"I think she was the missing piece": Vania opens up about Nelo, Leader leaving G2 Gozen, and Red Bull Instalock 2025 [Exclusive]

Aleyna "Vania" Keskin has proven time and time again that she is one to look out for in professional Valorant and the upcoming Red Bull Instalock 2025. Now, the Game Changers Rising Stars award-winning player is set to compete at the aforementioned tournament. The contest has an interesting format where three of the five team members are required to play as Duelists, making it an ever-so-interesting display of professional Valorant.

Ahead of Red Bull Instalock 2025, I got the opportunity to speak with G2 Gozen's Vania. The player opened up about Leader leaving the head coach position, her mindset ahead of the tournament, and more.

---

Vania discusses Red Bull Instalock 2025, Waylay, and more

Q: Hi Vania, thank you for joining. So firstly, I’d like to ask: Red Bull Instalock 2025 is coming up, how's the confidence, and what are the strategies like?

Vania at the 2024 VALORANT Game Changers Championship (Image via Riot Games)

Vania: I feel confident because I love my team, and my teammates are really talented players, and I'm excited about the tournament because we're going to face some teams that I haven't faced before. I'm excited about it.

---

Q: Speaking of teams, the last time that G2 Gozen went to Red Bull Instalock (2024), the only difference was that Nelo wasn't on the team at the time. So, how would you say the roster has evolved with Nelo's inclusion over the past couple of months since January?

Vania: I think she's really talented and fun person. I think she was the missing piece in our team because the vibe is good right now with her, and the playing is easier with her right now. I love her, she's really good and fun.

---

Q: So, one of your biggest competitors, you could say, is GiantXGC. You recently had some matches against them, and some of them ended in a few losses. So, how do you feel going back up against them in a few days at Red Bull Instalock 2025?

Vania: I mean on (the) Split one, we had some problems on the team. We had some wrong decisions about roles, I can say. I think we fixed other things right now, and I feel like we don't need any special strategies about the other teams because I think the problem was on our side, and then we fixed it. And I think we are good right now.

---

Q: Earlier this month, Leader left the head coach position at G2 Gozen, which is right ahead of Red Bull Instalock 2025. So does that at all affect the gameplay? How do you feel about that?

Vania: Leader is a really good coach, and after he left, we needed to search for a new coach, and I can say we found a new one, and he's good. For Red Bull Instalock, we don't need to prepare for it because it's a fun tournament, and we're just going to decide the roles, who will play what. And then we're going to play, and for stage two, I think we will be ready for it. So I think there is no problem there.

---

Q: Talking about roles, if you could create the perfect Valorant roster that does not have your current teammates, who would you say you would put in that roster?

Vania: I can say some names from my old teammates like eva, wens, and berryx. She's very good right now, I can say. I think she's a really good and supportive player, and alkyia is also good. But if I want to mention some different players, like I didn't play with, I can highlight players from NA, like sarah, Jelly, florescent, Noia. Yeah, there are a lot of good players. It's really hard to say.

---

Q: So you mentioned your old teammates. Do you ever feel like you ever miss them? Do you ever feel like going back to something like that? How's the transition been ahead of Red Bull Instalock 2025?

Vania: I mean, sometimes I'm still talking with them, and I mean, I miss them, but now, if I think like a professional, I'm really happy with my team. Everyone is a really good person in real life, too. So I think all is good right now because we need to focus on our lives, and I'm good right now.

---

Q: I've seen that you've been playing a lot of Duelists recently. You've had your fun with Yoru, you've been playing with Raze a little bit. We just got Waylay in Valorant. What are your thoughts about the agent? Will you be incorporating her into your games?

Vania: I think Waylay is similar to Jett, but Waylay needs more support because, for example, when you're entering a site on attack, you need more abilities because she doesn't have protection. And I mean, she's very strong and fast. I think most of the team can play Waylay on competitive right now, but she needs really good support. So it's not going to work for everyone, but if someone is really good, it will be really strong.

---

Q: So you've been playing for a while now, and no doubt you're a massive inspiration to all the girls around the world trying to make it big in Valorant. I'm sure you get this question a lot of times like what is your message to the girls? But I want to ask you something a bit different.

What would your message be to the men playing the game on a casual level or the professional stage?

Vania: For the professional players, I don't know what I can say. But for the players who want to be professional one day, I can say they need to work for it, and they need patience for it. But I don't know what I can say to the men because I didn't think about it before. And professional ones are really good players, and I want to be like them one day, hopefully. And for the other players, they can just work for it, and if they believe in themselves, I think everything is possible.

---

Q: Speaking about professional players, at the highest levels of the VCTs like masters, at the international stages, you don't get to see a lot of mixed teams where there are women and men in the same roster often together. What are your thoughts about this? Do you feel like there should be more mixed teams, and why are there not enough of them?

Vania: I'm not sure about why there is not. But I played in a Spotlight tournament and it was really fun. And I think everyone can see the women are, I mean women can also do as good as men. Because at the tournament we saw (it), and it was really good to play with the good players as well.

I mean, I think it's not that hard a thing, but I think we need some time to improve as women. Like two years ago on Game Changers even, we weren't playing like today because we also learned a lot, and we improved. I think we need some time for it. And I mean, it's not impossible. Maybe some women players can play some of them with the men. But now I think we just need some time for it.

---

Q: So, you know, when you're going through some of them difficult rounds in the game and when you're trying to make a comeback, what is the mindset? Who's that high person who gets the whole team going again?

Vania: Right now, I think it would be Nelo on our team. Because like I said, she has a really good vibe and she has really good energy. And I think she's going to, I believe that she's going to keep us motivated still, and she's going to keep us in the game.

---

Q: What are your expectations from Red Bull Instalock 2025?

Vania: I mean, I don't know because Red Bull has three Duelist concepts, and I think we have some Duelist players on our team right now, at least some of them played before. And now I think we will be stronger than last year.

And also, I'm not sure, because it depends on the day, and this tournament, I think, the other teams, as well, are not going to prepare for it. We're just going to play, probably, and it's just going to depend on the day.