Amidst the fervor of the 2023 League of Legends World Championship, Fnatic's Adrian "Trymbi" Trybus shares insights into the team's rigorous yet adaptive preparation, early scrims success, and rapid team synergy, all under the shadow of an unexpected injury. Trymbi doesn't just talk strategy; he delves into personal growth, the weight of silent responsibilities, and the guiding influence of a singular self-help book. Trymbi shows a glimpse into Fnatic's determined spirit and his personal journey, as they set out not just to compete, but to leave an indelible mark with their unique gameplay style.

Let's discuss your journey here, the bootcamp experience, and acclimating to Korea. What has that process been like for you?

Honestly, it's been quite good. Our bootcamp has been going really well, regardless of the circumstances.

Of course, Oscarinin still needs to take care of his hand injury that's still with him, and that's why we decided not to scrim as quickly as other teams. We've gained more experience with solo queue and everything. I'd say everything was planned pretty well from Fnatic's side. We were in a really good hotel, had quite good scrims/solo queue until we got to the Riot hotel, and generally, the scrims have been going pretty decently.

I didn't really expect us to do that well, considering the little time we've had to play with each other—it's still less than five months with this roster. But I think we've been doing a really good job in scrims, and it's been looking pretty solid.

You've been part of many successful teams. Considering this is a new roster, how would you compare this Fnatic team to other Worlds teams you've been on?

The players themselves are really good. There's more chemistry happening outside this team compared to others I've been on, defining this team in a unique way. Despite the brief time together, our core roster, especially with Humanoid, has been doing really well. Now, with what the side lanes' consistency offers, they can both concentrate more on their game, a factor that significantly aids them.

We're doing quite well on the bot lane, unexpectedly so, as I've never had to work with a lane partner where a language barrier was present. Having Malrang is a huge help, but it's still not the ideal scenario I'd envisioned.

Also, Oscarinin has been holding his own solidly against all the Asian top laners. That's an aspect we're really pleased about and serves as a solid foundation to build upon. One critical thing I've understood from my Worlds stints, especially with Rogue, is the value of having solid early games against Asian teams. 

It sets the stage for much more productive scrims, as opposed to constantly remaking games due to misplays in the early game. For us, this strategy has been working well. While, of course, there are games we need to restart, most of the time, we're either holding even or actually coming out ahead in the early game, which truly facilitates effective practice.

It's been a rough year! How do you reflect on your growth as a player, adjustments made, and lessons learned from the experiences in the first half of the year?

I've changed a bit as a person. I've come to understand what's been troubling me over the years and what I need to focus on to not only be a better player but also a better human. This realization has been crucial for me.

Even with the wealth of experiences I gained in the first part of the year, I haven't been able to fully implement what I've learned this season. There are still aspects I lack and areas where I need to improve. That's why, whether we're done with Worlds or even during the tournament, I'm working on these aspects. But when there's downtime, I'll use that period to prepare for the next year as well and fully apply the knowledge I acquired from the first half of the year into the split.

Can you expand on that? How have you grown as a person? What do you think was bothering you?

As a player, I was taking a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, often not justifiably. I tried to make up for everything, a characteristic that defined me and, because of it, I didn't fully get to enjoy some things or work on myself.

I put a significant burden on my shoulders, wasn't too talkative about it, and people didn't realize that. Nowadays, I just have to be more open, letting people know that not everything is visible. People don't see your work, and often they don't realize that when they're not doing certain things, someone else is making up for them. That's something I realized over time with Rogue and KOI, and even though I'm still not the best at approaching people and expressing my feelings, I'm trying to improve.

My time in LEC kind of made it difficult to fully express my feelings, and I've been more closed off than ever. Now, it's about making sure that in a team environment, I'm able to be fully myself and express myself to the full extent.

In the past, you've mentioned being a fan of self-help literature. Have there been any specific resources that you found particularly helpful this year?

This year, I've been seeking out books that could provide me with new insights. There's one book I've had for three years now. I haven't fully read it despite its brevity, simply because of the profound knowledge I gain each time I return to it. Every reading offers a different angle, a fresh perspective informed by my most recent experiences and situations, presenting an entirely new viewpoint on the subject matter. That's something I've been deeply contemplating, ensuring I extract as much as possible from it. That one book has been tremendously helpful.

What is the book?

The book is called "Awareness." It was given to me by my performance coach in my first year of LEC. I don't recall the author's name, but it was written by what I believe is a monk, or at least a student of a teacher. He documents every lesson he received from his teacher, who passed away before the book was written.

The book is fundamentally about awareness. For me, it's been quite beneficial in figuring things out. However, it's a draining read. Despite its brevity, it's not so easy to get through.

[Editor's note: It's likely the book Trymbi is referring to is Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony de Mello, but this has not been confirmed.]

Besides advancing as far as possible, what are some of the biggest goals you have for this tournament?

Certainly, advancing as far as possible as a team is a primary goal. At international events, everyone comes in with a winning mentality; there's no one who doesn't want to win. It really comes down to how teams approach their strategies to secure those wins.

Right now, our focus, both as a team and individually, is to ensure we get to play our style of League of Legends, to play well, and to be competitive against any opponent we face. If we can provide fans with entertaining, high-quality gameplay, anything can happen from there.

So, for these Worlds, my hope is that we'll showcase our skills and deliver a level of play that both we can be proud of and people will appreciate.