Solary Kryze: “I think we're stronger than at least half the LEC teams judging from scrims and what we showed on stage.”

Home > Articles > Solary Kryze: “I think we're stronger than at least half the LEC teams judging from scrims and what we showed on stage.”

So far in 2026, Solary’s top laner Kryze has dominated the LFL, won EMEA Masters, and taken down Fnatic in EWC qualifiers. We sat down with Kryze to talk about his path to pro, Solary’s impressive showing in 2026, and how he thinks Solary would stack up in the LEC.

What was your introduction to gaming in general? Was League the first competitive game you played?

Kryze: I've been gaming since I was a kid. I started out with the Game Boy when I was 6 years old. I got my first PC at nine or 10. I used to play a lot of Heroes on Newerth, which was another MOBA, a lot of Minecraft, and a bunch of different games. So I was a big gamer throughout my entire life.

How was your journey to reaching Challenger for the first time? When did you realize that pro gaming was an option for you?

Kryze: I hit Challenger my first season, it was Season 8, I think. I was one-tricking Akali, and at that point I thought “I'm just a one trick, I have no chance of going pro.” But then I got asked by a pro player, Unforgiven, who’s still playing pro, if I wanted to join his Swedish team, and I said sure, why not, and it started out from there.

What was that transition like for you going from being a solo queue one-trick to competitive team play in the ERLs? What do you think helped you make that transition quickly?

Kryze: I'm not sure. I think I was better than I thought I was. It's hard to say. I think people were not that good back then. I had a lot of experience from Heroes of Newerth which made me a better player.

After three splits of ERLs, you jumped to the LEC with Excel. Did you expect to be promoted so quickly?

Kryze: No, it came as a surprise. By the end of the year I could have seen it happening, but it was after the spring split. I was really surprised because my contract with Unicorns hadn't run out yet, and they were not really allowed to talk to me. So, we had to do some business. But no, I did not expect to join that fast.

Let’s talk about your experience on Excel. You were on the verge of playoffs contention each time; you were one game or a tiebreaker away each split. With the benefit of your more recent experience, what advice would you give your younger self to close that tiny gap, especially in the higher pressure situations?

Kryze: That's a hard one. I remember all of the games; we were one game away. They're still living in my head rent-free. I'm not sure what I would say. Study the game, don't be too nervous. If you screw up, it happens. Just play the game as you normally do. Don't be scared.

Back in the present, it looks like you're applying some of that knowledge. You guys have won everything this year. You're the first seed for the upcoming playoffs. What are the biggest reasons that you think you're experiencing this success now, for you as an individual and for your team as a whole?

Kryze: I think I'm playing really well right now; I'm probably peaking in my career, I would say. I also have a really good team. We fit really well. We click well together, and it helps a lot. We're all friends outside the game as well. It makes the game very easy to play.

How are you guys actively cultivating that positive environment? Obviously, it's really easy when you’re super successful, but how do you keep that energy going even when you take a scrim loss or face a setback?

Kryze: I mean the last two days haven't been that easy, scrim-wise. We've been struggling a bit, but we move on. We know it's scrims; the result doesn't matter too much. We play a lot of poker. It's kind of our team activity. We play two or three times per week. It's really fun to just get everyone together and gamble some money. It's just a 5 euro buy in, so it's not too much, but it stacks up.

At the EWC qualifiers, we got to see top ERL teams directly compete against the LEC, and you eliminated Fnatic. Do you think that Solary would be a playoff contender in LEC this split? Would there be any other ERL teams that you think could be competing in LEC right now?

Kryze: I think we're stronger than at least half the LEC teams judging from scrims and what we showed on stage. I think Galions can also probably contest the LEC. I think KCB is also a decent team; other than that I don't see any other teams that can do the same.

In NA with the LCS, there is a promotion tournament where one of the teams is permanently a guest slot, and they have to play for their slot every year against the top Tier 2 teams. Do you think if they had a promotion system like that in the LEC that Solary would be able to win promotion?

Kryze: Oh, for sure. I think we’d have the highest likelihood of getting in for sure.

What's one element of your approach to League, whether it's the mental side or the gameplay side, that you think would be helpful for the average solo queue player to adopt?

Kryze: Focus on yourself and your own mistakes. I think this is the most important thing that people should do, especially when they play solo queue. You can ping your jungler however many times you want, but in the end, you're never going to see him again. You just need to focus on what you can do better.

Is there anything for average top laners in particular that you think players trying to improve should work on?

Kryze: Even lower elo players have decent wave management nowadays, so I wouldn't say that. I think they mess up the knowledge of their limits and their matchup knowledge. When they should be trading, they're not trading; when they should be backing off, they're not backing off. It’s simple to learn, but you have to play a lot to know it. Matchup knowledge in general is really important.

Outside of League, what else do you like to do? What other topics, activities, or games interest you?

Kryze: In the offseason, I hang out with my friends a lot. We play a lot of co-op games like Among Us, Lethal Company, all these party games. I also go to the gym in my free time. But right now, yeah, it's a lot of League.

If you weren't playing League, what other career path do you think you would be on right now?

Kryze: I hope I would have finished college by now. I don't know what I would have studied, but it would be something. I studied economics before I decided to go pro in League, so probably something in that field.

Are there any shout-outs or thank-yous to close it out?

Kryze: Shout out to the Solary fans, of course, as usual for supporting us, and I hope this year is better than the other seven years we had.

Kryze and Solary will soon face off against Galions in the LFL 2026 Spring Playoffs. Concurrently, they will fight to keep their run to EWC alive versus the LEC’s GIANTX in the EWC EMEA Qualifiers. If you’re looking to improve your own gameplay, in the top lane or any other position, you can check out the pros on ProDiff.

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