Fresh off their Esports World Cup triumph and the kickoff of VALORANT VCT EMEA Stage 2, Ričardas "Boo" Lukaševičius gives us a glimpse behind the curtain—reflecting on Team Heretics’ EWC success, their goals for the ongoing VCT EMEA stage, and aspirations on the global stage. With a win against BBL Esports, TH keeps the momentum going.

How do you feel after beating BBL for the second time in a week, following your EWC quarterfinal match? Was it the outcome you expected?

Ričardas "Boo" Lukaševičius: "I am feeling good. We expected it to be a hard game, because we knew they would be motivated to fight after our EWC match. But even with losing the first map, We were confident that we had a good plan against them and knew how to beat them.

On the deciding Sunset, you chose Vyse instead of Cypher. What was the plan behind this move? How did you manage to finish this last game with a BBL in such good shape?

Boo: We used Vyse instead of Cypher because back then, when Sunset was in the map pool, there was no Vyse. So we just tried to test it and we decided that it doesn't change our general idea of the map while also giving some nice positives in the micro level, and we changed it. On attack Sunset, we knew that against their composition Viper/Deadlock, it was going to be a grind. But once we went on defense, we knew we’d be fine. That's how it was until 12-6, where we did troll some rounds, and it went all the way to 13-11, but I am happy we closed it out.

Before today, Team Heretics was on a five-match win streak, including your title at the EWC 2025. How did that momentum affect your mindset going into the match against BBL?

Boo: It had two major effects. First, it gave us confidence. We proved to ourselves and everyone else that we’re still a great team. We can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world and actually win. Even when we were down 0-2 in the EWC finals with only five rounds across two maps, we didn’t give up. We kept fighting. That kind of resilience reminded us of our true potential. On the flip side, being champions of the last international event makes us the target. Everyone wants to beat the best to be the best, and right now, we’re the ones wearing that label. So every opponent is going to give 110% just to say they beat Heretics. That fuels the other teams, for sure. It’s up to us now to defend that title. But overall, the impact has been mostly positive.

What was your reaction to finally breaking your "finals curse”? And how did it feel to lift the EWC trophy with your brother, Dominykas "MiniBoo" Lukaševičius?

Boo: Honestly, in the moment, I didn’t feel too much. It all happened so quickly. The event itself was a mix of media and six days of official matches, so we were under constant pressure for an entire week. There wasn’t much energy left for emotions. I was just relieved it was over and proud that we’d finally won.
I was happy for my teammates for not giving up, and for myself too. Even at 0-2, I never thought it was over. I didn’t feel like it was GG. I’m proud of that mindset. Looking back, it’s not something that changes your life dramatically. The real focus is still on Champions. Winning is great, of course, but now the hard part is staying grounded. It’s easy to let your ego grow after a win like that, but we know we’re heading back to Europe, where every match will be a battle again. It’s back to basics and back to the grind.

What’s one behind-the-scenes story from the EWC that fans didn’t see but you’ll never forget?

Boo: For me, the main takeaway from EWC was how low we were as a team before things turned around. We were struggling. After the match against NRG in Toronto, things weren’t going well. Then at EWC, NRG destroyed us again. It was clear something needed to change fast. That was our second event in a row where we were headed for a last-place finish. We had some very difficult, honest conversations as a team. And those talks are what I remember most. They sparked a shift in how people approached the game. After that, I felt like everyone started giving their all—100%. And even if we had lost after those conversations, I would’ve been okay with it. At least we would’ve gone down giving everything we had. That wasn’t the case in some of the earlier events. That emotional turnaround was the most significant thing for me.

What is your specific role in the Heretics roster in terms of in-game responsibilities and team preparation?

Boo: My main responsibility is to provide direction, to make sure there’s no confusion within the team. Confusion and uncertainty are when we make the most mistakes. That’s when people split off, stop being on the same page. So I make sure everyone’s aligned, and then the guys handle the rest.
If I say “go B” they’ll figure out how we do it. Sometimes I’ll give more detailed instructions, especially when the coaches and I have a strong read on the opponent. Then I’ll say things like “do this exactly, don’t do that.” But in general, it’s about giving broad direction and letting the players execute. The second part of my role is keeping everyone calm. I try to be the calmest person on the team to show that everything is under control. If I’m not panicking, they shouldn’t either. That’s particularly important when things are going wrong. When things are going well, I’m just chilling. I don’t need to do much, everyone’s playing their game.

Which agent have you enjoyed playing the most lately? Is there anything unique about your playstyle or habits in-game that fans might not know?

Boo: I don’t really have a wide pool of agents. It’s mostly Omen 90% of the time and Viper on Icebox. Occasionally Astra. With Bind coming back, maybe we’ll see Brimstone too. But Omen is the core. Luckily, I enjoy playing Omen. If I didn’t, life would be pretty miserable because that’s all I do. As for my playstyle, I’ve shifted to being more aggressive. After the one-way smokes got removed, I needed to find new ways to make an impact. I started taking more risks being less afraid of dying as a controller. I trust my team to close out rounds even if I go down, and sometimes those risky plays are the right call. So I gave myself more freedom, and stopped being discouraged if something didn’t work. That mindset change helped a lot.

What’s the next goal for you?

Boo: The main objective is Champions. We want to secure a top-two finish in the EMEA finals again. It’s been a while since we made it to the finals without winning, so that’s a big target. But really, anything that qualifies us for Champions is what we’re aiming for. Once we’re there, we give it everything just like last year. Even though we were exhausted and burned out, we gave every ounce of energy we had. The same approach applies this year: reach Champions, go all-in, and finish with no regrets. Then we’ll see how far we can go."