LEC Versus 2026 Playoffs: Movistar KOI Defeat Natus Vincere 2-0 and Head to Barcelona

The first match of the day took place in the Upper Bracket Semifinals between Movistar KOI and Natus Vincere. The match was held in a Bo3 format using the Fearless Draft system. The winning team advances to the Upper Bracket Final and automatically secures a top-4 spot at LEC Versus 2026. Let's move on to the game review.

Game 1 Picks:

• Movistar KOI: Ornn, Zaahen, Azir, Ezreal, Rell
• Natus Vincere: Rumble, Xin Zhao, Yone, Corki, Nautilus

Game 2 Picks:

• Movistar KOI: KSante, Pantheon, Anivia, Aphelios, Lulu
• Natus Vincere: Gnar, Dr.Mundo, Ryze, Miss Fortune, Bard

The game began with high pressure from both sides, but MKOI appeared significantly more aggressive than in previous matches. Their draft facilitated better map mobility and forced engagements, allowing them to secure an early lead with the first two dragons and two unanswered kills.

By the mid-game, NAVI attempted a comeback, securing the third dragon. However, they lost the subsequent teamfight, allowing MKOI's gold lead to grow to 3,000 - much of which was concentrated on Azir.

The turning point occurred at the 24-minute mark. Despite NAVI attempting to capitalize on a pick-off and MKOI's mechanical errors during a dragon contest, Movistar KOI played the disadvantaged fight perfectly. They secured an ACE, transitioned to Baron, and wiped NAVI again to balloon their lead to 11,000 gold. From there, MKOI systematically closed out the game to take a 1-0 lead.

The second map began with much more activity from Natus Vincere; they moved better across the map and acted more aggressively in the lanes. This time, the "Born to Win" secured the first two dragons, the first tower, and First Blood. This allowed NAVI to pull ahead by 2,000 gold.

Before the third dragon, Natus Vincere looked to secure a more favorable position for the upcoming fight. However, they overextended slightly and failed to account for the amount of crowd control available and how closely the MKOI squad was grouped. MKOI won the fight and took the dragon, effectively neutralizing NAVI's entire lead.

NAVI maintained an even gold position through tower pressure, but MKOI pulled ahead after securing Baron. During the contest for the next dragon, NAVI started the fight quite well, but excessive crowd control simply prevented the Natus Vincere roster from doing anything effective in the teamfight. After the second Baron, NAVI were left with very little chance of victory. NAVI's complex draft versus MKOI's simple and reliable composition resulted in another victory for MKOI, closing out the map.

Natus Vincere drop down to the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, while MKOI secure a top 3-4 finish at LEC Versus 2026 and head to Barcelona for the Upper Bracket Final.

In 2026, the LEC Versus format does not include a cash prize. Instead of a prize pool, teams are competing for qualification to the international tournament, First Stand 2026. The match format changes during the playoff stage: early rounds are held as Best-of-3 (Bo3) series, while key and final matchups are played in a Best-of-5 (Bo5) format. These matches will determine the team that secures a slot for the international stage.