LEC Summer 2025 Playoffs preview: The road to Worlds intensifies

The LEC 2025 Summer Playoffs begin this week, with all eyes on which teams will play at the Finals in Madrid and earn a place at League of Legends Worlds 2025.

After four weeks of group stage play, the LEC Summer Split has narrowed the field to eight. The top three will move on to Worlds, while the finalists will also take centre stage in Madrid in front of a live crowd. Every best-of-five from here is a step closer to that dream.

The Playoffs open with the Cross Play Decider, where the third and fourth-placed teams from both regular season groups will fight for a chance at the Finals. While G2 Esports, Fnatic, Movistar KOI and Karmine Corp secured upper-bracket seeds and can afford a stumble, the others must run the gauntlet without error.

Fans have already voiced their frustration with this format, and LEC commissioner Artem Bykov has admitted that changes may be on the horizon for next year. But for now, all is set for the final run of the LEC 2025 season. 

First up are Team Heretics facing Team Vitality this Friday, followed on Saturday by GIANTX against Team BDS — both do-or-die matches. In the following week, the spotlight shifts to the upper bracket, where G2 Esports meet Karmine Corp, and Movistar KOI goes head-to-head with Fnatic. There seems to be little room for surprises with this bracket, but there’s always a possibility of an unexpected upset.

Team Heretics slipped into the Playoffs with only one win under its wing, and the organisation’s games often reflected a team that was willing to take fights, but struggled to turn advantages into victories.

Team Vitality, with two wins and two losses, looked steadier, but still showed cracks in coordination. The French side often played through its bot lane — Matyáš ‘Carzzy‘ Orság and Markos ‘Comp‘ Stamkopoulos — trying to create early leads, but faltered against the top two in its group. 

Both sides now meet in a best-of-five for the first time since before MSI, and with elimination at stake, this series could swing on which team adapts faster to playoff nerves. The margins between Heretics and Vitality have been thin, and LEC fans should be ready for a series that could stretch to all five games.

GIANTX ranked third in its group, running into a wave of momentum during the last two matches of the regular season. Its final win over NAVI showed the clean side of its approach, closing games quickly when given an opening — the perfect win to enter the playoffs with.

BDS finished its group with one win and three losses, struggling to build consistency and often dropping games after promising starts. Nevertheless, the organisation has shown flashes of creativity in draft, but execution remained shaky. 

Facing GIANTX will be a test of whether BDS can find rhythm in a best-of-five. Expect GIANTX to keep a methodical style, probably focusing on bot lane priority, while BDS aim to break patterns with aggressive plays. 

MKOI secured first in its group, only stumbling to Karmine Corp. The LEC Spring Split winners’ strength lies in its coordinated team fighting and steady mid-game setups, which makes the team a united front to go up against.

Fnatic also finished with three wins and one loss, but its path felt steadier throughout the group stage. Losing only to long-term rivals G2, FNC didn’t struggle much in its group, which had three out of five teams finish with a 1-3 record. However, it is typically in the playoffs where the pressure mounts for the team.

This matchup looks the most even of the upper bracket openers. Both sides thrive in structured fights, and in a best-of-five setting, it could easily come down to endurance and drafting flexibility. Neither side will want to drop into the lower bracket early, so expect a tense series where composure could decide which team comes out on top.

G2 Esports was the only team to close its group without recording any losses, standing once again as the team to beat after rough performances both in LEC Spring and at MSI 2025. The organisation controlled games with discipline. Its ability to snowball small advantages into decisive wins makes G2 Esports the scariest team heading into the Playoffs.

On the other side, Karmine Corp tied for first place with MKOI in its group. Looking at the French side’s gameplay, the organisation often relied on skirmish setups and individual talent to claw out victories. 

G2 Esports seems to have gained the momentum needed to win another Summer Finals this year, but KC is always ready to deliver a fatal blow whenever its opponents slip. Still, Karmine Corp will need to play tighter than ever because G2’s punishing style also leaves no margin for mistakes. G2’s consistency makes the side a heavy favourite, but KC has all the cards to win yet another match against the samurais.

Whatever way this match may go, it’ll be one no LEC fans would want to miss. Fans can tune into all the action on the LEC’s official esports broadcasts across Twitch and YouTube, as well as via partnered co-streamers.