The final best-of-ones of the League of Legends Tier 1 competitive year occurred on Monday, with the conclusion of the LEC Winter Split regular season. In reality, this last day held little significance, as the eight playoff qualifieds teams had already been determined on Sunday. At the bottom of the standings with just one win and seven losses, Rogue and SK Gaming were two victories behind BDS and Heretics, making their elimination from this first phase a mathematical certainty.

For the sake of formality, Fnatic secured first place dominantly, sweeping aside SK. The Black and Orange, considered favorites before the split began, reaffirmed their status match after match. Despite a shaky start against Movistar KOI on the opening day, Ivan “Razork” Martin —Europe's best player at the moment— and his teammates went on to win eight consecutive matches. Still in pursuit of their first title since Summer 2018, Fnatic convincingly defeated several of their direct rivals, including Karmine Corp, G2 Esports, and GIANTX, fueling hopes that their long dry spell may finally come to an end.

G2 is improving

KC, who finished as runners-up to Fnatic, stumbled in their final two regular-season matches, falling first to Fnatic and then to BDS. After an impressive start to the competition, Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert had his first subdued week in the EMEA elite. KC shares a 6-3 record with two other teams: MKOI and G2. Like KC, the Spanish squad dropped two matches this week, including a surprising comeback loss to Heretics on Saturday. Meanwhile, after a slow start, G2 became the second team to achieve a perfect week, finishing 3-0 and defeating MKOI on Sunday.

Vitality and GIANTX also ended with identical 5-4 records, though their momentum differs. The Bees secured two wins this week, showcasing a particularly strong jungle-bot synergy. In contrast, GX, who started 3-0 after the first week, struggled in the second and third, finishing 1-2 and appearing to be caught up by their competition—though best-of-one results are not always the best indicator of a team's true strength.

BDS (4-5) finished seventh after a solid week, with Ilias “nuc” Bizriken delivering once again standout performances. The Swiss team claimed two victories out of three matches, one more than Heretics, who secured the final playoffs spot with a 3-6 record. After the comeback against MKOI, Victor “Flakked” Lirola and his squad fell to both Vitality and G2.

The playoffs bracket

The playoffs bracket was drawn shortly after Fnatic's victory over SK. The first round features a particularly one-sided matchup between top-seeded Fnatic and eighth-seeded Heretics. Beyond that, the matchups appear more evenly contested. G2 and GX are trending in opposite directions, seemingly favoring the Samurai. Similarly, in the KC vs. Vitality clash, the Blue Wall will need to shake off their recent struggles to take on the surging Bees. The final first-round matchup pits MKOI against BDS, with the Spanish team holding a slight edge on paper.

As a reminder, the playoffs will follow a double-elimination Fearless Draft format. The first two rounds of each bracket are best-of-threes, while the remaining matches will be best-of-fives. The playoffs begin on February 15, with the Winter Split champion set to be crowned on March 2, securing qualification for First Stand, the season’s first international tournament.