Nova Series: Prélude is a brand new League of Legends tournament co-organized by ZQSD Productions and Riot Games. It is the second French competition for women, following the Coupe des Etoiles from 2023 and 2024. The qualifiers have just concluded, and the playoffs are about to begin on November 23rd between the four qualified teams.
The Nova Series began with two open qualifiers, both using the same format. The qualifiers were played over two days each
Day 1 was a 6-round Swiss stage, with each team playing 6 Best of 1s against other teams with the same record as them. At the end of the day, the top 4 teams out of 12 participants qualified for day 2.
Day 2 was a 4-teams, single elimination playoffs bracket (meaning semifinals into finals). All matches were best of 3s. Both finalists qualified for the main event.
The second qualifier worked the same way, only with 7 rounds instead of 6. Teams were allowed to participate in both qualifiers, and the two squads that had already secured their spot to the main event obviously wouldn’t re-enter. As a result, this served as a second chance for most of the teams, with the strongest two opponents gone.
The second qualifier had 15 participants instead of 12, hence the extra round in the Swiss stage.
The first qualifier took place on the 8th and 9th of November. The second one was over the next weekend, on the 15th and 16th. All games were played online.
The playoffs are a simple single-elimination bracket between the 4 qualified teams. The semifinals are Best of 3s, and will be played on the 23rd of November. The first match starts at 5pm CET / 8am PST, with the second one to follow suit. Both matches are played online.
The finals will be an offline Best of 5 played in a studio in Paris. The finals will take place on December 6th.
The Nova Series Prélude semifinalists Image Source: Riot Games (via X @LoL_France)
G2 Hel was the first team to qualify, by winning the first qualifier. This team has a long-standing name, regularly placing high in women’s or tier 2 circuits. G2’s sister team went through the first qualifier with a single loss in the Swiss stage and an undefeated playoffs. This was while they played the entire qualifier with Cosmïc subbing in for their fearsome marksman Caltys. G2 Hel are thus the favorites to win the Nova Series Prélude.
Eterna was the second team to qualify on the first weekend. With a Swiss score of 4-2, they then beat Gwen.G 2-1 before being swept by G2 Hel. While G2 Hel look to be the favorites due to their recent performances, they beat them in the grand finals of the 2025 Game Changers Rising. Eterna should be just as much of a threat as their rivals.
SK Avarosa won the second qualifier. However, this wasn’t their second chance tournament, they simply didn’t participate in the first. SK Avarosa went 10-3 in their qualifier, and their current performances against G2 Hel and Eterna are unknown.
Despite not achieving strong recent results, SK Avarosa claimed the title of the Equal Esports Cup 2023, also beating G2 Hel in the process. However, this was with a mostly different roster.
Gwen.G participated in both of the qualifiers, reaching the playoffs both times. In the first qualifier, they fell to Eterna in the semifinals, but succeeded in the second by beating Vitality Rising Bees. Gwen.G is a brand new team, with no recorded prior tournament experience, making them the fresh blood to challenge the established names.
G2 Hel will face off against Gwen.G in the first semifinals, while Eterna will battle SK Avarosa for the second spot.
Featured Image Source: Riot Games, Jaxon.gg
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