G2 Esports faced Movistar KOI in the upper bracker final of the LEC Spring Split playoffs. After getting outclassed for the first two games, G2 pulled the series back and completed the reverse sweep to qualify for the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational and the LEC Spring final. After that series though, both teams have a lot to clean up.
MKOI won the first game by simply teamfighting better. During those, they always had clean target selection and immediate follow-up, and their play is on the same page. Executing a full-dive comp, it was clear that they could act quickly and think on their feet.
G2 had no shortage of good plays either, but their engages were often thwarted by MKOI reacting too fast. The wallet’s weight grew quickly, and MKOI struck first blood.
Game 2 was G2’s turn to push back. Despite some oopsies around the mid lane, heavy focus on the side lanes pulled them far ahead. With terrifying CC chains and damage to boot, G2 took a strong lead.
However, in a stark contrast to their opponent, they lacked coordination. Twice, botched plays showed that two players made split calls. G2 also overforced fights, while MKOI remained just as decisive, turning enemy picks into kills. MKOI ended up winning again.
G2 reverse sweeps MKOI in the LEC Spring playoffs and qualifies for MSI. Image source: Wojciech Wandzel / Riot Games
Afterwards, G2 finally turned things around for good. Game 3 was a 25-minute slaughter where MKOI didn’t win anything anywhere.
Riding that momentum, they took the fourth map by the horns and fought MKOI at every turn. G2 still dominated for most of the game, but unlike game 3’s clean victory, this map had action all around. Macro did not exist, it was only about looking for kills – for both sides.
With a 26-12 kill score in 32 minutes, G2 forced Silver Scrapes. And unlike the last three games that were all about them, the final map was dominated by MKOI. With a gold lead of up to 10k, they went further and further ahead.
Eventually, they made the final push, only for G2 to pull back-to-back heroics and repel them. After two more fights, G2 found the final engage with a Soraka heal – flash – silence, and they won game 5 while still behind in gold.
The LEC Versus champion have now qualified for MSI for the eighth time. With that success out of the way, this series didn’t look good.
While regional teams won’t challenge them much, being too itchy to pick fights when the situation doesn’t call for it is a surefire way to gift games to the LPL and LCK.
The lack of communication in key moments is worrying as well. Not to mention Rasmus “Caps” Winther getting solokilled in a fight he initiated.
By contrast, MKOI’s teamfights were incredible yesterday. Equally snappy when ahead and behind, Movistar let no mistake go unpunished. While they will now have to make their way through the lower final, MKOI looked like the second best LEC team in this match.
Featured image source: Wojciech Wandzel / Riot Games
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