SHFT Trymbi: “I’m worried for Korean solo queue players. Master Elo was pretty disturbing.” – LEC Spring 2026 Interview

Not the start Shifters would’ve wanted. After the team flew to South Korea for a bootcamp, the LEC Spring Split didn’t start the way they expected, losing to SK Gaming. Following the end of the match, we sat down with the support Adrian “Trymbi” Trybus to hear what happened in Korea.

Davide: Before we talk about the series, I wanted to ask you how shifters did throughout the off-season. I know that you guys went to Korea for a bootcamp.

What were the main takeaways from LEC Versus and how did the bootcamp go?

Trymbi: I would say the main lesson was that we needed a bit of a different environment than what we had in winter. We wanted to make things more stable for each one of us. And I think, especially early in the regular split, being on point during fights and in the way we play — not double thinking, just being decisive and good in fights — is really important. That was one of the main reasons we wanted to do the bootcamp.

The bootcamp itself was three weeks, and overall, it was pretty good for us. When we came back to scrims in EU, we felt like it helped quite a lot with some of the things we were lacking. But of course, since we lost now, people will probably think it was the worst idea ever or say it didn’t really look like we were on a bootcamp, which I understand. I was hopeful for today, but it went the way it went, and yeah, it is what it is.

Which aspects did you guys work on specifically in Korea?

Trymbi: The most important aspect was to be sharp, I think, and also just get more along. Even though in winter it wasn’t like nobody liked each other or anything like that, we definitely didn’t really get along in some aspects. We wanted to make sure that during the bootcamp, where we could stay together and really grind, it would help show our true potential and also give us more confidence coming into the split.

That was the main one. And also just preparing ourselves more, because at the end of the day, we didn’t scrim as much as we would have liked during the bootcamp for different reasons. But I think it was more about getting the whole team together and trying to get on the same page, because that’s the most important thing outside of just playing games.

The LEC Squad is back tomorrow for Spring Split 🥶#SHFTWIN pic.twitter.com/yHSGkrDHoR

— Shifters (@ShiftersGG) April 3, 2026

You can play as many scrims and solo queue games as you want, and of course, you can grind a lot, but that only makes you a bit sharper. For us, it was more important to both get sharp and understand each other better, so we could have a more cohesive game together. Sadly, I think that’s still something we’re lacking, so it’s still one of the problems we have. But I did feel like in scrims it got better, so that’s at least a good point to get from.

Davide: The last time you played in Korea was in 2023, when you were with Fnatic at Worlds.

What are the differences, if you have spotted any, between EU and Korean solo queue right now?

Trymbi: I mean, the problem for me was that I picked up some bad habits that I’m trying to work on. Since we played quite a bit of solo queue, I felt like, at least from what I remember from 2023, solo queue this year got a bit worse, at least in Master elo.

I felt like some of the things happening over there were things I wouldn’t have experienced in EU, so I’m a bit worried for Korean high elo solo queue players. But I assume they mostly just play against each other in Challenger, which makes it easier.

“The Master Elo over there was pretty disturbing. I do not wish that on any enemy of mine.”

And now I’m also having to go through EUW Master elo again, which is also really interesting, especially with the new ladder and the amount of LP people get. So yeah, it’s going to be a long one.

As for the main differences, I do think solo queue in Korea got a bit worse compared to 2023, but once you got above Master, the game felt much nicer to play. Compared to EU, when it comes to high elo, I can’t say that much because we didn’t have that much time to really grind it out. I think I reached Challenger, and I had good lobbies throughout the last week of the bootcamp.

And those games are different, honestly, especially in terms of the amount of kills. But I also think a lot of that comes down to ping. The fact that you play on 3 or 4 ping makes a big difference. I felt the same when I was in Brazil and had 4 or 5 ping — people just play better, look mechanically stronger, and seem more confident. I think that helped us, too. At least for me, being able to play again on low ping and show more of my potential gave me a lot of confidence.

Davide: I want to ask more about your bot lane synergy with Paduck.

How has it been? You said that you needed a little bit more time to find each other in that sense. What’s one thing you like about him?

Trymbi: would say he’s quite outspoken and always gives his opinion. He doesn’t just blindly follow me — he always says what he thinks is best. Of course, that leads to a lot of conversations, because it’s not always that easy to get along when it comes to how you see the game. I’ve played this game for quite a bit longer than him, and sometimes I don’t really see the way he wants to do things. So I’m always trying to figure out whether the way he wants to do things is good or bad, and that takes time for me.

That’s one thing that is good and bad at the same time. But I think with most things it’s like that. And also, he doesn’t really feel like the typical Korean player coming from LCK CL to Europe for the first time. I feel like he’s much more confident and shows his character right away, from day one, which I think is really rare. Most Koreans, when they come to Europe, which is normal because it’s a completely different region, feel very shy and don’t really show their true character at first. But Paduck, from day one, showcased who he is.

Davide: Moving ahead. You will have one more week now to prepare for the upcoming matches. You will face Team Vitality and GIANTX.

What do you think about both teams and which one do you think poses the bigger challenge?

Trymbi: I would say both have shown some pretty good things, but both teams also have tendencies to throw their leads. So in that sense, they’re a bit similar, although in different ways.

I feel like Vitality are more of a team that just puts all the cards down straight away and does what they feel is right. They don’t really care what’s happening around them, and I think that’s something we need to be able to match.

For GX, it’s more about making sure you don’t give them solid early games, because from what I watched this split, I felt like Isma and the way he played around the early lanes were really solid. He was always getting ahead. Even in the game against Fnatic, there was that statistic about Razork not touching his blue buff for quite a while. I think that kind of thing is going to keep showing up because of how drafts are right now.

I would say they’re stronger opponents than SK, so it’s not looking too good for us right now since we lost to them. But I’m hopeful that we can fix at least some of the mistakes for the upcoming weekend and see how we do against those two.

Davide: Shifters are among the four teams joining KC in the LEC road trip in Evry.

What do you think about the LEC bringing more matches to bigger and wider audiences and playing in more of a home-and-away setting?

Trymbi: Yeah, I mean it’s a bit similar to the LPL one, where almost every team, or at least most teams, have their own arena where they put on games or at least that’s what was happening last year. I think it’s really cool that we now have teams that can pull this off and bring in their own fans, while fans of other teams can also come and join. I think it’s really awesome that it can happen.

And of course, as much as you get used to the studio right here in Berlin, it’s also a challenge to go into a different environment and make sure that no matter the circumstances, you can still put on a good game in front of a bigger crowd. It’s one of the best feelings as a player. That’s something that made me extremely motivated in 2023, and also in 2022 when we won in Malmö. You just feel completely different when you’re surrounded by all those fans and able to showcase some League of Legends, hopefully a good one.

“I think that’s what players are truly playing for, and I’m really happy I get to be a part of it.”

I’m definitely not that excited yet because it’s still a while till [we play], and of course, since we just lost, I’m not too excited about much right now. But I would say the fact that I get to be there is really cool, no matter what. Of course, it’s going to be mostly KC fans, and there are teams with more fans around them, like Fnatic and NAVI coming off a good split.

We’re probably the team people will expect to go 0-6 or something like that. But for me, trying to break that expectation and put on good games against those teams is really important for our confidence and also for the people watching us. And yeah, if we can make things scary for KC or the others on their home ground, that would definitely be fun stuff to do.