"It's Time to Get Serious" — Caliste on KC's Winter, His Duo with Busio, Playstyles, His Contract Extension, the ENC and more
Photo Credit: Riot Games/LEC
Just days before the Spring Split, KC's ADC sat down with RFT.GG to talk about everything from teamfight communication to the ENC French roster — and, inevitably, his contract.
Karmine Corp's Winter Split ended with a top 2 finish — and more than that, a game 5 in the grand final pushed all the way against a team that had been playing together for over a year. For a roster that had to rebuild, integrate new pieces, and find its identity from scratch, that's not a near-miss, but a statement.
The details mattered as much as the result. A brand-new lineup — built around one of the LEC's most exciting ADCs and two significant arrivals in kyeahoo and Busio — spent three months growing into something genuinely dangerous.
The questions heading into Spring are obvious: can they take the next step? Can Caliste become the consistent carry the team needs him to be? And can a roster that already proved it belongs now prove it can win?
RFT.GG caught up with KC's ADC Caliste "Caliste" Henry-hennebert just days before the split began, with the season's first match against Vitality already on the horizon.
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It's been almost a year since we last spoke — back at Summer. How have you been?
I think if the last time we spoke was at Summer, things must be going much better. I took a short break after LEC Versus, tried to disconnect a bit — especially the first few days. Then slowly got back into the game, watched the First Stand. When it started, naturally I started playing again, because it was inspiring. There's the frustration of not being there, but... just a mini-break. Without fully switching off either, because after a week and a half we're back to scrims. We had a full week of scrims before our first match.
Are you generally happy with what you showed in Winter — in the official matches, in scrims, the group dynamic?
I think the Winter was honestly pretty satisfying. You can clearly see the improvement in our level of play, from the first to the last game of the split, and that's what we wanted from the start. We went in knowing that MKOI, GIANTX and G2 had re-signed all their players — three top 4 teams — so they were clearly at an advantage. The Winter Split is also the split where winning is the least rewarding. We've been through that. It can go downhill fast.
The clear goal was to learn to play together, build good habits, move forward and get a feel for everyone's mentality. We have a lot of individual talent. We saw we could implement a lot of plans and collective gameplay.
And also, me and Yike talked a lot last year — so for the start of this year we said: we're good, but we can really take a step up. Because if we're much more decisive in what we want to do, we can be extremely strong. That was really my focus: being much more decisive in my communication. Because I've always had these little thoughts in my career — 'I see this situation, ok we can do this, ok let's do it now.' And I didn't always say it out loud.
Photo Credit: Hara Amoros/Riot Games
You were pretty communicative in-game last year — often the one talking the most with Vladi...
I'm very communicative, but there are moments where I can be even more decisive — and it's precisely in the important moments.
I'm kind of the teamfight supervisor. I see teamfights in a certain way and I try to communicate that to my team.
When I see a beneficial situation if we act fast — 'let's engage Baron' because someone is overextending — I need to say it in a very decisive and very clear way.
The voice comms KC released on YouTube — there's a moment in the BO3 against G2 where you say 'stop talking, let's just play the game', right in front of the Nexus. That didn't end very well but is that the idea?
Didn't end well. That's something I could have handled better. I still think about it — I have regrets, because that wasn't the best way to communicate in that moment. I could have said how we should play instead. But it's good because I'm learning. Ever since I have this little voice in my head, every time I feel it, I tell myself: 'Ok, this is going to happen, I need to tell my team.' And when I don't say it and it goes wrong — ok, I need to do it next time.
It's not that I don't see things. It's just that I wasn't decisive enough in my communication. During playoffs it was much better, especially on stage with all the noise. I don't stress at all on stage. It's very easy for me to just say 'ok, chill, chill, we do this, we do that, everything's going to be fine.'
On that specific play — looking back, should you have gone for Baron?
No, I clearly think we could finish the game. What I should have said is that we needed to play together, and that I should have told kyeahoo and Busio to give me space. We were 3v4. I have Elder, I have Flash, I'm basically Thanos at that point. We can clearly finish if I can hit everything coming at me. And even if we take Baron, we won't have Elder after — so it's not a free win either.
Let's go through the new additions one by one. kyeahoo — excellent laner, very strong personality. What does he bring?
First of all, stability. He's a very good laner on a huge number of champions, so a lot of things become easier. Three lanes that should be really stable and hard to push around — that's something we were missing against G2. Against MKOI, we were clearly better in lane, but I think against G2 we let them play a bit too much and didn't play as we should have.
But kyeahoo does more than be stable. He's clutch at certain moments, he communicates really well with Yike — even if it takes time because everyone's trying to speak English, Canna, Reaperd, kyeahoo. On more detailed topics, they have to speak Korean, or use ChatGPT to make sure everyone understands what he wants to say. But in-game, it's fairly easy to play with him. And the few moments we don't agree — he has no problem listening to someone else's call.
The synergy at mid with Busio and Yike is surprisingly good given the language barrier. How do you explain that?
I think it's clearly down to Busio, to be very honest. Busio does an enormous amount of work at the jungle-mid-support level — how to play the game, from start to finish, how he can help kyeahoo, how Yike can help kyeahoo.
Because if you leave your mid laner alone in League of Legends right now, the game gets complicated. Busio talked a lot with kyeahoo after each game, in review. That's why kyeahoo uses ChatGPT when they have longer discussions — so he can put the exact words on what he wants to say. The three of them would talk it out and find common ground.
Photo Credit: Hara Amoros/Riot Games
You've only known two supports in your pro career. What's different about Busio?
There are certain champions where Busio is better, and inversely. I think Targamas is better on stuff that requires a lot more practice — Senna, Seraphine, that kind of thing. But individually, Alan — well, Busio — is really very very strong. He's a former mid laner, so naturally you feel the difference mechanically. He's become meticulous over time about his individual mistakes — he pays attention to that.
In terms of the space he gives us on the map, it's really a level above. He always has great vision, he knows how to play it while helping us have good lanes. And he's always going to look for discussions with anyone throughout the game — he aligns with his laners. When our laners constantly need resources, everyone is always happy with him... That makes the game very easy for everyone.
The 2v2 — against KOI it looked very back and forth, even if in 2v2, they haven't look like the best duo so far... Is that a fair read?
MKOI isn't a top botlane, but they're not the worst either — top 4, 5, maybe top 3 sometimes. Quick fact check of the match in Barcelona: against them, in game 1 we didn't have a good matchup. Ezreal-Alistar vs Sivir-Rakan — on paper, they should win at some point. Game 2, Ashe-Seraphine — a skill matchup slightly more in our favour. Game 3, not a good matchup for us. Game 4 — the Aphelios-Corki game — 60-40 for them early. I made a big mistake and died like a noob. Game 5, pure skill matchup, and we gapped them.
On range matchups — Kalista-Renata, Ashe-Seraphine, Corki-Nami, Lulu comps — there's no one in Europe who's better than us. That I'm absolutely sure of.
GIANTX's botlane said you were the best duo-lane in Europe.
And I think in 2v2, we really are better. Maybe the first few LEC games we were a bit shaky, but the more we move forward, the stronger we get. In game 5 against G2, we didn't have the data on the matchup and we did something that put us in a bad spot from the start. But the further we go, the more we improve. The goal is to be the best we can be for Worlds and MSI. And now it's time to get serious — Spring, Summer, MSI, Worlds. Throughout the year, we will lose some matchups, we're humans. But the goal remains: to be dominant, always show a good performance, always have good laning phases and bring a lot to the team.
It's a bit linked to my role too. If your ADC falls too far behind in this meta, it gets complicated. But yes: last Spring was probably my worst split. I didn't feel good individually. Compared to Summer where I think I was really performing. From this Spring on, my main goal is to focus on my individual play and my 2v2. During Winter I used my time to focus on the team and communication. Now I need to maintain that communication while improving my gameplay.
In the European botlane hierarchy, you're at the top?
For me we're at the top, yeah. The only botlane that could match us would maybe be G2 in good form. I think that's the only botlane at that level on skill matchups.
G2's performance at the First Stand didn't go unnoticed. Were you happy for them?
To keep it short:
I genuinely thought Gen.G was going to run over the tournament, but they underperformed. When you watch their VOD from the First Stand compared to the LCK, you can clearly see it's not the same Gen.G.
Good for Europe. But obviously, we didn't want to see G2 win — that's normal. If we were at First Stand, G2 wouldn't have wanted us to win either.
I was happy for SkewMond and Hans though — they performed really well. I was watching the matches mostly to improve, looking at what was interesting in the drafts and gameplay.
Biggest areas of improvement as a team heading into Spring?
We need to find a way to use Canna better — and for Canna to demand more from us. We can clearly create an advantage in top lane. On fighting matchups, if we play well around him and give the right information, we can build a lead — because if you give Canna a lead, he does a lot of things. That's the identity of our team: if we have a lead, things really roll. And it matches the meta pretty well.
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BLG won by playing through top with a weak-side ADC in Viper. You almost never played that way, even though Canna is capable of it. Is that a major axis of improvement?
Yes, clearly. We have the tools for it. Our goal for the start of Spring is to make teams afraid that we can create a hole bot or top. For example, in 2025, Fnatic, you knew they would only play for bot, they had one gameplan.
It's also very hard to play like BLG because when you look at the meta currently— you first-pick the support that gives you strong bot priority, you take a jungler who wins his 1v1 and stacks drakes, you take all the crabs, and good luck.
That's literally the meta right now. But the meta will evolve, and we'll see what the counter is.
The goal for the rest of the year?
Clearly to win Spring and Summer. Then go to MSI and Worlds. Being competitive internationally is our objective. We have a roster that can be. Busio brings us to a good standard for playing internationally. And we have players who are already experienced at that level — apart from me and kyeahoo. If we get there, it'll be my first MSI, my first Worlds. There might be that stress. But I think I've already passed that phase at First Stand— that thing of 'oh you're playing against him, he's got that name, you're at this international event.'
Last year, every KC player said 'we want to win Worlds.' Same answer after the disillusionment last year?
If you're not competing to win Worlds, don't compete.
But the main goal isn't 'win Worlds' — because if that's your main goal, you're going to crash way before *laugh*. We've had that experience, we don't want it to happen again. You'll tell yourself you can win Worlds after your semi-final — when you're in the final, that's it. Not before. We can only act on the present. You set objectives, but for those objectives you have to work, step by step.
Photo Credit: Hara Amoros/Riot Games
I saw you kissing the KC logo in Barcelona, pointing at it in the press photos... Where are things at with your contract?
*Laugh* That cracked me up in Barcelona. With all the boos, I could do anything and everyone was going to boo me — it was too funny. I love getting booed by the Spanish crowd. It gives me so much energy. I don't think they realise it. I'm just dodging the question here, you know. But I like those moments with a lot of pressure, getting booed — I completely don't care. The boos just give me energy.
One day it might be their turn to face the other side of the coin, if they play in France...
For me they already did! We finished the game and people above my screen were leaving. I was like: 'guys, make an effort at least.' By the time I came back up for the interview, the arena was empty. I was like — ok, we definitely won.
Anyways, we used the time between the splits for the re-signing discussions, because I don't like having those conversations during the split. I prefer during the off-season, so that we're set on an offer. And then... Either I sign or I don't — we'll see.
If it happens — last signing was in front of the Arc de Triomphe. Where's the next one, the Eiffel Tower?
Unfortunately I don't think I could be there in person. I'd have to come to Paris — that's going to be tough. Maybe Kamel and Arthur could meet up there and make the announcement...
Last question — the ENC. Who do you pick for France?
We talked about it on the bus back from Barcelona, me and Hans Sama. Top side, I don't think there's really any debate. Top-mid: Adam and nuc, and that's not bad. If nuc wants to play for Morocco, good luck to him. We'll take Saken. And then bot...
Photos Credits: Riot Games
Our plan — and this is a plan — would be me and Hans in double bot. Game 1 Hans plays support, game 2 I play support. We need to check in the rules if that's allowed. Because I'm good on support champions and so is he the other way around. Skew, Hans and me playing like psychos. Good luck, just good luck. That's literally the meta right now anyway.
If it's not possible, it's still Adam, nuc, Skew — and me and Hans as a classic double sub. You play whoever you want, whenever you want. We've known each other for a long time. The first call I ever had with a pro player was Hans — I was in Division 3, asking for advice. Now he's seen me go from tiny and bad to becoming a bit stronger. We have no ego. The goal is to compete internationally, make sure both of us are the best we can be. There's no ego in it.
As an ADC — which support do you prefer?
I honestly have no idea. If Hans prefers Stend and I prefer Zoelys, Prime, my little cousin, whatever — you take both, two bot subs, and do whatever you want. It's too early to know. All the love to Yellowstar who has to build the team... But it would be a perfect mix with Hans and me bot: fun, familiarity, level. We all know each other really well. The idea of the roster is simple: you play for yourself, and good luck.
How do you see your first match against Vitality?
Listen, Chapeau has prepared a little video. I had to do a voiceover. Little teaser: very inspired by Kameto's Pokémon Go commercial. I hope we're going to beat Vitality — that way this video drops with my voiceover. I think I made a banger. And my answer will just be that video.
