2026 LEC Versus Playoffs — Teams, Format, Schedule and First Stand Qualification

Feb 12, 2026 | 0 comments

Overview

The 2026 LEC Versus Playoffs bring together the top eight teams from the Regular Season. These teams will compete for the first LEC trophy of the year and a place at First Stand 2026 in Brazil. The playoffs run from February 16 to March 1, 2026, and use a double-elimination bracket. Early rounds are Best-of-3, and later rounds switch to Best-of-5. The winner earns the region’s qualifying spot for First Stand.

Regular Season Recap

The Regular Season used a single round-robin format with 12 teams. Each match was Best-of-1. The group included 10 partnered LEC teams and 2 invited teams from European Regional Leagues. Play began on January 17. After the final week, eight teams advanced to playoffs, and four were eliminated. Los Ratones finished with a 5-6 record and missed the cut after a difficult final stretch.

Qualified Teams and Records

Eight teams advanced based on wins and losses in the Regular Season:

Karmine Corp: 8-3
Natus Vincere: 7-4
Team Vitality: 7-4
GIANTX: 6-5
Team Heretics: 6-5
G2 Esports: 6-5
Movistar KOI: 6-5
Fnatic: 5-6

Eliminated Teams

Four teams did not qualify for playoffs:

Los Ratones: 5-6
Shifters: 5-6
SK Gaming: 3-8
Karmine Corp Blue: 2-9

Playoff Format

The bracket has eight teams and uses double elimination. A team that loses once moves to the lower bracket and can still reach the final by winning out. A second loss knocks the team out.

Rounds 1 and 2: Best-of-3 series
All later rounds: Best-of-5 series
Fearless Draft: No team may pick the same champion more than once in the same series

This structure rewards consistency across multiple games and allows teams to adjust strategies. The Fearless Draft rule adds variety and challenges teams to prepare deeper champion pools. It also reduces repeat picks and encourages planning for each possible game in a series.

Schedule (CET)

Playoffs begin on February 16. The opening matchups and start times are scheduled in Central European Time:

February 16:
- Natus Vincere vs. Fnatic at 16:45
- Team Vitality vs. Movistar KOI at 18:30
February 17:
- Team Heretics vs. G2 Esports at 10:45
- Karmine Corp vs. GIANTX at 12:30

The event runs through March 1. Match times can shift based on series length and broadcast flow. For exact day-by-day updates and any changes, refer to official schedule updates as the event progresses.

How the Bracket Works

All eight teams start in the upper bracket. Winners move forward in the upper bracket, while losers drop to the lower bracket. The lower bracket is an elimination path: one more loss there ends a team’s run. Because the early rounds are Best-of-3, teams must be ready to adapt quickly. From the later rounds onward, Best-of-5 series allow for more strategic adjustment across drafts.

The Fearless Draft rule affects both pick order and game plans. Since a champion cannot be used twice by the same team in a series, coaches must map out preferred picks for several games. Teams often spread comfort picks among players and keep counterpicks in reserve for later games. This can change how early-game or late-game strategies are prioritized and may influence bans across the series.

What Is at Stake

The playoff winner secures the first LEC trophy of 2026 and qualifies for First Stand 2026 in Brazil. Seeding within the bracket can also shape the difficulty of the path. Higher-seeded teams often face opponents with similar or slightly lower regular season records in the opening round, but every match is high pressure due to the format and the no-repeat champion rule.