A Debated Chronobreak, No Contested BOs… LEC Versus Playoffs Round 1 Recap

The LEC Versus Playoffs kicked off in Berlin on February 16, featuring four decisive BO3 series over two days, none of which were particularly close. NAVI thoroughly dominated Fnatic, while Movistar KOI edged out Team Vitality in a BO3 that sparked endless debate. G2 Esports flipped the switch to playoff mode and steamrolled Team Heretics, and Karmine Corp made short work of GIANTX.

LEC Versus Playoffs – Top Teams Navigate in Peace

On paper, Day 1’s matchups were supposed to be the most balanced, but FNC vs. NAVI wrapped up in just one hour of total playtime. The Ukrainian squad continues to build around its jungler as the star, loving drafts that flex AD bruisers between Volodymyr “Maynter” Sorokin and Enes “Rhilech” Uçan. That’s exactly what they did in Game 1 with Zaahen, and again in Game 2 with Aatrox.

Polat “Parus” Furkan Çiçek countered on Leona, one of his standout picks from BDS Academy’s glory days in 2024. In game, Fnatic stuck to their predictable style, with Iván “Razork” Martín Díaz playing around and for his bot lane. Mid lane remained a struggle for Vladimiros “Vladi” Kourtidis, who has been unrecognizable this year.

HUGE fight for NAVI leads them to Mountain Soul AND Nash! pic.twitter.com/gJCG8TMgVT

— LEC (@LEC) February 16, 2026

Game 2 was all NAVI dominance: the Ezreal-Bard botlane surged ahead early, while Aatrox jungle dictated a tempo Pantheon couldn’t match. Panagiotis “Empyros” Tantis’s Jax could have been Fnatic‘s win condition, but the rest of the team was too far behind to let him shine. A clean, swift 2-0. Hear what FNC support Lospa had to say about the series.

Chronobreak Debate Ignites Playoffs

NAVI weren’t the only ones flexing Zaahen—MKOI did the same in Game 1 of their BO3. Joseph Joon “Jojopyun” Pyun took Taliyah, a logical pick against his opponent’s Azir. The game’s turning point unfolded in bot lane: Vitality landed a solid catch on Alex “Myrwn” Pastor Villarejo’s Zaahen, who died, sparking a teamfight. Jojopyun used his Weaver’s Wall, and with the fight tilting against the Spanish side, a bug dropped his Taliyah from her ult. The Canadian mid laner called for a pause.

What followed was an interminable 20+ minute delay, ending in a chronobreak that rewound the play entirely. Forewarned of the trap, Myrwn dodged death. KOI then snagged a kill on Matyáš “Carzzy” Orság and flipped a game that had favored Vitality.

SUPA TAKES OVER AND MKOI WIN THE FIGHT pic.twitter.com/yuvt2QYGam

— LEC (@LEC) February 16, 2026

Game 2 saw KOI pick Ornn into Rumble, a champ that can weak side, and with the top lane quest, generates faster XP to upgrade teammates’ items quicker. Vitality never recovered from Game 1’s chaos, dropping the BO3 2-0 in a series that exploded across social media. Players and fans latched onto the chronobreak as the match’s defining turning point.

Razor-Sharp G2

After a middling regular season, G2 elevated their game. The Caitlyn-Bard botlane applied heavy pressure, while Rasmus “Caps” Winther’s Ryze mid paired perfectly with Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan’s Vi jungle, who roamed freely across the map. Team Heretics banked on scaling, Dr. Mundo jungle, Anivia mid, Aphelios ADC, but G2 snowballed off that comp, dictating a blistering pace the Spanish side couldn’t match. Game 1 wrapped in under 25 minutes.

The hardest opponents for Caps are… pic.twitter.com/RfxL3sJ48C

— LEC (@LEC) February 17, 2026

Game 2 followed a similar script, though slightly more contested. G2’s mid-jungle duo kept early map pressure dialed up: SkewMond’s Trundle smothered his matchup, and Caps’s roams proved decisive once more. Neeko remains a powerhouse support pick, tilting all teamfights G2’s way for another dominant win.

Caliste: Week’s MVP

A fourth stomp closed out Week 1 of LEC playoffs: Karmine Corp dominated every facet of the game. GIANTX snagged neither a single drake nor tower, only a lone Grub slipped through. Kim “Canna” Chang-dong ruled top with an early solo kill on Eren “Lot” Yıldız, while the 2v2 botlane duo of Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert and Alan “Busio” Cwalina completely shut down their opponents. Caliste racked up over 37K damage on Varus in just 32 minutes—Game 1 was utterly one-sided.

The Triple that closed the game @CalisteLoL 👏 pic.twitter.com/i9mCjSrAhh

— LEC (@LEC) February 17, 2026

Game 2 unfolded much the same way: Ismaïl “ISMA” Boualem picked Poppy as a counter to Martin “Yike” Sundelin’s Vi. The bot lane once again decided the match. At 16 minutes, the gold lead already topped 2.5K. Caliste spent the night on an ivory tower, unleashing a monstrous Yuumi that forced GIANTX to bow out. A flawless 2-0 stomp.

What’s Next

The LEC resumes Friday and runs through Monday, starting with the winners’ bracket matchups: NAVI vs. MKOI and Karmine Corp vs. G2. Saturday brings the lowers’ bracket BOs—GIANTX vs. Heretics and Fnatic vs. Vitality. Sunday and Monday feature the BOs between lower bracket survivors and upper bracket losers.

PLAYOFFS CONTINUE ON FRIDAY:

The #LEC Versus Playoffs bracket after today's matches! pic.twitter.com/NYNVyMkcdD

— LEC (@LEC) February 17, 2026

This will mark Berlin’s final week before the roadshow heads to Barcelona for the last three BOs, crowning the LEC Versus champion, Europe’s sole representative at First Stand.