This article references parts of an interview written by Kim “Kenzi” Yong-Woo for FOMOS. Please support the original author by also visiting the Korean article.

Quotes from Rekkles were translated from Korean back into English.

Rekkles’s Korean Bootcamp

After Fnatic’s EU LCS victory, many of the Fnatic members went on a well-deserved break. Break, however, was not for Rekkles, the kingmaker of Fnatic and EU LCS Spring Split MVP. The day after EU LCS finals, Rekkles announced on his official Twitter account that he will be flying to Korea.

Ever since he has landed, Rekkles has been smurfing on KR solo Q. People began noticing fnc레클레스 as he began climbing the solo Q ladder – sometimes by himself, sometimes on duo with KSV CoreJJ. 2 days into his Korean bootcamp, Reddit reported that reached Masters in KR solo Q on his Riot provided account. Only a week into his Korean trip, Rekkles was a Challenger in the most prestigious server in League of Legends.

Rekkles on his solo bootcamp: “I see it becoming a trend…If you especially play in Korean server during a large patch, there is a lot you can learn”

Bootcamping in Korea has become a common practice for professional teams, but it is still relatively rare for individual players to commit to a bootcamp in Korea. When asked why he had decided to bootcamp in Korea by himself, Rekkles answered:

“After [Fnatic] won EU LCS, we had two options that we could choose from. Option one was to do a 3-week bootcamp as a team, and option two was to take a 2-week break and resume practice after the vacation. My personal preference was the first option, but I respected that my teammates wanted the [vacation].”

“Personally, I have to keep practicing otherwise I’d get nervous. Rather than take the 2-week break, I decided to spend that time in Korea practicing.” Rekkles told, adding: “I see it becoming a trend. I’m not sure why we haven’t done this more often before…The benefit of Korean server is that there are many skilled players here. If you especially play in Korean server during a large patch, there is a lot you can learn.”

Rekkles compared to Teddy, but his role model is PraY

On the note that he is compared to Jin Air Greenwings Park “Teddy” Jin-sung by LCK caster PapaSmithy, Rekkles said: “I’d say that Teddy is one of the best ADC in LCK. The playstyle of Jin Air Greenwings puts a lot weighs on Teddy’s shoulder and how well he performs…I’m honored to be compared to the best player.”

Rekkles also added, however: “It’s good to carry games like Teddy, but my goal is to become like Kingzone DragonX’s Kim “PraY” Jong In. He can not only play carry but also play utility champions…I hope to become an ADC that can both play carry ADC champions and utility ADC champions that supplement my team.” Rekkles said, also noting: “When you pick supportive ADC champion like Ezreal, Sivir or Ashe, the role you play in the team changes.”

Rekkles’s Insight on Korean Server: Korean solo Q is harder than EU LCS finals

Rekkles also had some stories to share about his encounters with LCK professional players while playing Korean solo Q. He noted that Korean Challenger had a higher saturation of professional players compared to other servers.

“When I play solo Q in Korea in Challenger, 7 or 8 out of the 10 players in a game would be professional players. It means that they play higher quality games and have a better understanding of the Challenger tier.” Rekkles told. “Out of the players I’ve met in solo Q, I’d say that I’d rate KSV Ruler the highest; coming behind him, KT Deft and SKT Bang, SKT Faker and HLE Sangyoon.”

In overall, Rekkles had praises to speak about Korean solo Q. When asked about the advantages of playing in KR server, Rekkles told: “Korean solo Q is harder than EU LCS finals. After games, I would look up a player on an analytics site and realize that they’re unnamed. Even players without a profile in Korea could go toe-to-toe with top players in EU LCS.”

Rekkles and Fnatic are set to compete in 2018 Mid-Season Invitational, representing EU LCS. Fnatic will qualify directly into group stages, where they will compete with Kingzone DragonX, Team Liquid, the winner of LPL as well as qualifiers of play-in stages. 2018 MSI will be held in Berlin and Paris.

This article references parts of an interview written by Kim “Kenzi” Yong-Woo for FOMOS. Please support the original author by also visiting the Korean article.