In our latest deep-dive, we catch up with Lucas "BeellzY" Spínola, fresh off LOUD's triumphant first victory, as they gear up for a riveting showdown at the League of Legends World Championship. BeellzY gives us a behind-the-scenes look at their transformative strategies, intense Korean bootcamp, and the high stakes awaiting them on the international stage.

Beyond game tactics, he highlights the infectious charisma of CBLOL and its deep connection with Brazilian fans. He's candid about the hurdles Brazil's esports face and the seismic shifts needed to elevate their global standing.

As LOUD prepares for a potentially historic run, Beellzy shares insights into their readiness, the buzz around their groundbreaking roster, and their hunger to not just compete but make a lasting impact at Worlds.

Congrats on qualifying for Worlds. What do you think the biggest differences between LOUD this year and when you were at Worlds last year?

That's the only thing we switched on players. Back then, Brances had a really good performance at Worlds, everyone saw it, but the biggest difference is that, even though it was good, some games, the lack of experience hurt us a bit on the DFM series. That's something that happened last Worlds. But this year, we didn't have a good MSI. No one was satisfied with what we showed on MSI. Yes, we won against DFM, got our revenge, but the PSG series wasn't good at all.

But what we learned throughout the year is what I think makes us a better team than last year. First split, we were much more, shackled in the game. We weren't really free in what we do and how the players can play the game. This Worlds, we start way better because of this. So, even though I'm not saying PSG will be an easy match at all, I think we'll be in a much better spot because of this. We are much more free on the map to just match them and play the draft better.

Besides that, what do you think the biggest things you’ve been focusing on coming into this event?

Yeah, as I said, at MSI we weren't as free. We were basically a team that played for objectives. This strategy can work in a minor region because we had good players and could be on time on the map to get positioned and fight. But internationally, this sucks. It's not good at all, and it showed when we were on stage. Even though we had a good early game against G2 and could have taken that game, it wasn't good enough for us to win the series. 

Teams here play for gold, not objectives. If the objective is there and we don't lose pressure or anything, yes, they'll be there. The biggest difference we're seeing from LOUD is that we're focusing on getting gold and what matters and playing towards this, deciding on the actions we want to take, not just playing towards a Drake because it's there.

Talk about your preparation. How has your practice in Korea been, and what have you learned?

We've been here like 20 days, only scrimming against major teams, except for one minor region team. The difficulty is real; these teams are just way better than Brazil. 

In Brazil, we never lose scrims, but here it's different. We played against every single region, even LCK. Honestly, I'm not sure why LCK and LPL teams gave us scrims, but I'm not complaining [chuckles]. The main challenge is that they know their roles better than us, and we're not playing our game against them. 

For example, in the jungle, if we try to force a lot, things can go wrong for Croc if we're not in sync on the map. It's about the whole team being capable, not doing actions we shouldn't. That's the toughest challenge, but today we were much better, and some scrims towards the end were better, too. The start was hard, but we managed to get a lot better.

If you were to make it to the Swiss Stage, what team are you most looking forward to compete against?

There are so many teams at the Swiss Stage that would be a fantastic experience to play against any of them.

Starting with LCK, even if a team like DAMWON didn't finish first, they have players like Deft who just won Worlds. It's an amazing ptch for this team, especially with the current meta. It's more controlled, and champions like Caitlyn are showing up, so they can try to leverage that. Not many might know, but Route and Kellin are really good friends, and I think that's a nice story as well. 

Gen.G and JDG would also be great...not as much for learning, because they're in a different league. In terms of teams we could learn from and potentially beat, I'm looking LCS and LEC teams, at least for now. I believe we can take on teams like C9. On Twitter, LOUD and C9 even joke with each other. It's a nice narrative, right? Engaging with these stories would be interesting, facing teams like C9 or G2, especially since we're really close to G2 as well. 

On the topic of Cloud9 and storylines — the LCS many times is unable to compete with CBLOL popularity. What do you think makes CBLOL continually popular with Brazilian fans?

CBLOL has huge charisma in the league...and it's everything. From the players to the intense backgrounds and stories — I won't say everyone, but let's say that about 50% of them bring a huge story or huge background. The matches are fun to watch because players get into each other's faces, get up from their chairs, and scream at each other. That's why people like it, because there's a story — people connect to it. That's what's really nice and different.

I used to watch NA a lot, way back in the day, and there was a story for each team, like old C9, old Curse. Voyboy was there, and everyone connected to him. He was such a charismatic character. When Sneaky was there, doing a lot of scrims. But I think now they're more focused on gameplay. C9 may be the only team that still has that flair in the league, maybe. I could be wrong, but when Zven trash talks after games, that's what's lacking in the league.

Because if you see LEC, even LEC has a nice history. G2 is always there, always trash-talking, putting up so much work. That's why it's a bit different, and that's why it's hard for viewership. People miss connecting to the players, miss having a story, not just in streams but on Twitter, and having a nice personality. That's what's in LEC right now.

What do you think are some steps to improve the competitiveness of your region?

It's difficult because, while Brazil has players with good mechanics, there are many fundamental flaws. I'm not sure if you saw, but Peter Dun discussed this in an interview for a Brazilian podcast. He'll likely echo my thoughts: not many in Brazil bend the rules. That's partly why LOUD stands out so much. We just aim to win the matchup, and if the opposition doesn't know how to recover, we'll suffocate them until the end, and that's how we win.

The problem isn't mechanical talent; it's more about understanding what we should do in terms of tempo and map control to make this happen consistently. That's why it's hard for Brazil. I'm not pinpointing it as a coaching staff issue or a players' issue, but I think the overall culture there is sometimes more aligned with what we were playing for at the start of the year. Not last year, but in the first split, it was like, "Okay, let's just be there on objectives, let's not mess up." But League isn't about not messing up; it's about winning, dominating the lane, getting gold, pressuring the opponent, making them suffer.

What's lacking are players who bend the rules, and not only them, but how someone can facilitate the transition, helping the team understand what they need and how to replicate that consistently. That's the toughest part for Brazil right now.

You've been a member of the Brazilian scene for quite some time. How does this roster compare to some of the other international representatives Brazil has shown?

Yeah, there's this chatter in Brazil, because no team had ever clinched the CBLL three times straight before, right? So, we're breaking new ground here. The last squad that was hailed as a "super team" was INTZ, and that was five years back or something? But now there's this buzz, this comparison — LOUD versus INTZ, who's the real deal?

But here's the kicker for us right now: we've got a solid grasp on our capabilities and our game plan. It's all about strategizing and mental fortitude, because let's lay it down — we know we can take PSG. It ain't gonna be a walk in the park, but we're geared up to step into the ring, deliver a spectacle, and snag the win. Why? Because we've got this belief, right, that we're packing the superior team. The drive in the squad is off the charts, seriously. Take Croc, for instance; dude's fired up, like, "I'm primed to dismantle these guys." So yeah, I'm pegging this as a golden chance for us.

We've strutted our stuff on the global stage many times now, and every player on our roster is nothing short of stellar. That's the vibe, you know? That's why this feels like it's our moment.

This interview was condensed and edited for length and clarity.