KC & FNC dominate, GX look strong, SK already in trouble – The state of play before LEC Summer Week 2

The 2025 LEC Summer Split kicked off last Saturday, and so far, expectations have largely been met. It was a relatively slow start to the final regional tournament of the year, with matchups that, on paper, lacked spark, and outcomes that followed the script. Karmine Corp began their campaign with a statement, finishing the weekend 2-0 and clearly hungry for redemption after a disappointing Spring. Fnatic mirrored that result, with rookie mid laner Poby earning both MVP titles in his debut weekend. SK Gaming, however, struggled to meet the bar: the team ended the week winless.

The Summer Split format leaves little room for error, as all of them played two of their only four regular-season matches. Let’s recap the first week of action before LEC resumes this weekend.

Group A

For KC, the individual performances were promising. Canna, Caliste, and Targamas looked sharp from the outset. Yike and Vladi showed moments of brilliance, although they still have inconsistencies that show they haven’t reached their peak yet. Newcomers NAVI, making their LEC debut, suffered a brutal welcome, falling to KC in what turned out to be the fastest series of the year so far (53 minutes and 51 seconds).

HUGE Neeko ult from @Targamas! #LEC pic.twitter.com/qZviJF56ih

— LEC (@LEC) August 3, 2025

The highly anticipated match between KC and GIANTX delivered on the entertainment front, confirming rumors from scrims that GX were here to play. GX impressed despite losing Game 1 — a match they had in hand until Targamas found the play of the week. They bounced back in Game 2 with a convincing win, built around a strong Sion priority on blue side and an outstanding performance from Lot to back it up. While they lost 2-1 in the end, GX secured the least for their first week against Team Vitality. The Bees once again showed worrying signs in the midgame — a recurring issue that has plagued them all year. The lack of improvement is troubling, especially with Mac and Pad fighting for their spot on the team. Fleshy also had a difficult start individually; a support curse which is beginning to seriously linger…

Group B

In the other group, Team Heretics were close to pulling off an upset against Fnatic, and it could have been a 2-0 sweep if not for a significant midgame collapse in Game 1 despite a 6k gold lead. Still, Sheo made a strong case as one of the best junglers in the league, outplaying Razork over the series. Stend also delivered a standout performance on Thresh. The jungle-support duo is confirming to be TH’s key strengths, continuing to carry the team’s upward trajectory from Spring. Fnatic, by contrast, looked shaky — their usually explosive early game only showed up in Game 3. Despite that, Poby continued to impress, especially in the win over SK.

Next week will provide a more accurate measure of the Killable Demon King’s potential as they face BDS and nuc, in what could be a pivotal Bo3. Team BDS, despite opening with a 2-0 win against SK, failed to convince. Their gameplay was particularly slow and passive in Game 1, conceding objectives and resources to the opponents. Game 2 was more controlled, but even then, midgame mistakes crept in — worrying signs for a team willing to claim a Worlds’ spot.

The Big Dogs are out in Week 2

Meanwhile, MKOI and G2 are set to make their Summer debut in Week 2 after being granted a short break to recover from their international commitments. Week 2 is expected to offer a higher level of play across the board, and the match of the week is already shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between Karmine Corp and reigning Spring champions Movistar KOI. A win for KC would not only be a statement victory against their Spring nemesis but would also almost guarantee them a spot in the upper bracket at 3-0, putting them just one BO5 away from the club’s first-ever qualification for Worlds.

Le dernier chapitre de l’année commence. On joue pour l’histoire. Pour nos rêves. Pour les Worlds. #KCORP pic.twitter.com/S7vAmuje1C

— Karmine Corp (@KarmineCorp) August 1, 2025