The likes of Fnatic, Rogue, and G2 Esports to name a few will be vying for that singular spot to the Mid-Season Invitational.
And just like that, the LEC Spring Split group stage games are over and done with. The last eight weeks have been filled with intense action to go along with plenty of drama to fuel the narratives. These are the top six teams that have made it.
While Rogue finished at the top of the group stage, this was something that many saw coming given the team's performances from last season. What was one of the more surprising teams making it through is Misfits, who have always been seen as a mid-table team. This season, however, they have gone from strength to strength, able to claim key victories to make it through.
MAD Lions, on the other hand, have been a ghost of their former selves this season. The former double-split champions finished in seventh overall, a drastic dip in form as compared to last season. This comes after losing two of their key players to other LEC teams, thus not making it any easier for them.
How are the playoffs looking?
Rogue vs Misfits Gaming
As Rogue finished in the first place, they will be facing off against Misfits in the first round of the semifinals, followed by Fnatic and G2. As for the lower bracket, you have Excel going up against Vitality. The winner of that series will then have a mountain to climb, facing off against the losers of both semifinal matches before making it to the loser bracket finals.
Both Rogue and Misfits have a history dating back to 2019. While their two-game series ended in a 1-1, Rogue has the upper hand when it comes to a best-of-five with Rogue winning both occasions quite convincingly. The team has been in hot form of late, dropping only four games throughout the entire group stage and proving to be the team to beat. As for Misfits, they have proven to be a thorn in everyone's side, taking games off of Fnatic and G2 as well.
The last time Misfits did manage to qualify for a major tournament was Worlds 2017 where they lost to the eventual winners, SK Telekom T1 (now known as T1). It will be a bit of a stretch to see Misfits go all the way, especially with the likes of Rogue who are in top form at the moment. However, stranger things have happened in the LEC before so we are in for a treat in the next couple of weeks.
Fnatic vs G2 Esports
Arguably two of the LEC's biggest teams, both Fnatic and G2 have a long and storied history with one another that dates back to 2016. This was when the LEC was known as the LCS EU region. Both teams took one game apiece during the group stages but if history counts for anything, it tells a different tale. In all nine of their best-of-five series against one another, Fnatic has only a third of their games with G2 taking two-thirds for themselves. And the last time they met, Fnatic came out on top in the LEC Summer Split last year.
Both teams have constantly traded victories over the past couple of years with G2 coming out on top when it mattered most. They also won MSI back in 2019 as well as finishing second and fifth in the years prior. As for Fnatic, they've only been to MSI on two separate occasions and both times, they got knocked out in the semifinals in 2015 and 2018. The boys in orange will be looking to finally make their presence known on the international stage once more.
This will be a tough one to call but based on recent results, Fnatic does look like they have the slight edge going into the series. They have looked solid for the most part bar some slip-ups along the way. The same can be said for G2 but the key difference here is that Fnatic has looked far more comfortable in their line-up than G2 does. Fnatic has been able to go undefeated on four separate weeks whereas G2 has only done it once.
Excel Esports vs Team Vitality
Starting our lower bracket match for the LEC Spring Split playoffs are Excel and Vitality, two teams that share the exact scoreline of 9-9. Excel's time in the LEC has not been fruitful, to say the least as this is their first foray into the playoffs. Since joining the LEC in 2019, the team has never been able to qualify, until now. As for Vitality, they have done well in the off-season transfer window, bringing in the likes of Matyáš "Carzzy" Orság from MAD Lions, Barney "Alphari" Morris from Team Liquid, and of course, former G2 golden boy, Luka "Perkz" Perković.
Perkz currently holds the record for most LEC titles with eight and he will be looking to add one more to his illustrious career. However, the team as a whole hasn't been performing too well as of late. Perkz himself hasn't looked his best with his average KDA of 2.8 only put him at ninth on the rankings amongst all mid-laners in the LEC. However, he has been able to keep up in terms of farming with an average GPM of 416 with an average CSM of nine.
Going into the series, Vitality had already lost against Excel twice in the group stage. This doesn't bode well for the French org, which invested heavily in the new roster. As for Excel, they will be relishing the chance of finally being able to compete in the playoffs and hopefully, extend their already broken record.
LEC Spring Split Playoffs
The six teams are now in a good two-week break to recuperate before going into battle once more. The LEC Spring Split playoffs will begin on the last weekend of March from 26 - 27. The first match will be between Rogue and Misfits Gaming at 1.00 am GMT +8 on March 26 and the second match featuring Fnatic and G2 Esports will begin at 12.00 am GMT+8 on March 27. As for the lower bracket match, that will happen at 11.00 pm GMT+8 on March 27 as well. Once the loser of both semifinal matches has been determined only will the dates and times for both lower bracket series as well as the winner bracket finals.
