LEC Versus 2026 Playoffs: Karmine Corp Defeat Team Vitality 2:1 And Advance to the Lower Bracket Semifinal

The LEC Versus 2026 Playoffs are in full swing, and the second matchup of the day featured Team Vitality taking on Karmine Corp in the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals. This crucial series was played in a Best-of-3 format using the Fearless Draft ruleset. The stakes remain high: the defeated roster is eliminated from the tournament entirely, while the victor advances to the Lower Bracket Semifinal and guarantees a top-4 finish for the Winter Split. Let's dive into the match breakdown.

Game 1 Picks:

• Team Vitality: Ambessa, Dr.Mundo, Ryze, Ezreal, Karma
• Karmine Corp: Rek'Sai, Vi, Taliyah, Yunara, Neeko

Game 2 Picks:

• Team Vitality: Yasuo, Nocturne, Orianna, Corki, Rell
• Karmine Corp: Aurora, Jarvan IV, Azir, Xayah, Rakan

Game 3 Picks:

• Team Vitality: KSante, Xin Zhao, Twisted Fate, Seraphine, Braum
• Karmine Corp: Rumble, Wukong, Ahri, Zeri, Alistar

The first map started with active trades that Team Vitality successfully secured in their favor. Karmine Corp responded with isolated kills and focused heavily on objectives, securing dragon after dragon. However, Team Vitality consistently found favorable teamfights and farming opportunities, which allowed them not only to keep up in creep score but also to build a steady advantage. Despite not pulling significantly ahead in terms of total kills, Team Vitality's excellent map control and systematic tower takedowns ultimately led to their victory in this game following a decisive fight for the Elder Dragon.

The second map started with very active skirmishes across all lanes and highlight-worthy plays. Karmine Corp did not want to concede this game to Team Vitality, so they tried to play proactively. However, Team Vitality had no intention of playing on the defensive either, finding numerous opportunities to initiate fights. In this game, KC did an excellent job focusing on dragons, but Team Vitality consistently found openings around the map to pull ahead in gold.

This dynamic persisted until the 24-minute mark and a teamfight in the mid lane, which KC executed perfectly. This allowed them to equalize the gold difference and secure the Baron. This became the beginning of the end for Team Vitality. The Mountain Soul and solid teamfights managed to turn the tide, building an advantage for KC that was ultimately too difficult for Vitality to overcome.

The third map began with a highly questionable draft from Team Vitality. Overall, the entire game was characterized by the absolute domination of Karmine Corp, making it difficult to pinpoint specific standout moments. From start to finish, all map objectives were secured by KC. Playing from a significant deficit, Team Vitality simply had no opportunities to find a favorable teamfight. Ultimately, it was a straightforward victory for Karmine Corp, securing their advancement to the Lower Bracket Semifinal, where they will face off against GIANTX.

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.