The LEC's top 4 is taking shape, as Movistar KOI (MKOI) and Karmine Corp (KC) secured 2-0 victories over Team BDS and Team Vitality (VIT), respectively, joining Fnatic and G2 Esports in the next round of the upper bracket. BDS and VIT now drop to the loser bracket, where they will face off in a BO3 on Saturday 22 February, with one team set to be eliminated from the Winter Playoffs.

BDS hit a wall. It seems they couldn’t execute their win conditions this Sunday. In Game 1, they handed over the early game to MKOI and never recovered, largely due to Javier "Elyoya" Prades Batalla’s Zyra. In Game 2, despite securing a lead, they lost control in the midgame—perhaps overplaying their hand and making poor fight decisions. The 2-0 scoreline may seem harsh, but it accurately reflects MKOI’s current superiority over their opponents. Strong in draft even under fearless conditions, MKOI confidently move forward in the upper bracket without having to reveal their full potential.

KC and MKOI can strike hard

The French LEC clasico goes to KC. The showdown between the French powerhouses ended in another 2-0 victory, this time for KC. Vitality put up a strong fight, but in the highly anticipated botlane duel, Caliste "Caliste" Henry-Hennebert and Raphaël "Targamas" Crabbé outperformed Matyáš "Carzzy" Orság and Zdravets "Hylissang" Galabov throughout the series.

On the bright side for VIT, their two rookies showed consistency—Kaan "Naak Nako" Okan once again held his own against top-tier opponents like Kim "Canna" Chang-dong, while Mateusz "Czajek" Czajka was the driving force that extended Game 2 with his Viktor. As for Karmine, some midgame mistakes remain, but it was interesting to see Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis in a supportive role on Galio while Martin "Yike" Sundelin took on a carry position with Zyra.

With these results, MKOI and KC advance in the winner’s bracket and will face off this Monday at 8 PM CET. Before that, another legendary rivalry will take center stage—Europe’s most famous derby: FNC vs G2 at 6 PM CET.