COMPETITIVE

• TEAM

  

  Team Spotnet

  ROLE

  

  Botlane

  YEARS ACTIVE

  2016-2017

• 

  NASR Esports

  

  Midlane

  2017-2018

• 

  Osh-Tekk Warriors

  

  Midlane

  2018

• 

  Team AURORA

  

  Midlane

  2018-2019

• 

  Beşiktaş Esports

  

  Midlane

  2019

• 

  EGZ Esports

  

  Midlane

  2019-2020

• 

  EG Academy

  

  Midlane

  2020

• 

  NASR Turkey

  

  Midlane

  2021-2022

• 

  RA'AD

  

  Midlane

  2022-2023

• 

  Geekay Esports

  

  Midlane

  2023-Present

Origins

Inspired by his Diamond-ranked brother, Ahmad “Giyuu” Sharif hitched his wagon to the stars of Runeterra despite his family’s disapproval of his exceeded dedication to League of Legends.

From that moment on, Giyuu spent his days sneaking out to the nearest cyber café to try and make something out of his newly founded ambition. He successfully hit Challenger in Season 5, only his second season playing the game, at the young age of 14.

Two years later, encouraged by his coach KonDziSan, who recommended him to his contacts in the Turkish Championship League, Giyuu experienced his first significant career breakthrough when he received an offer from Team AURORA.

He was still under 18 years old at the time and needed his father’s consent to sign the contract and make arrangements for his travel requirements. So, it was finally time for Giyuu to open up to his father about his budding dream and convince him that this path could lead him to great success.

This was when his brother stepped in and offered his support by clarifying the contract details to their father, highlighting that it was a legitimate paid opportunity similar to any other regular job.

That is why Giyuu feels a profound sense of gratitude toward his brother. They once hoped to walk shoulder to shoulder down the competitive path, either as allies or rivals. However, their aspirations were met with an alternate reality. So, Giyuu presses forward, carrying not just his dreams, but also his brother's abandoned aspirations. The weight of responsibility bears down on him, compelling him to strive for victory in every match to honor his brother's unwavering support while the sting of defeat cuts deep.

At present, Giyuu is excited about the launch of the Middle East server and the growth it will bring to the region. He’s also eager to match up against his followers and enjoy some friendly banter along the way.

Competitive Experience

Giyuu had his first taste of competition in a tournament held in Lebanon, where he played alongside his brother as their team’s ADC. Their impressive performance caught the attention of Spotnet, who sponsored them as their representative team for future tournaments, which they won on many occasions.

In 2017, Giyuu's talent was discovered and he was awarded his first semi-pro opportunity with NASR Jr., paving the way for the rise of the region's second generation of League of Legends stars.

He then joined Osh-Tekk Warriors in 2018, winning multiple online tournaments and concluding the year with his first online regional tournament victory at PLG Grand Slam 2018.

In the following year, Giyuu was ready to accept his first international professional contract, which came from TCL and Team AURORA. This made him the first MEA player to showcase his skills on a major stage during the 2019 Winter Season.

In the summer of that same year, Giyuu received a rather irresistible offer from Beşiktaş Esports. Being a renowned team with a huge fanbase, it was the perfect opportunity for him to make a name for himself in both the Turkish and EMEA scenes.

Throughout his career, Giyuu had never considered returning to his home region until his friend Mishal, a professional player from Saudi Arabia, reached out to him and informed him about the upcoming Nexus tournament, which was set to be the first and largest event of its kind in the region at that time.

Giyuu embarked on this adventure during the off-season, which paid off and led to his first-ever LAN tournament title.

He continued on this high and unlocked yet another region by moving to North America and joining Evil Geniuses Academy. His journey with the team spanned two seasons, finishing second in the 2020 Spring Playoffs and securing a decent top-four placement in the Summer Playoffs.

With his extensive and versatile experiences, it was time for Giyuu to aim higher and expand his ambitions. He sought to compete in a region that would lead him to international glory at either MSI or Worlds.

With that goal in sight, Giyuu joined NASR Turkiye and advanced all the way to the final of the TCL 2021 Summer Playoffs against Galatasaray Esports, but fell just short of making that dream come true.

Heartbroken yet undeterred, Giyuu returned to the MEA region by joining the Egyptian powerhouse, team RA’AD. They had a very strong start to the year, winning the IAC Prestige Division 2022 Season 1 and qualifying for the Grand Finals. However, despite their exceptional showing, they were defeated by Geekay Esports in the Grand Finals and placed second.

With that letdown, Giyuu had experienced a third loss in a LAN final. He found himself plagued by a stigma and a growing sense of misfortune. By this point, many had become convinced that he lacked the ability to perform well in these crucial moments.

In 2023, Riot Games announced an official esports roadmap for the MEA region called the Arabian League. Giyuu teamed up with the dominating force, Geekay Esports, winning not only the 2023 Spring Playoffs, which were played online, but also achieving his first-ever LAN win since Nexus, with a thrilling 3-2 victory against FUT Esports at Superdome Cairo 2023.

Yes, the curse had been lifted, but Giyuu was still searching for a more fulfilling redemption in 2024. He erased all doubts by lifting the Arabian League 2024 Summer trophy in Riyadh, showcasing a dominant performance in an official LAN event, which earned him the MVP title and the supportive chants of his fans.

And even before all this, Giyuu and his teammates put on an impressive display on behalf of the MEA region at the EMEA Masters 2024 Spring Event. They succeeded in reaching the semi-finals, achieving a milestone that brought immense pride to the entire region.

Memories

Giyuu’s best and worst memories occurred during the Nexus in 2019. His participation and performance is a chapter he’d like to rewrite if he could, as it didn’t live up to the expectations he set for himself coming from the TCL.

But then again, it still constitutes one of his best memories because he and his team, EGZ, managed to step up and collect the trophy, making it his first-ever LAN tournament win of that scale in the MEA region.

Trivia

• Giyuu believes that Riven’s voice lines are superior to all.
• He will get on your nerves with Teemo’s Scout-Approved emote.
• The longest game of LoL he’s ever played lasted for 50 minutes.
• It seems like Giyuu may have had to spend the night at a cyber café at some point.
• He precedes his matches with a Solo Q warm-up.
• And when he’s not in solo Q, he likes to dissipate HPs with his pinpoint spears.
• Despite this fact, he still made several close friendships on the Rift.
• Giyuu likes to spend his free time watching anime.
• And anime is where his game name comes from, specifically Demon Slayer.
• His best talent is his unshakable willpower.
• He’d like to fortify it one day with mixed martial arts.
• Giyuu had one dream growing up: to become a professional gamer.
• His favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
• He’s easily amused by observing people’s reactions.