Looks like a hot-air rework setup. I've swapped chips by hand that way, once the solder is molten they'll fall right off the board. The hard part is lifting them away without accidentally dislodging anything else.
"Furries make the internets go", as the saying goes. I've met more furries accidentally through software and infosec projects than through anything else, to the point that I don't really bother separating it from my professional identity anymore.