ISMA on GIANTX's Perfect Start, Early Game Plans, and Breaking Through the Ceiling
Photo Credit: GIANTX
With three wins from three, GIANTX have started the LEC Spring Split better than anyone. But Ismaïl "ISMA" Boualem isn't getting carried away — the opponents have been SK Gaming, Team Heretics and Fnatic, and dropping games against both TH and FNC is not lost on him. RFT.GG spoke with him right after the second week to talk about his early game instincts, the mental blocks they've been working through, and what he wants from the end-of-split gauntlet in Madrid.
3-0 start. How is it going?
It's going well, obviously — we're 3-0. But it's a 3-0 against SK, Heretics and Fnatic. They're teams in the lower part of the standings, not in the top on paper at least. A win is a win, but we dropped a game against Fnatic and a game against Heretics today. If we want to beat the top teams, I don't think that's enough yet. We'll keep doing better.
Today you were also playing against a friend in Sheo. Does a bit of ego enter the game in that kind of match?
Not really anymore, not as much as before. Now I'm focused on my performance and I don't look too much at Sheo on the other side. Before I used to do that a lot and it would get in my head. Now I try to tell myself I'm playing against the champion, not the person — ok I have to do this, I have to do that. It's a bit more fun that way. Obviously it's still a bit more fun when I'm playing against people I know, but it doesn't really impact me anymore. Or not as much now at least.
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Everyone seems pretty unanimous on your evolution this year, especially in the early game. Was it more of a team effort to unlock that style at GIANTX, or is it primarily something you've been working on individually?
I think it's me working on it, it's my plans — but having good laners obviously helps, because when you don't have priority it's hard to invade. But it's more me who likes to theorycraft those things.
I noticed it through watching G2 — when you watch the LCK, games are very very stable and you're like 'ah, that's how you're supposed to play.' But then I saw G2 just stomp them, and I realised you can actually do a lot of things in the game.
That's not necessarily how the LPL plays.
Exactly, when you watch the LPL, they definitely don't play like that. So I'm like — wait, if I go level 2 to their gromp, what happens? And I realise they can't do anything about it. So that's what I try to do. Sometimes it won't work, but I think the number of times it will work will compensate for that. I try things in official games. Sometimes it goes through, sometimes it won't.
I'll get flamed when it doesn't, and praised when it does — that's kind of the game. And that's what makes it fun.
Is that something you'd be more cautious to do in playoffs for example?
No. I think if you win because of it, why stop? If I see a play I'll go for it. If it doesn't work, too bad. I play without pressure in games — I see something, I go for it. As I said, if it doesn't work, we'll see. For now it's working, so I'm happy. And I don't think it's cheeses either. I think it through, and then I go for it.
Is it instinct or prepared plans?
It's all instinct really, based on the information I have.
When I watch pro games I try to think in terms of cause and effect — if this happens, this leads to this. And when I'm in game I'll think: I've seen this situation before, if I go to those golems, this happens, right? And I kind of go from there. It's mostly instinct.
Photo Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
A criticism that came up often about your gameplay last year was making mistakes in the mid-to-late game — making the extra step, playing too far forward... Is that something you're actively working on?
Yeah, totally. It's definitely something I'm working on because I think it has cost us a lot of games — I don't know how many games I've lost getting caught at Nashor. It has to get better. But I also don't want to lose the aggression, because basically when you get caught it's because you were trying to get more information or take one more camp. It's hard to find the right balance.
Beyond you individually — do you think what's been stopping GIANTX from breaking through the top four ceiling is mainly this lack of discipline or confidence in the mid game as a team?
Yes, I think so. Against stronger teams we do a lot less and we're basically AFK during the games — potentially because you're afraid to lose or whatever. But I think what makes us win is exactly that aggression in games with less at stake. So we need to keep working on that, and just play better.
We need to deliver on the day that counts, because what's happening a lot is we have an okay regular season, we get to playoffs, we don't perform, and then it's holidays already.
The problem is you only get one playoffs per split obviously. But by raising our average level, I think it'll pay off in playoffs anyway.
You'd say it's not necessarily a mid-game problem — more that sometimes you're scared to play even in the early game against top teams?
Yes, but not necessarily against top teams specifically, but there are days where it happens. There are days where we're just AFK, we're just not there. It's not always against top teams — last split we lost against KCB, we show up that day and we're just... I don't know.
Are you not worried that with repetition of losing against top teams, split after split, it creates a mental block?
I think we had a mental block before. I think we've worked on it this year since we've been together for two years now. I think it's starting to go away for real.
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How did you work on it? Was it something that happened naturally or something you actively addressed?
A lot of mental prep — performing on the day that counts, there's a lot of that. And also just playing good League of Legends, performing in scrims, which we weren't necessarily doing before either.
You can't always say it was about choking, because honestly we also just weren't that strong.
It's a combination of everything, and that's what we're working on.
A lot of people also had the impression that this GIANTX roster had maybe proved it was capped last year. Did you ever doubt that you were capable of breaking through that ceiling?
Honestly, sometimes you start asking yourself questions. Sometimes you're like: 'this is too hard'. But right now I'm really in a mindset — and I think the players are too — where I genuinely believe we can do it. I think the players are very skilled individually and we have clear strengths that we weren't using before. And the top 3 in Europe are very strong teams.
So to beat them, you need to put in a lot of work. I've had those doubts in the past, yes. But right now I really believe in us. Even last split — I had a lot of talks in 2025 about my place, my contract ends at the end of the year, I don't know if I'll be here next year. And I really believe we can do something, so I give it everything. And I think I'm working — and we're working — more intelligently now. Before, working meant full solo queue. Now I think I'm doing it right, we're working well, we have a good mindset.
Now we just need to keep going and see when the day comes. At the end of the split there are 3 BO3s in 3 days against MKOI, G2 and KC in Madrid. I want to arrive there and actually play. I want us to do things — not like last split where you show up and you're AFK.
I want memories, I just want us to actually play the game. And if we all go 0/7 [in KDA], whatever. Whether you lose being 0/3 or 0/12, you lost anyway.
And if you arrive there with a comfortable position in the standings, you'll have no pressure — maybe that helps you cross that threshold.
Yes, totally it can be a buff if you're already qualified and you're just playing for fun. But that pressure thing — honestly it wouldn't bother me to have to win a BO3 to qualify either. That can help or not help, but if you have to win a BO3 on stage against a top team to make it to playoffs, that would be cool too. That's why you play. That's what makes it fun.
Probably the MIP compare to last year, with fleshy i guess. I love his vision of jungle like a lpl player !