dominating the macro game, breaking into Heretics’ base and securing all three inhibitors. Yet, what looked like a textbook game ended in chaos as they overstepped under Nexus turrets, throwing the game away to Heretics’ superior late-game scaling:
“If we did not go too deep in the last fight, we would have won. We forced it and it failed. Nice try, but it sucks.”
Heretics took advantage of their Aphelios and Orianna composition to outlast Vitality’s engage. That single loss, according to Naak Nako, should have never happened and became the primary reason he viewed the day as longer than necessary.
The rest of the series, though ultimately successful for Vitality, featured questionable map decisions. Naak Nako explained the opponent’s strategy was predictable – Heretics were willing to drop side waves for a chance at a grouped 5v5 fight – but Vitality sometimes leaned into ego over discipline.
“If you just push sides you win the map, but we kept fighting and kind of egoing them.”
Vitality’s Mid-Series Metagame Missteps
Vitality’s path through the series, especially in games two and three, was marked not by clean, side lane pressure but by unnecessary skirmishes and resource trades against Heretics’ preferred teamfight style. While ultimately the better team did prevail, Naak Nako used the opportunity to critique in-game decision-making that he believes must improve moving forward.
The team’s discipline in macro execution will be vital if they are to continue progressing through tougher matchups awaiting in the lower bracket.
Strategic Readiness and Expectations for the Next Opponent
When discussing upcoming challenges, Naak Nako offered a look into Vitality’s procedural prep between rounds. He said reviews were player-driven, while coach staff focused on maintaining strong, repeatable draft plans. With either Karmine Corp or G2 Esports looming as their next opponent, he made it clear draft execution would be key:
“It depends on draft, but with a good draft, we will win.”
Although he predicted a match against Karmine Corp, he acknowledged that either opponent would require tighter execution compared to what they showed against Heretics. The lesson? Vitality can’t afford to hand free games to stronger teams in the next rounds.
Support for Fearless Drafting and More On-Stage Games
Naak Nako also praised the LEC’s fearless draft format, which removes champion bans once a champion has been picked earlier in the series. The system rewards deeper champion pools and game planning, especially for solo lane roles like top lane. He emphasized the format gives an edge to prepared teams and supports healthier competition.
Beyond that, he joined a growing chorus of players calling for an expanded on-stage schedule in future splits:
“We play too few games. Every team should play more on stage. The more stage time, the better.”
Vitality Controlled the Series, But Growth Required
While the 3-1 scoreline shows decisive victory on paper, the team believes it still left opportunities unrealized. The post-game sentiment within Vitality suggests that the result flatters Heretics more than it reflects real competitive parity. Now through the lower bracket’s early stages, the focus turns to refining in-game decisions against more tactically sophisticated rivals.
For full match breakdowns and upcoming playoff schedules, check out SofaScore’s match center.
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