LEC Versus 2026 Playoffs: Karmine Corp Defeat GIANTX 3-0 to Advance to the Lower Bracket Final

The LEC Versus 2026 Playoffs are approaching their final stage, and today featured a high-stakes Lower Bracket Semifinal between GIANTX and Karmine Corp. The winning team advances to the Lower Bracket Final, while the losing side exits the tournament, securing 4th place in the Winter Split. Let's dive into the recap of this intense Best-of-5 (Bo5) series.

Game 1 Picks:

• GIANTX: Ornn, Jarvan IV, Orianna, Ashe, Seraphine
• Karmine Corp: Rumble, Xin Zhao, Azir, Jhin, Bard

Game 2 Picks:

• GIANTX: Sion, Aatrox, Taliyah, Ezreal, Neeko
• Karmine Corp: RekSai, Dr.Mundo, Aurora, Corki, Nami

Game 3 Picks:

• GIANTX: Gnar, Vi, Karma, Aphelios, Thresh
• Karmine Corp: Kennen, Naafiri, Ahri, Xayah, Rakan

GIANTX started the game aggressively, utilizing their draft's strengths for quick ganks and early dominance. However, Karmine Corp quickly adapted to the pressure and shifted toward coordinated team rotations across the map to stabilize their position.

The turning point occurred at the 17-minute mark, when KC punished a positional error by Jarvan IV to secure a 2,000 gold lead. This momentum carried into a decisive fight for Soul Point, where KC wiped four members of GIANTX and secured both Baron and Dragon. Despite a desperate attempt to contest the Hextech Soul, GIANTX couldn't recover, allowing Karmine Corp to close out the map in dominant fashion.

The momentum shifted at the 6-minute mark when Karmine Corp secured a 2,000 gold lead. Two critical kills went to Corki in the bot lane, followed by a third during a skirmish for the top scuttle crab. For a team of KC's caliber, such a dominant start left GIANTX with little hope of recovery.

By the 15-minute mark, Karmine Corp countered a GIANTX engagement to extend their lead to 7,000 gold and secure three dragons. Relentless pressure from KC, combined with a situational draft from GIANTX that was difficult to execute from behind, allowed Karmine Corp to comfortably close out the map 2-0.

During the first half of the map, GIANTX took a dominant position and maintained a solid lead. They performed well in skirmishes over dragons, steadily building their advantage. However, a lingering issue was their deficit in kills, which prevented Karmine Corp from falling too far behind in gold.

The primary obstacle for GIANTX in the mid-game was Xayah, who became a massive threat thanks to an impressive kill streak. By the 25-minute mark, it became clear that GIANTX would unfortunately be unable to take a single map in this series.

With a definitive 3-0 victory, Karmine Corp advances to the Lower Bracket Final. Despite the loss, GIANTX broke their record from last year, finishing the Winter Split in 4th place.

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.