(Left to right, back row: ADC Nata, top-laner Jaeger, head coach Nias, jungler Haru, mid-laner Tempt, and front row: head of LoL Robinho, founder/CEO Hyrav, support Kasing and analyst Devilpiotr)
Isle of Man esports organisation X7 are off to a flying start in the Spring 2022 NLC, with four wins out of four.
X7 Esports announced an exciting roster last month, including Worlds winner Haru and UK veteran KaSing, with many expecting them to win the NLC and do well in the EU Masters. But the org want even more than that – to reach the heights of the LEC. They are certainly ones to watch in the NLC League of Legends (LoL) European Regional League (ERL) for the UK, Ireland and Nordics this season.
How will they handle the pressure of such great expectations, what’s it been like behind the scenes so far and what’s next? WILL BUSFIELD asks players and staff at X7’s recent bootcamp at the University of Roehampton.
Josh ‘Hyrav’ Kingett – founder & CEO (nationality: Isle of Man)
Why did you set up X7 and what was your initial vision for the organisation?
Having come from a competitive player background, I realised quite quickly that I don’t have the time to get back into the scene as a player, although the interest and passion is still there.
In that eight-year span as a player I gained a lot of business development and managerial experience, and how to apply that to different enterprises and different industries. It made the most sense for me to enter the other side of esports and start an organisation – giving back to players and providing them with what I would have needed at a young age.
It’s evolved far quicker than I could have ever imagined and the plans are very ambitious – I want to get X7 to the LEC. Without being naive and hasty, we want to ensure that all of the infrastructure is in place so that we don’t get to the LEC and crash and burn.
How do you plan to reach the LEC?
Like all teams at our level of competition, who share that ambition of eventually entering the LEC franchise, we’ll quite simply bide our time until that opportunity presents itself.
There are rumours that the LEC may be expanding in 2023 to 12 or maybe even 14 teams, however this hasn’t yet been confirmed; 2024 is a more realistic target for us to hit. Once this becomes a possibility, I’ve already spoken with a number of investors that would be interested in joining the venture at that level – considering the return on investment (ROI) on Excel’s spot, as an example, in just three years.
That sounds exciting honestly – good luck with this. What was your background as a player?
In season 2 and 3 I floated around the NA academy scene in League of Legends, prior to the NA LCS. I didn’t debut on any rosters but had a serious opportunity to pursue it at 15 years old – I opted for a career in the military as that provided more stability!
I bounced around a couple [of teams and tried out for them] – it was all very rough around the edges back then and the money was either very little or non-existent.
I may be “old” but I still play to a decent level.
You touched on the ‘Ascent’ X7 academy project earlier – what are your plans there?
In summer 2021, we had our main roster and an academy, however, not enough attention was put into this in my opinion. Now we have such a high caliber starting roster it’s allowed us to spend more time and add additional resources into the academy system.
We’ve got a dedicated team working with the academy now, looking at up and coming talent to hopefully push on to division one teams in ERLs.
There’s been a lot spoken about the funding of X7 and some have perhaps got the wrong impression. Would you like to clear this up?
Yeah, I think there’s a false narrative going around where I have access to a bottomless pit of funds that the Isle of Man have given me access to, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m very proud and grateful for their sponsorship last year, but the Isle of Man funding for X7 lasted until the end of July to cover our debut – there has been no further financial support.
The funding to get the team to where we are now is very much my own investment and some other private investors.
(Update: Josh is also an esports executive at Digital Isle of Man)
“It’s evolved far quicker than I could have ever imagined and the plans are very ambitious – I want to get X7 to the LEC. Without being naive and hasty, we want to ensure that all of the infrastructure is in place so that we don’t get to the LEC and crash and burn.”
Hyrav, Founder and CEO
TJ ‘Nudo’ Harwood – COO (UK)
You were previously CEO of Absolved before it was acquired by X7. What do you hope to achieve with X7 this year?
So the main goal of the roster and the plans of joining is to go for EU Masters. Anything below that would really hit below the belt. It would be a failure. The whole point of this is to pull our resources and expertise together to bring everything to the next level, and elevate UK LoL.
Even though we were previously part of the Danish scene we’ve always had UK roots, we started in the UKEL. It’s great to be back.
What’s it been like since working with X7?
It’s great to be part of a bigger team, we all have a like-minded vision, it’s good that it isn’t just me and Robin doing everything now.
We’re going in baby steps at the moment because we want to get League right, to get our League to a level that we’re happy with. Then perhaps we can work from there and head into other esports.
Robin ‘Robinho’ Cheng – Head of League of Legends (UK)
Following X7s acquisition of Absolved, where you worked, the team made the decision to bring top-laner Jaeger to X7. Could you elaborate on this decision and what do you think he will bring to the team?
I think Jaeger has been underrated for a long time, he’s obviously played in the EU LCS and NA LCS before. He didn’t really have a team as he was taking a break in early 2021, and I was really surprised by his work ethic and skill level.
Some people think that he’s been around for a long time, that he may be washed. We were all really surprised by how hard-working he was, how good he is at the game and how good of a leader he is – taking control of some of the newer, younger players on the roster. He teaches them how to do certain things. It was an easy decision for me.
What’s your current view on the state of LoL esports, perhaps at an ERL level?
If we are talking specifically about NLC, everyone would agree that it’s been underwhelming for a while. I think with the caliber of teams coming in now, there’s a good four or five teams that can really challenge at the top, so I think it’ll be a matter of time before NLC becomes relevant again. A lot of people are working hard within the league and I think it’s good for the scene.
Which other teams do you expect to be competing against for the NLC crown?
Honestly I don’t like to do pre-season predictions, I want us to do as well as possible. There are a number of teams that are good but it comes down to who works the hardest and who can clutch it out at the end.
“The main goal of the roster is to go for EU Masters. Anything below that would be a failure. The whole point of this is to pull our resources and expertise together to bring everything to the next level, and elevate UK LoL.”
Nudo, COO
Tony ‘Newts’ Newton – Director of Esports (UK)
What are the main differences between running your previous org, Bulldog, to now being a part of X7 with Josh?
A lot of the difference is Josh to be honest, I’ve always had the passion and ability to specialise in man management and organisation. Josh has got a lot more financial and business sense than I have, it’s great that he can take over that aspect, I’ve finally got someone that I can trust and work with, and someone who works harder than me!
Usually I’m having to hurry people within esports, but Josh is the first person I’ve met who works harder than I do.
How has it been so far since joining X7?
It’s been good! I’ve learnt from Josh, I always try to surround myself with people who I can learn from, people with more or less experience doesn’t matter, I like different ideas.
It’s not been how we expected, but everything has happened so fast, with qualification and changes to the NLC. We had one strategy set up but everything changed and we had to adapt. It’s been a whirlwind, but so exciting. I’m happy to be a part of it!
Nile ‘Oldboy’ Lynch – Team Manager/Head of Academy (UK)
Since joining X7 at the beginning of last year, everything seems to have been all-change for you.
It has, I joined last February for the UKEL. It’s been so cool, being watched by 30 people to 2,600, it’s amazing. It’s just getting better.
How excited are you with the current direction that X7 is heading in?
I’m nervous, I’m ultra competitive, we just want to win everything. Because of what we’ve been able to do so far, that’s why I’m excited. If we wanted to move into another game we could hit it just as hard. With the people we have higher up, we can do whatever we want, we have really great staff members all with different expertise.
Altogether then, from the beginning, what’s it been like since February 2021?
It’s been crazy! I had no intention of going into esports, I knew nothing about it. I was running the Discord, and I was offered the chance to come and look after the team.
“Okay, I’ll come and look after your team,” I said.
I just love to make sure everyone’s alright, looking at mental health, making sure the players are happy on both sides. That’s where I see my niche in management. They might be performing well, but I want them to become better people on the outside. Being a little bit older and not as engrossed in esports, I have that perspective.
The players can tell me about their solo queue, but I want to know if they’ve been out today, have they eaten? Have they slept for eight hours? Even though it’s always a no!
But it’s exciting. With the academy, I can make sure that these guys have a successful career. But as long as they’re successful as people, I’m doing my job.
We know the team spirit is high in the NLC roster – could you tell me about the spirit in the academy?
We finished up on the academy team a few weeks ago. The coaches are super excited, what we’re now looking at is how we can help them bridge the gap. How do we manage that relationship, again from both sides, so they can get something out of it? That positivity is really good.
The academy team just want to win, with exactly the same goals, the culture among them is that they just want to win everything. They also got their jerseys recently, they’re so happy.
Nias ‘Nias’ Vanwalleghem – Head Coach (Belgium)
You’ve barely been with X7 for a month, how have you managed to achieve the current team atmosphere which has led to your promising start in the NLC?
The team atmosphere has been there from the start, it comes from getting people together with the same personality, same goal and the same drive. We haven’t had any issues with that, everyone loves practising and learning. They all want to improve and they all want to make it.
I haven’t really done much actually, we’ve been scrimming quite an intense amount, playing probably more than any team right now.
Everyone seems well unified within the team, can you tell us about this year’s goals?
I personally think this year’s goals are very simple, we want to make it as far as possible. With the current curve that we are having, we want to take it all the way. During the previous few years Excel and Fnatic both failed at winning EU Masters, now it’s our turn to take the trophy!
“During the previous few years, Excel and Fnatic both failed at winning EU Masters – now it’s our turn to take the trophy!”
Nias, Head Coach
Piotr ‘Devilpiotr’ Zaborowski – Analyst (Poland)
You have a very passionate following on socials and in the Twitch chat during X7 matches, could you let us know what this comes down to?
First of all, I’d like to say thank you to all my followers for supporting me, it means a lot, I’m very grateful for them. It comes down to when I started posting math about builds, people seemed to enjoy it and started to support me.
How has it been implementing your ideas into the team? How have the players reacted?
Generally I’m a man of numbers, I don’t give them much of my opinion, I give them the numbers. If they aren’t sure about something I give them the numbers. It’s not about my opinion, I’m here to give them the solution, at least from a math point of view.
Lennart ‘Jaeger’ Warkus – Top Lane (Germany)
The goals for the team are to be the first UK org to win EUM. So, having played in the EU LCS and NA LCS, what would it mean to you to help X7 reach those heights?
It would obviously mean a lot to all of us, this roster was built to win EUM, anything else would not match our expectations of what we want to achieve as a team and org. We will try our hardest.
What are your opinions of playing in the UK/Ireland/Nordics ERL so far?
ERLs in general are very similar. In our situation, playing from home is a different experience, it has its ups and downs, but overall, I’m pretty happy to be here.
X7 want to push to be in the LEC, how does this match your goals?
I don’t know what’s happening in LEC, I hear they’re going to expand. It’ll be interesting to see what happens and who makes it in.
If it’s with X7 I’d be really happy. Everyone here is really great and I’d like to be with them more.
Kang ‘Haru’ Min-seung – Jungle (South Korea)
Since being a part of Gen G, T1 and HLE, you have played in Liga Latinoamérica for Kaos Latin Gamers. How would you compare these organisations with X7 and how does your experience from these leagues benefit the team?
The main difference for me is food. The food is very different.
On those teams, I learned how to play competitively. Solo and competitive is so different, and I learned that the most.
Kang ‘Tempt’ Myung-gu – Mid (South Korea)
Since leaving HLE in 2020, you’ve been unable to find a stable team environment until now it seems. What’s it been like with X7 so far and what are your goals with the team? What’s it been like playing in the UK?
My goals for the team are to win the NLC split. In terms of the UK, it’s a fulfilling experience.
I like football, I’m a Liverpool FC fan.
“My goals for the team are to win the NLC split. In terms of the UK, it’s a fulfilling experience. I like football, I’m a Liverpool FC fan.”
Tempt, Mid Laner
Nataniel ‘Nata’ Fikrisellasie Asrat – ADC (Denmark)
2021 was a good year for you in terms of playing time. Why did you join X7 and how do you evaluate the team’s performance?
I joined X7 mainly because I like my teammates a lot, especially the coach Nias. I’ve been good friends with him for a while now. I knew that this entire roster would be full of good players, people I can trust, and they are veterans too, this helps because I recently started playing competitively.
On the subject of the relationship with the players, what is your botlane partnership with KaSing like so far?
I have a very good relationship with KaSing, he is such a nice person and he cares a lot about the team. It’s awesome to play with him.
How are the more experienced players such as Jaeger and KaSing helping you?
Jaeger gives really good criticism, he doesn’t hold back when he wants to criticise someone, KaSing is actually the same, I like that honesty. I can learn more this way.
Raymond ‘KaSing’ Tsang – Support (UK)
We last interviewed you KaSing two years ago after a difficult split with Excel, what is it like being in the UK scene again?
I feel like it’s relieving in a way, playing in the NLC, a lot of people from Europe think that NLC is not a good region, but I believe NLC has been quite good for the past year or so. [Teams from the NLC] made two EUM finals. Obviously that was only two of the ten teams competing in the NLC in the past, so maybe it isn’t the same calibre of regions as the others. But I believe the top teams in NLC, such as us, can compete against the best teams in the other regions too.
The overall quality, the general level of the players in the NLC, feels like it’s weaker, just because there aren’t many of us actually playing with the chance to win the EUM. Imports that could be playing in the NLC are actually playing in other regions, there are better opportunities playing in other leagues than the NLC, there’s more money, more viewership and more opportunity. Look at an NLC regular matchday, there are 2,000 viewers max, other regions have about 70,000.
There’s a big difference between NLC and for example LFL. This is a large reason why there’s not a lot going for NLC.
You seem to be enjoying yourself here at X7, it’s good to see you happy, last time we spoke to you things were a little different.
Honestly, I came out of a team that I was playing for for a while, I don’t know, just something wasn’t clicking, I really enjoyed playing with Deadly (who just joined Barcelona), he’s from the UK and is someone that I played with for a long time. As a team we just didn’t really match. Obviously we still made the EUM, but that wasn’t enough for me personally. I wanted to join a team that has the ability to take top two.
I always want to make a difference and I don’t believe that just because I’m getting older doesn’t mean that I’m any worse of a player. I know that I can do it. Perhaps that’s not what the public thinks. The idea of a pro player is that when you turn 20+ it’s time to retire, this is ludicrous. You’re meant to retire at 20-something? It’s crazy talk. I think it’s honestly all about the motivation and commitment of the certain player.
Some players have things that are much more important but I don’t feel like this should be “limited” to every single older player. I don’t want my journey to end on, “I just made Worlds once”, you know?
If I made it there as a rookie, a top two or three support in EU, I still believe that I can do it. The game has turned into a much more team-oriented game, there’s rarely one player who can win the game on their own anymore. This gives me a bigger chance to help my team.
“We want to win every single game that we play. I think with the help of Nias – who’s a really good coach, I’ve been impressed – there are only good things to come. I’m really, really excited to be working here with X7, and I’m so proud to call them my teammates.”
KaSing, Support Player
Exactly, and with the experience that you have, this surely helps you in that department.
Don’t get me wrong, having experience is good and a lot of people undervalue this, being a good teammate is something that is so undervalued. Even in LEC they don’t really value the team aspect itself, how does the team work? How does it function?
It’s just about individual players, if they’re good, let’s get them and hope that they click. This is LEC’s general attitude in the past few years. Orgs [need to] realise that some teams just overperform because some teams just work better than others, even if one team has better players in a few positions, they won’t always perform better.
I think I’m really good at building these relationships and making sure that everyone on the team is working together, it’s a team game in the end.
What’s different about X7 and the team environment, what is it that is making you click as a team?
The biggest difference here is that I feel that everyone has the drive to win. When I say that, everyone has their own story, Jaeger doesn’t have the most colourful history, he’s played in LCS before, and in my opinion he was a really high performing top laner.
The feedback coming from his camps obviously wasn’t so great, when you get players like this, do I take this information as fact? Or do I think about it properly? There are a lot of players getting negative feedback, me included. People assume that the player they were four years ago is the same player now. People change, you know? They adapt and change for the better.
Obviously I’m saying this in a positive light, but for someone to still be grinding and trying hard, it’s much more about using your own time how you need to. If playing solo for ten hours a day is more important than watching vods that’s fine.
As long as my team knows we are tryharding now to win everything, this is what I want. We want to win every single game that we play. I think with the help of Nias – who’s a really good coach, I’ve been impressed – there’s only good things to come.
I’m really, really excited to be working here with X7, and I’m so proud to call them my teammates.
