VIT Humanoid: "Last year was the worst my mental health has ever been in my life"
Vitality continues to rise after a 2-1 week in the LEC. An exclusive interview with the team's midlaner.
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Marek "Humanoid" BrƔzda, midlaner of Team Vitality in the 2026 LEC Versus. Photo Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
"On the contrary, I think this year is the best it has ever been. Itās a pretty big swap."
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Team Vitality remains in the chase, firmly holding its spot in the middle of the 2026 League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Versus standings. With two matches that could already decide the teamās fate in this first split of the year, the Bees hope to deliver a fatal sting to Movistar KOI and Los Ratones next weekend. In an exclusive interview, midlaner Marek "Humanoid" BrĆ”zda sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss his transition to Vitality from Fnatic, his mental health, and the teamās identity.
You end the week with a loss to G2, but a 2-1 score overall. How are you feeling heading into your last two matches?
Marek "Humanoid" BrƔzda: "I feel good. I think today was very even. We were losing hard, then we started winning hard, then we lost. It is what it is. But overall, we did pretty good this week, so I feel good.
With important playoff-deciding matches coming up next week against MKOI and Los Ratones, what do you think Vitality needs to improve on the most?
Humanoid: We just need to work on teamfighting. This is the most important part right now, since we usually fight a lot on drakes.
Are you satisfied with Vitalityās improvement so far, especially compared to Week 1?
Humanoid: Yeah, in Week 1, we were really inting. Since then, weāve played way better every single week, so I feel really good, and I feel confident we will keep improving until playoffs.
What do you think is behind Vitalityās recent improvement?
Humanoid: I donāt know, I think we just all like playing with each other, and itās a lot of fun for all of us. There are just, like⦠good vibes and no stress, and then itās pretty easy to play.
Beyond your well-discussed relationship with MatyÔŔ "Carzzy" OrsÔg, how is your dynamic with the rest of the team?
Humanoid: Itās really good. They all kind of fit into this style that we bring into the team, this kind of trolling style, you know? They all fit into that pretty well and join in, so I like it.
If you had to name one thing you like about each of your teammates besides Carzzy, what would it be for Kaan "Naak Nako" Okan, Linas "Lyncas" Nauncikas, and Kadir "Fleshy" Kemiksiz?
Humanoid: Naak Nako is just a chill guy. Like, this guy is just⦠heās just chill. Doesnāt matter what happens, heās gonna be chill.
Lyncas⦠this guy is tryharding. Heās a tryhard all the time.
Fleshy⦠Iām not sure. This guy just doesnāt say something often, but when he says something, itās just funny. I'm not sure how to describe that. Heās just a funny guy. He just has those one-liners.
Do you feel Vitality is more of a player-led team, with you and Carzzy helping set the direction, or is it more balanced with the coaching staff?
Humanoid: I guess, but I think itās both. Any team needs to be at least half player-led. If a team is only 100% coach-led, then the team is probably not going to be too good. So I think itās just both.
How does the environment on Vitality compare to your previous teams, especially Fnatic?
Humanoid: The vibe in Fnatic felt very different. Itās kind of hard to explain, but here I feel just very chill. Back in Fnatic, it was kind of tryhard, but in a weird way. I feel like in Fnatic, people have high expectations of you just because the team name is Fnatic, not because of the roster. If you had the same five players in a different org, the expectations wouldnāt be as high. There are expectations to win the split just because of the org name, and that creates a lot of pressure.
After nearly four years with Fnatic, how did you react to being told you wouldnāt continue with the team, and how was your offseason?
Humanoid: Well, I kind of expected not to be on Fnatic. I said it myself as well that I didnāt feel like we were going to do well in Summer with me, and if they had a different option, they should go for it. So it was not unexpected, and honestly, I was pretty happy to not play that split. I donāt think it would have gone anywhere.
Did leaving Fnatic feel like a relief, given the pressure of playing under the Fnatic name?
Humanoid: Yeah, I just didnāt really feel like we could win. Iāve been there for so long, and it was always the same every year. So I just knew it was going to end the same. It was time for a change for them.
How did you experience this long offseason?
Humanoid: Honestly, I kind of needed it. Since I joined LEC, I only had one month off per year because I always went to Worlds. So I could only be home in November, and usually in December you have a bootcamp. So December I had to work again. For the first time in years, I could actually have some time off, and I think it was very much needed for me. After that, I was just way more ready to play again.
Humanoid: Last year was the worst my mental health has ever been in my life, and on the contrary, I think this year is the best it has ever been. Itās a pretty big swap.
What mindset are you entering the 2026 LEC with, and do you have specific goals or feel motivated to prove doubters wrong?
Humanoid: I just want to win it. I guess, going to Worlds is always the first goal, but winning the LEC would be nice, and I think we can win.
You said to Laure, "I'm exactly the same as I was before. I'm just going to shit stomp everyone from now on instead," right? Do you feel like you've changed a bit in 2026, or do you actually believe that you're just the same Humanoid as always?
Humanoid: I changed outside the game. In game though, Iām the same.
According to Carzzy, the team has already found its identity. What do you think is Vitality's identity this year?
Humanoid: Hum. I think itās just like⦠honestly, I donāt know. I mean, outside⦠personality-wise, itās just like being funny and kind of troll. But I donāt really know playstyle-wise. We can play many different playstyles.
How do you see your role in the team, and do you consider yourself a leader or something else?
Humanoid: Iām just trying to make sure that we can play correctly from past 12 minutes, since thatās the hardest part of the game and the most important one. Thatās my job sometimes, only sometimes, if I can focus."
Armand Luque is an interviewer and journalist with deep roots in the EMEA League of Legends scene. A veteran of the esports world, they hail from France and are best known for their work on Leaguepedi...