LEC Spring Finals: Three Teams, One Trophy

There’s a lot at stake in the LEC this weekend. The Spring Split is drawing to a close, and with it the advent of a new EMEA king. G2 Esports have already secured their place in the final, as well as the Mid-Season Invitational and the Esports World Cup. Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI will meet this Saturday to determine which of the two will gain access to the same privileges. The latter will come up against the Samurai the following day, for the coronation of the 2025 Spring Champion.

Peak rivalry

$200,000. That’s the estimated minimum prize that the winner of this Saturday’s Best-Of-Five will get, with the combined MSI and EWC prize pools each worth $2,000,000 in total. However, the stakes are not just financial, as KC and KOI’s fan bases share an unparalleled rivalry in the esports ecosystem.

Driven by the historic competition between Spain and France in many areas, this rivalry has been exacerbated by the communities that Ibai “Ibai” Llanos and Kamel “Kameto” Kebir — the founders of the two organisations — have been able to bring together. To the extent that last year, the two teams invited each other to their respective preseason showmatches in the presence of their fans. A rivalry that has matured, with top-level matches on many other games. But the stakes have probably never been as high as they will be this Saturday on League of Legends.

KCX4.
FOREVER RIVALS.@MovistarKOI pic.twitter.com/EN0e9sz9wa

— Karmine Corp (@KarmineCorp) June 9, 2024

First, LoL is the game where it all began for the two founders. Ibai started out his career as a caster, and Kameto as a semi-pro player. It’s about getting into two international tournaments on the fans’ favourite game, as well as one BO5 away from being the best team in the region. And then it’s about stopping the other from doing so.

For Karmine Corp, it’s a question of defending their throne, valiantly acquired this winter after a stifling first year at the highest European level (two top 10s at Winter and Spring 2024). For MKOI, it’s about finally confirming that these two years of building with the same core have not been wasted, that this is indeed “the split” as Álvaro “Alvaro” Fernández said in our interview. But it’s also about putting a smile back on the faces of fans who have suffered so much, with dramas and structural changes since KOI’s first attempt to join the league in 2023.

For each of the institutions and their fans, who will be able to enjoy watching their team compete at international events over the next two months, this BO5 is certainly worth more than a title.

"MSI is at stake, our egos are at stake, fanbase is at stake."

The #LEC Finals weekend is here! pic.twitter.com/r282wrxErv

— LEC (@LEC) June 6, 2025

To save the Samuraï’s honour

Yet it is the final boss, reigning over Europe since the advent of the LEC (12 titles out of a possible 17), who will await the winner in the grand final. History could not be written any better. And for G2, it’s also about clearing their name. They were defeated in the Winter final by Karmine Corp (0-3), who curtly stripped them of the crown they had managed to retain five times since Summer 2023. The Samurai will now have the opportunity to take it back directly from them, or to reclaim it against the team that outclassed the regicide twice in BO5.

Indeed, MKOI unexpectedly won their last match against Karmine Corp last week (3-2). It was their first win over the Blue Wall since the Winter 2024 regular season. KC had won the six following matches: four in the regular season and twice in playoffs. MKOI also carry a bitter memory of G2 in the Grand Finals, having lost to them on the last step in Winter 2024. On paper, they appear to be the team with the least chance of taking the title this weekend. Their victory over KC seems to have been down to better preparation rather than sheer strength.

However, they do have some arguments to make this Spring. Three of their players reached the second All-Pro Team, with Javier “Elyoya” Prades in the third. The one player who didn’t cut had a lot to prove, and he didn’t waste any time in doing so. David “Supa” Martinez emerged from the BO5 against KC — and his long-time rival Caliste “Caliste” Henry-hennebert — with the series MVP.

Karmine Corp had finished first in the regular season with just one loss to Fnatic, and many experiments in draft, intended to vary their playstyles before facing the Eastern teams again. Following their rout against MKOI, the Blue Wall took revenge on Fnatic with even more severity than G2: 3-0. On their way now stands the second team to have beaten them this split, another revenge they would be delighted to take.

After a complicated regular season, G2 finally seem to have found their stride, giving up just one game to each of their Upper Bracket opponents. The true king of Europe, Rasmus “Caps” Winther, has regained his superb shape by winning the MVP in his latest series against MKOI. All three teams appear to be at their peak, given their latest performances. Hopefully, the matches they offer this weekend will be as well. Because two of them will go on to represent our region’s hopes in Vancouver.