“I’m grateful for NAVI and the fans”: Poby reflects after first loss against former team

Yoon "Poby" Sung-won joined NAVI for the 2026 season after spending six months with Fnatic. In the LEC Versus, the team has already secured two victories, suffering their first defeat against Fnatic.With three new additions in a revamped roster, NAVI is aiming for stronger regional performance and even international qualification to The First Stage.

Also known as the "Killable Demon King," NAVI Poby spoke exclusively with esports.gg about his transition to the team, improvements in his communication, and the latest updates for the new season.

Not long ago, Poby was wearing Fnatic’s jersey. Just six months ago, he arrived in Europe to compete in the region for the first time, and now, he is part of NAVI’s roster. Playing against his former team was not weird. In fact, it was great to see them again, Poby explained. "Razork is a really good friend of mine. I'm really grateful to be with him again on stage," he added.

Friends off the stage, enemies on it. With a significant gold lead, NAVI looked poised to secure a 3–0 sweep, but Fnatic turned the series around with decisive picks and well-executed teamfights. For NAVI Poby, they did a solid job in the early game, but the approach to teamfights was not the best. It’s important to focus on setting up flanks effectively and improving how we close out games.

In an interview with esports.gg during the League of Legends Worlds Championship 2025 (LoL Worlds), Poby spoke about still working on his communication skills and improving his English. A few months later, he seems noticeably more confident. “The communication is similar, but there are better days,” he said.

While continuing to improve his skills, Poby has also joined a revamped NAVI roster, which added three new players, including him. For the mid laner, however, the biggest surprise was jungler Enes "Rhilech" Uçan. "I think his playstyle and approach to the game are incredible," Poby stated. "He’s performing really well this tournament."

As for the fan support, the mid laner is grateful for all the fans that have supported him in this new career path, "I'm grateful for NAVI and the fans, they always take care of me," Poby added.

After several months playing in Europe, NAVI Poby believes the biggest difference compared to South Korea is the laning phase. It’s very different, with the Korean scene having a much higher ceiling. The LEC is great, but the LCK is on a higher level, something most people would probably agree with.

The 2026 season brought many updates, including role quests, vision changes, brand-new items, and more. For NAVI Poby, the mid lane is particularly strong now, giving him plenty of opportunities to make impactful plays. As for the meta, the champion pool remains the same, with Azir, Orianna, Ryze, and Taliyah standing out as the strongest picks.

As for 2026, Poby hopes to be in LoL Worlds once again to prove his value and make a good performance at the tournament. But, for now, all he wants is to go further in the LEC versus and win it, if it is possible. Can NAVI and Poby surprise everyone this year? Let's wait and see.