Coming in as a huge surprise to the LEC 2024 Summer Season, SK Gaming and Ismaïl "ISMA" Boualem have been turning heads in this new split of the League of Legends EMEA ecosystem. Despite having just suffered a loss against Fnatic, the team keeps its head high while sitting in a shared 2nd place in the standings. In this exclusive interview, the team's jungler discusses recent performances, the integration of a new South Korean bot lane, and the future of the team.

SK Gaming have been on a large upswing. What do you think of the team's recent improvements? Do you believe your team will compete for a Worlds spot?

Ismaïl "ISMA" Boualem: "I'm sad that we lost today against Fnatic but, overall I'm feeling very good. All my teammates are performing well and I'm obviously very happy about our progress. Everyone is playing really well at the moment but, I feel like I'm the one bringing us down and not playing well. Today, for example, I think the loss was mostly my fault and, overall, I feel like I made the game harder for my team. It's on me to play better and, if I can fix my issues, we can maybe go to Worlds.

What do you think caused your underperformance? Is it more of a mechanical issue? A communication one?

ISMA: I don't think it was a mechanical issue or anything. I think... The issue is that I'm very aggressive, sometimes too much. I feel like there's a small disconnect there and I have to work on that.

Do you still see yourself as the rookie of this team?

ISMA: I would say that I still see myself as a rookie, yeah. Sometimes I do try and take the lead but, I definitely still feel a lot of pressure in game and I'm working on it. Working with Nisqy (Yasin Dinçer) has helped me a lot I would say.

Standings aside, where do you see SK in terms of skill level when compared to other LEC teams? Do you think that SK could be a top 3 team in Europe?

ISMA: I don't want to get ahead of myself but, I think it would be safe to say we are in the top 3. We'll see how we perform next week and, if we can keep our form, we'll definitely be there.

Cho "Rahel" Min-seong and Lee "Luon" Hyun-ho have been huge surprises for the LEC. How has it been working with them? Do you communicate in English?

ISMA: Both of them speak English decently. They're not super fluent but it's enough for us to understand each other. Obviously, so far, it's been going very well up until our match against Fnatic. Luon in particular has basically the same personality as I do and it's very fun to be around him. Rahel is much calmer than he is though.

You were spamming the MAD Lions emote in game today. Were you paying tribute to your ex-Movistar Riders teammates?

ISMA: Yeah I meant it as a shoutout to them. I still really like all of the players on that team and, even if they're not doing too great at the moment, I think they will bounce back.

What do you think is the reason why they aren't doing well at the moment?

ISMA: I think it's a question of confidence. It was definitely an issue with us last year as well. I saw some parts of their matches against GIANTX and Karmine Corp and, it feels like they are maybe too scared to pull the trigger sometimes. One fight goes bad and everything falls apart. They are definitely a team that works with momentum and, if they start winning and their confidence comes back, they'll look much better again.

You will be playing against Team Heretics and MAD Lions KOI. Which of the two are you most excited about? What are your predictions?

ISMA: I think the hardest match will be against MDK. Even if they had some bad days, they're still a very good team. In my opinion, they'll be our hardest match-up but, it's always a lot of fun playing against them as well, right? Heretics feels like a bit of a 'classic' matchup though.

Are you confident that you'll go 2-0?

ISMA: Yeah, I'm pretty confident we will although, I haven't played very well lately so, I guess we'll see.

Do you see Fnatic as your biggest rival, especially after today's match?

ISMA: For sure, Fnatic seems like the best team in Europe at the moment. Razork (Ivan Martin) in particular is probably one of the best players in the league. They are the team we want to take down.

You've been playing mostly tank champions (Maokai/Sejuani/Poppy) so far. Is there a reason why you opt to pick them despite your aggressive playstyle?

ISMA: Right now, it's just very easy for us to play around these champions and, that's the most important thing. I play them because I think they fit our style best. I definitely will have more spicy picks for another time though.

Kacper "Inspired" Słoma recently called out that European junglers were playing "like vegans" and were being too passive. Do you think this statement is true?

ISMA: I think it's a bit weird hearing Inspired call others vegan because I feel like most of the time he's really just afk and likes to farm and fullclear. I don't think his statement is true, especially if you look at Razork or myself for example.

Since this is still your rookie year, how have you dealt with the stress of being a pro player so far? Do you care about fan criticism and have you felt pressure from your position while in the LEC?

ISMA: To be honest, I don't really care about others' criticism of me. It really doesn't impact me. I know what we are capable of and, I know I can be a bit flippy sometimes, but I don't care what others think. Even if I play badly or if I play really well on a given day, it doesn't matter.

Do you have any words to close out for your fans?

ISMA: Huge thanks to all French fans, but also to Spanish fans that are still following me from the Movistar Riders days. I get sent a lot of messages after games and it's very nice to read them all. Thank you, everyone."