The EMEA Masters Winter 2025 kicks off this Monday. Compressed into a single week, the tournament brings together 16 teams: the champions of the 13 ERLs, along with the runners-up from the LFL (France), Superliga (Spain), and Prime League. The competition begins with a GSL Group Stage, followed by an eight-team playoff bracket. In this article, we present our ranking of the top 10 teams in the tournament.

1. Los Heretics

Los Heretics lived up to expectations. Touted as the overwhelming favorite in the Spanish championship, the team dominated the Superliga Winter Split, securing the club’s third consecutive title. LH was never truly challenged, finishing atop the regular season standings with a 7-2 record and breezing through the Swiss Stage with a flawless 2-0 run, never conceding a single Nexus. In the playoffs, the Spanish kings dropped the opening game against both Veni Vidi Vici and Barça eSports, only to bounce back and claim the next three games in each series.

Kacper “Daglas” Dagiel—boasting an exceptionally versatile champion pool—and his teammates seemed to gain momentum as the best-of-five series progressed. In the fourth games, they dismantled their opponents—closing out the grand final against Barça eSports in 26 minutes and 10 seconds and crushing VVV in just 21 minutes and 58 seconds in the previous round. The Polish jungler and AD Carry Khalil "Rin" Sahraoui stand out as the team’s primary threats, though LH also benefits from the experience of veteran support Norman “Kaiser” Kaiser, who, at his peak, was regarded as one of the best in the LEC. The Heretics machine appears to be running at full capacity, seemingly poised to reclaim the EM crown they last held in Summer 2022.

2. Karmine Corp Blue

Karmine Corp Blue could have reasonably been ranked at the very top of this list. Steadily improving throughout the Winter Split, the Blue Wall secured the LFL title with an imposing playoff performance against Ici Japon Corp. However, KCB will head into the EMEA Masters with a revamped lineup. Jungler Mehdi “Boukada” Lahlou received an offer from SK Gaming in the LEC, prompting Karmine to arrange a transfer in exchange for Ismaïl “ISMA” Boualem. This roster change has already disrupted the team’s preparation, and the situation is further complicated by the fact that ISMA will be departing immediately after the tournament, having received an offer from GIANTX.

Another change from the championship-winning lineup is the absence of support player Kim "Piero" Jeong-hoon, who had to return to South Korea to renew his visa. In his place, Emilien "Nsurr" Gergaud from KCB’s second-division team, Blue Stars, will temporarily fill the role. In other words, KCB will be competing in hardcore mode, facing more challenges than most other favorites. However, ISMA, Thomas “Exakick” Foucou, and Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin remain among the best players in their respective roles at this tournament. Historically, the EMEA Masters has been Karmine Corp’s playground—now, they’ll need to prove that even with setbacks, they can still be contenders.

3. Los Ratones

Los Ratones was one of the standout attractions of this Winter Split. The new team, founded by streamer Marc “Caedrel” Lamont, entered the NLC with an exceptionally high-profile lineup: popular streamer Simon "Thebaus" Hofverberg in the toplane, former Fnatic midlaner Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek, and European legend Martin “Rekkles” Larsson—boasting a 100% win rate at the EM—taking on the support role. Experienced ADC Juš “Crownie” Marušič and young prospect Veljko "Velja" Čamdžić completed this star-studded roster, generating unprecedented hype around the Nordic league. And it wasn’t just because of the big names—the team absolutely crushed the competition, winning 14 of its 15 games on the way to the title.

With its player pedigree and dominant record, LR is naturally seen as one of the favorites for the EMEA Masters title. However, one major question remains: what was the actual level of competition in the NLC? In recent years, the Nordic league has been in decline, and the arrival of a superteam inevitably skewed the domestic balance. Against the best ERL teams, particularly those from the LFL and Superliga, a lack of strong opposition in prior rounds could become apparent. That being said, Los Ratones fields a roster well-versed in high-stakes tournaments, and it would be shocking to see them fall short in the group stage.

4. Ici Japon Corp

Ici Japon Corp continues its meteoric rise. Double champions of the LFL Division 2 in 2024 during their inaugural season, IJC secured promotion to France’s top league via the Up & Down tournament. Their first split in the LFL could have followed the same fairytale trajectory, had they not stumbled against KCB—first in the upper bracket final, then again in the grand final. The primary strength of this team is well known: Lee "Hans SamD" Jae-hoon. Despite not securing a title since joining BK ROG last year, the ADC stands head and shoulders above the rest in the LFL and appears to have outgrown the ERL level entirely.

Another bright spot for IJC this Winter Split was in the jungle, where Theo "Theocacs" Sauda proved he belongs in France’s top league. Theocacs, a former NLC champion, delivered standout performances throughout the Swiss Stage. If Hans SamD is in peak form and his teammates step up, Ici Japon Corp will certainly be in the title race. However, several conditions must align, and IJC might struggle against the top contenders in this ranking.

5. Geekay Esports

The Arabian League truly felt like a “one-team region” this winter. The breakout team of the 2024 EMEA Masters, Geekay Esports, faced no resistance in its domestic championship, finishing the regular season—played over a single week—with a 7-0 record and sweeping through the playoffs without dropping a single game. The team retained most of its core, including Taha "Elramir" Yurdagüven, Ahmad "Giyuu" Charif, and Waleed "DeKap" Ismail—three high-level ERL talents. The arrival of Kim "Trigger" Eui-joo helped compensate for the departure of Han "Leo" Gyeo-re, but Geekay’s most notable offseason move was the recruitment of rising regional star, toplaner Mohamed Yehia "Boda" El Sayed.

With 15 consecutive victories in the AL and a strong track record at the EMEA Masters, Geekay Esports is one of the tournament’s most serious threats. However, like many teams in this edition, this iteration of GK has yet to face truly elite competition in official matches. Their first major test will come as early as Monday, in a potentially tight contest against Barça eSports within an exceptionally competitive Group A.

6. Barça eSports

Barça eSports endured a rollercoaster journey throughout this Winter Split. Underwhelming in the regular season with a meager four wins to five losses, the Catalan club barely secured eighth place, the final qualifying spot for the Swiss Stage. They immediately faced Heretics in the opening round and later found themselves on the brink of elimination, coming within a single game of crashing out against UCAM Esports and KOI Fénix. On both occasions, they were rescued—largely thanks to Sergio Vicente "Legolas" Gispert, who was named MVP in both narrow 2-1 victories.

FCB’s split should have ended in the first round of the lower bracket. Trailing 0-2 against GIANTX Pride and facing a 9,700-gold deficit in game three, their elimination seemed inevitable. Yet, in an astonishing turnaround, Barça staged a miraculous comeback, not only salvaging the game but also winning the series. They then defeated Veni Vidi Vici in the lower bracket final to set up a rematch against Heretics in the grand final—an exact repeat of Summer 2024. However, just like last summer, Barça fell short against LH, securing the second seed. They do, however, boast the highest number of former EMEA Masters champions on their roster—Matti "WhiteKnight" Sormunen, Paweł "Czekolad" Szczepanik, and Alexandru "whiteinn" Kolozsvari—experience they must leverage if they hope to challenge the tournament’s frontrunners.

7. BIG

Like Heretics in Spain, Los Ratones in the NLC, and Geekay in the Arabian League, BIG completely dominated its domestic competition. After a disastrous 2024, the team returned to the forefront of the German scene by going undefeated throughout the Prime League Winter Split. More impressively, after finishing atop the regular season, BIG secured back-to-back 3-0 victories in the semifinals and finals, leaving their opponents with no chance. However, the dramatic decline of the Prime League’s overall level raises questions about how well BIG will perform against the best teams from other ERLs.

BIG rebuilt its botlane with Louis "Bean" Schmitz and Dino "LIMIT" Tot, who first played together in the Italian league under QLASH Forge's banner in 2019. The team also recruited former LEC midlaner Oliver "Dajor" Ryppa, who found new footing after departing from Team GO. In the toplane, BIG managed to acquire reigning PRM champion Francesco "Shelfmade" Cardia, who had claimed his first title last summer with Unicorns of Love Sexy Edition. After a three-year absence, BIG is set to return to the EMEA Masters, a competition they last won in Summer 2019.

8. Papara SuperMassive

Papara SuperMassive represents stability in this Power Rankings. The reigning back-to-back TCL champions retained four of their five members, making just one roster change. After a difficult year with Gentle Mates, Jeong "BAO" Hyeon-woo returned to the league where he first made his name in 2023. The South Korean ADC had previously won both TCL splits with Istanbul Wildcats that year, along with the Spring EMEA Masters title. SUP’s journey to a third consecutive domestic championship was far from smooth. After a shaky end to the regular season, the team was decisively defeated in the upper bracket final by Eternal Fire.

At that point, EF looked poised to dethrone SUP and claim the region’s EM slot. However, Papara SuperMassive mounted a comeback, pulling off a reverse sweep against Misa Esports to secure a spot in the grand final, where they ultimately avenged their earlier loss to Eternal Fire. SUP once again enters the EMEA Masters, though history has not been kind to them in this tournament. Last year, after an utterly dominant Spring Split, they were among the favorites but collapsed in the Group Stage. Expectations were more measured in the Summer, yet despite another domestic triumph, they were eliminated in the first round of playoffs, suffering a brutal 0-3 loss to Los Heretics.

9. Zero Tenacity

Zero Tenacity wasn't even supposed to compete in the Winter Split. In late October 2024, the Polish organization announced its withdrawal from Riot Games’ competitive ecosystem, citing a “lack of communication” from the publisher. However, they later reversed this decision and hastily assembled a roster for the 2025 season. Z10 built its squad around the former Misfits Premier botlane duo, Paweł "Woolite" Pruski and Jakub "Jactroll" Skurzyński, who had previously won the LFL Summer 2021. These two veterans were then joined by three young talents on the topside: Jarosław "Kozi" Marchewka in the toplane, Tomáš "Zubac" Kyselák in the jungle, and Paweł "Vasco" Machnik in the midlane.

This lineup went on to win the inaugural edition of Rift Legends—the newly rebranded Polish league, formerly known as Ultraliga. After reverse-sweeping Kiedyś Miałem Fun in the winner’s bracket final, Z10 triumphed over Back2TheGame in the grand final, facing off against Kozi’s former team. Interestingly, they also met a former botlane teammate, toplaner Tobiasz "Agresivoo" Ciba, who had won the LFL alongside them in Summer 2021. While Zero Tenacity enters the EMEA Masters as a dark horse, they must also confront their own history, as the organization has consistently struggled to make an impact in the tournament.

10. E WIE EINFACH

When the EMEA Masters slot allocations were announced, few would have predicted E WIE EINFACH securing the Prime League’s second seed. An historic organization within the German championship, EWI had never placed higher than fifth (Summer 2020, under the name of OP innogy eSport), largely due to its commitment to an all-German roster. However, circumstances aligned in their favor: a significant weakening of the league, combined with the decline of two traditional powerhouses—Unicorns of Love Sexy Edition and Eintracht Spandau—allowed them to climb the standings.

The team’s crowning achievement was delivering a shocking and resounding 3-0 sweep over Dung Dynasty, the squad of Muhammed "Agurin" Kocak, in the Winter Split semifinals. However, as expected, the gap was too great in the grand final, where EWI fell 0-3 to BIG. While EWI likely faced stronger competition than some ERL champions, the overall level of the Prime League appears too low to suggest that their finals appearance will translate into a deep EMEA Masters run.