LEC 2026 - Shifters: Striking the Right Nucleus (5/10)

The Swiss organization Team BDS is rebranding as Shifters. Competing under this new name, they will kick off the 2026 LEC season with an updated roster, determined to move past the eighth-place finishes that held them back in both 2025 splits.

Still under the guidance of head coach Yanis "Striker" Kella, who extended his contract until the end of 2026, the roster will retain Ilias "nuc" Bizriken, the seasoned midlaner with the team since their 2022 LEC promotion, and this despite some hesitation over keeping nuc and Striker on the same team, doubts that were quickly put to rest.

Jungler Mehdi "Boukada" Lahlou, who joined during last Summer Split after BDS paid a €200,000 buyout to SK Gaming, is also retained. Although there were discussions between Shifters’ management and former BDS French jungler Théo "Sheo" Borile regarding a potential return, Shifters never truly pushed for a change and quickly locked in Boukada.

Also staying on is Toplaner Shin "Rooster" Yun-hwan, who joined last Summer from the LCK Challengers and was the first player confirmed to remain. Seen as a cornerstone of the roster despite the team’s struggles in 2025, Rooster hasn’t yet been able to fully display his potential, having played just twelve games in Europe last split. During the offseason, Fnatic expressed interest, but Shifters turned down all outside offers, signaling their firm intention to keep their toplaner.

One of the most unexpected move of the Swiss offseason occurred in the AD Carry position. After spending two consecutive seasons as the team’s starting botlaner, Yoon "Ice" Sang-hoon is replaced by another South Korean talent, Park "Paduck" Seok-hyeon, recruited from the LCK CL, much like Rooster before him. While this marks Paduck’s first opportunity as a starter in a Tier 1 league, he has already had a brief taste of the LCK earlier this year with KT Rolster.

The team explored several options for the role. Retaining Ice was among the possibilities, as was signing French AD Carry Thomas "3XA" Foucou, but Paduck ultimately emerged as the final choice. In a post, coach Striker clarified that 3XA was high on his list and that he would have liked to work with him, though it wasn’t possible for reasons he could not disclose.

To round out the botlane, Shifters turned to a well-known name in the European scene: Polish support Adrian "Trymbi" Trybus. Coming off a year in LTA South with Vivo Keyd Stars, where he even competed at Worlds.

Trymbi drew interest from Natus Vincere, who ultimately signed Parus, while VKS also tried to retain him with a contract offer. Raphaël "Targamas" Crabbé, who parted ways with Karmine Corp, was another option considered by Shifters, but Trymbi was clearly their number one choice.

Expectations will therefore be high for Shifters, as a team that failed to truly deliver in 2025 will be driven by the clear objective of doing better. While the roster may raise some questions, Shifters undeniably boast players of quality; all that remains is to find the right watchmaker to set this Swiss timepiece in motion. Contacted by Sheep Esports, Shifters declined to comment on our questions.

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.

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