“It is all part of the competition,” SHFT Trymbi on handling fan pressure

Also known as “Trymbiqueiro” among Brazilian fans, Adrian “Trymbi” Trybus has returned to the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) circuit, this time representing Shifters (SHFT), formerly known as Team BDS. While the team enjoyed a strong showing in the opening week of LEC Versus, we can't say the same about the second week of competition.

In an interview with esports.gg, the veteran support opened up about the difficult loss to Los Ratones, his experience mentoring a rookie in the bot lane, the impact of the crowd on the player's performance, and much more.

Shifters were in control the whole game. At a certain point of the best-of-one (Bo1) against Los Ratones on Jan. 26 on the LEC Versus, the team had a 9.1k gold advantage. However, a single fight on their base was able to completely change the game's direction. "When we decided to end the match, we didn't execute a good fight, and that was our biggest issue this weekend," SHFT Trymbi explained. "Our CC usage was not the best, and I could have played more around my carries."

In the tournament, we have been seeing Trymbi's Neeko more often, followed by Paduck's Lucian, one of his best champions. While Neeko is a strong champion in this meta, Trymbi has not been able to bring the best out of her kit. "In the late game, I couldn't find the pick-off that we needed. After that Baron fight, it was even harder to play the game properly," he added.

The bot lane duo still has much to prove. As one of Europe’s most experienced players, with nearly a decade-long career, Trymbi is now paired with a promising Korean rookie. Park “Paduck” Seok-hyeon spent the majority of his early career with DRX Academy before moving to KT Challengers for the 2025 season.

While the language barrier remains a challenge to overcome, the two have been building solid synergy. According to Trymbi, Paduck brings a unique playstyle to the lane and stands out as a hard-working player with impressive mechanical skills. "I'm really happy about how things are going. It is sad to lose a game that he could definitely carry," Trymbi stated.

For the support, Paduck still needs to be polished, but he knows how to play the game. In the end, the communication is mostly handled by himself, the jungler, and the mid laner, since Shifter's top laner is also Korean. "They understand what we want to do, and they make sure that they also call it out if it is needed, and that's how we make it work!"

If you missed that match, you can rewatch it on the official LEC YouTube channel.

Playing against Los Ratones or any team with a big fan base can be challenging. From the beginning, you know you're not a fan favorite, and that can totally change the arena's environment. Especially during Los Ratones' comeback to the game, the crowd was screaming their hearts out.

"Even though you don't think about it, unconsciously you think about it," SHFT Trymbi said. "It is important that you cool yourself down and make sure that you know that it is all part of the competition. Fans are passionate about their teams, and they want to make sure people hear them."

Brazilian fans are historically known for their passionate support, filling arenas with nonstop chants and energy. For Trymbi, there are many aspects he misses from his year in Brazil playing for Vivo Keyd Stars, though others he is unsure he wants to experience again. “I actually do miss Brazil. There are a lot of things I enjoyed, others not so much, but I prefer to remember only the good ones,” he said.

Trymbi was the first European player to win a title in the LEC and LTA South.

In the upcoming weekend in the LEC Versus, Shifters will be playing against big names in the region. Fnatic, NAVI, and Karmine Corp. All of the matches will be hard, but Trymbi is confident in his team's potential. "All of the matches will be exciting. I want to show fans that we can play well. We need to step up our game for this weekend because it's not to be easy to win them," Trymbi stated.

While the team still has areas to improve in the tournament, building confidence will be key for next weekend. For Trymbi, making an impact in-game and ensuring that everyone understands their roles will be crucial. While the team was able to secure a victory over Fnatic, they didn't manage the same result against NAVI.

On Feb. 2, they will be facing Karmine Corp, the current leader of the LEC Versus standings.