Eyeing the trophy,
Vitality.Bee kicked off the
2025 Ligue Française de League of Legends (LFL) Spring season with a bang, taking down BDS Academy in their opening match at the LFL HOLY Days. After the disappointment of Flash-In, where the team finished in a tie for 7th place,
Kadir "Fleshy" Kemiksiz sits down with Sheep Esports to discuss his off-season, the team’s rocky start, moving up to the LEC, and his prediction for the rest of the split.
How does it feel to get back into the LFL and earn your first win on stage?
Kadir "Fleshy" Kemiksiz: "Yeah, last year when I was in the LFL with Karmine Corp, I lost both games, but it was still competitive. Right now, winning feels good, of course. And as a team, it's our first stage match as well. People might choke a bit and things like that, but we still managed to win. So, it feels good.
How did you handle the move from Karmine Corp Blue to Vitality.Bee, especially considering the difference in fan bases, and how did the off-season go for you?
Fleshy: In the offseason, things went pretty weirdly for me. I wasn’t expecting to leave Karmine Corp, to be honest. When I learned they had different plans, I was forced to look at my options. I definitely like KC, but I needed to do my job, so I left. I talked with teams and organizations, and I think the best choice for me was Vitality. So, I picked here. I got flamed a lot for this as well, but still, it wasn’t my choice.
How did you handle fan reactions? Did it affect you at all, getting all that flak?
Fleshy: I'm used to it, to be honest, but I just don’t like people who don’t know the full story and just talk based on what’s on social media. It’s not good for me, but I’m used to it. Some fans are more passionate. When something good happens, they’re too hyped. When something bad happens, they’re too angry. I can understand them, but things happen.
What do you think went wrong in the LFL Flash-In after your strong start in the group stage? Was there anything in terms of preparation or practice that contributed to the outcome? How did it affect you as a team?
Fleshy: In winter, we were working online, and things went too fast for us. We didn’t prepare much, and we didn’t recognize our problems quickly enough. We were a bit delusional about our drafting as well. We made a lot of mistakes in-game and in draft twice. We won four best-of-ones, which can happen. They were long games, and I always felt, even if winning was nice, they were kind of fake victories because I knew what happened in-game, and it was shaky. After that, in best-of-threes, we got exposed and reality checked. Yeah, we weren’t good enough. We deserved it, and now we’re trying to do much better in the bootcamp.
Is your goal to make it to the LEC this year, with the hope that Vitality can become the strongest LFL roster and get you noticed by bigger organizations, potentially earning a spot next year?
Fleshy: I want to improve a lot more and be ready for the LEC next year, in any team. I need to be up to that task, I know teams and offers will come around once spots open up. I just need to be more consistent. After last year, I thought I might have a chance because it was a really good year, and I played really well, but it didn’t happen. So now, I need to work a lot more than last year because if that didn’t make it happen, I need to work even harder for my chance.
Do you see yourself following a similar trajectory to Stend, who went from Vitality.Bee to Team Heretics?
Fleshy: For sure. I can see myself going to the LEC next year. But when I talk and dream about it too much, I need to focus on my current job first to get there. It’s good to dream and think about it, but at the end of the day, I need to do my job right now in the LFL. That’s the most important for me.
Regarding the LEC roster changes at Vitality, there was mention of promoting you, but visa issues made it difficult. Do you feel that visa issues have held back your career in the past? And did it feel frustrating not getting your chance for the LEC roster, or do you see it as a missed opportunity?
Fleshy: I’ve been planning for a promotion to the LEC next year, so I wasn’t really disappointed, nor did I expect to be given that spot. The visa could have been an issue, but we didn’t really even try to get it, you know? It wasn’t that we looked into it and thought it would take too long, I was not the team’s option. Right now, I just focus on my LFL matches and do my best to win them.
Do you have any relationships with Mac, Pad, and the rest of the LEC coaching staff? Do you work with them as well?
Fleshy: Yeah, they help me consistently, especially when I first joined. They showed me a lot of things and interact with the LFL players as well. It’s really good because whatever the LEC wants to do, you can kind of see that too, and learn from it. So, they’re really good at that.
Would you say that today you are one of the best supports in the LFL, or do you still have room to grow? Do you think you’re ready for the LEC, or should you be more prepared by the end of the year?
Fleshy: Right now, my role is heavily influenced by my environment, especially by my AD Carry, the team dynamics, and how we play the game. I need to bond with my teammates, and that impacts my gameplay. If I were in the LEC right now, I’d say I’m in the top six. But if I had the chance to work with an LEC team and improve further, I’d definitely be higher. But for now, that’s where I’d place myself.
As for the LFL, I don’t want to focus too much on myself. It doesn’t really make sense to be an amazing support if the team as a whole isn’t working together. It’s all about the team, whether it's botlane, jungle, or the support. So, when it comes to just being a support, it’s not the whole picture. But if I had to rank myself, I’d say I’m in the top two or three in the LFL right now.
Do you have any predictions for how the rest of the Spring Split will go?
Fleshy: If we continue playing like we are on bootcamp right now, with everybody working hard and thinking a lot about the game, winning the split is doable. We’ve already had a downfall, but people have noticed what went wrong, and we’re working on fixing those issues. If we keep improving consistently, we can do well.
Do you have any message you’d like to share before we finish?
Fleshy: The Vitality fans were amazing. They took pictures with us, cheered for us, and I’m so grateful for them. It was incredible to see you all there while we were playing and to hear you even through the white noise during the game. Thank you for your patience as we improve, and we’ll do better."
Header Photo Credit: Elliot Le Corre / Webedia
