Natus Vincere and Movistar KOI Survived Elimination as Team Vitality Missed the World Championship
Both quarter-finals in the LEC summer playoffs went the full five games, leaving one European place at the World Championship still to be settled in Nice.
Natus Vincere beat GIANTX 3-2 on 11 September 2026 and Movistar KOI beat Team Vitality 3-2 on 12 September in elimination matches in the LEC summer playoffs, played at the Riot Games Arena in Berlin.
Natus Vincere won games one, three and five against GIANTX, with the jungler Enes Ucan, known as Rhilech and the league rookie of the year, taking series most valuable player after two baron steals and a triple kill in the third game. Flakked had won the second and fourth games for GIANTX on Sivir. Movistar KOI recovered from 2-1 down against Team Vitality, with Elyoya named series most valuable player.
Team Vitality are eliminated from the World Championship despite finishing second in the regular season, having failed to win a single best-of-five all year. They drop to the Demacia Cup Global Invitational, which begins on 3 October. GIANTX are out of international competition altogether.
The playoffs run from 5 to 20 September, with week one held in Madrid, week two in Berlin and the final three series in Nice from 18 to 20 September. G2 Esports and Karmine Corp secured the first two European places at the World Championship on 5 September. Fnatic failed to reach the playoffs at all, ending a run of qualification for the World Championship every year since 2017.