After a Group Stage that served solely to determine seeding for the remainder of the competition, the Winter Split playoffs of the NLC—the Nordic League of Legends league—began on Wednesday, January 29. These playoffs follow a double-elimination format, with all matches played in BO5 with Fearless Draft. The top four teams from each group—Los Ratones, NORD Esports, Bulldog Esports, and Verdant from Group A; Rich Gang Esports, The Ruddy Sack, Venomcrest Esports, and DMG Esports from Group B—qualified for the upper bracket.

In the first round, the first seed from each group faces the fourth seed from the opposite group, while the second and third seeds are matched against one another. The lowest-ranked team in each group—Lundqvist Lightside in Group A and KAOS e-sport in Group B—was sent directly to the lower bracket. You can follow the evolution of the playoff bracket in this article.

Notably, the NLC saw the return of several former LEC players during the offseason, generating renewed excitement around the league. Los Ratones, the team owned by Marc “Caedrel” Lamont and featuring Martin “Rekkles” Larsson and Tim “Nemesis” Lipovšek, went undefeated in the Group Stage and entered the playoffs as the frontrunners. Ruddy, home to Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski and new toplaner Luka “Perkz” Perković, along with NORD Esports, featuring Tamás “Vizicsacsi” Kiss and Lucas “Santorin” Larsen, are also strong contenders for the title.

New Hopes

Only the winner of this split will secure a spot at the first EMEA Masters of the year. The Nordic league has never claimed the title, despite three teams reaching the finals—Ninjas in Pyjamas in Summer 2018, BT Excel in Spring 2021, and Fnatic Rising in Summer 2021. Over the past two years, no NLC team has managed to qualify for the competition’s playoffs, even in Summer 2024, when the tournament expanded to 32 teams. However, hopes are high once again, with Los Ratones leading the charge.