Hostilities commenced without delay. Hardly had the Winter champions, Los Ratones, reclaimed their second domestic crown in a row when the EMEA Masters Spring edition got underway. On Tuesday, group stage play began for four of the eight groups (A, D, E, and H), with most of the major ERLs living up to expectations. The two LFL teams made a successful start to their campaigns: Karmine Corp Blue, the most decorated team in EM history and the French league’s second seed for this edition, secured a 2-0 victory over ULF Esports, the third seed from the Turkish Championship League (TCL), in Group A.

Later in the day, BK ROG — champions of the LFL — were awarded a forfeit win in their opening game against LPLOL finalists, For The Win Esports, in Group E. The Portuguese team failed to arrive on time for the scheduled start of the match due to "professional reasons" and were penalized under Article 8.7 of the EMEA Masters rulebook. FTW also forfeited their ban phase in Game 2 and, in a matchup that was already heavily tilted on paper, were swiftly dispatched by BKR, who closed out the series 2-0.

GIANTX Pride salvages Spanish hopes

German teams also delivered. CGN Esports — fresh off a Prime League title under jungler Muhammed "Agurin" Kocak — made quick work of mCon esports, the second seed from the Benelux's Road of Legends, securing both games in under 30 minutes. While CGN benefited from a relatively forgiving opener in Group D, BIG had a more arduous task in Group E, facing off against Los Heretics. After three consecutive Superliga titles, the Spanish team was dethroned this spring and entered the competition as the league’s third seed — a dangerous opponent for any top seed. Nonetheless, BIG navigated the challenge convincingly, defeating the 2022 Summer champions 2-0.

GIANTX Pride (Superliga #2) salvaged some pride for Spain on this opening day, defeating Fajnie Mieć Skład (Rift Legends #2) in Group H. GXP bounced back after their disappointing Superliga final — where they lost more games in one series than during the entirety of the split (three defeats in the final compared to two in the rest of the split). GIANTX’s academy side dropped the first game to their Polish opponents but recovered well to take the next two and close the series. The day also produced mixed results for Hitpoint Masters representatives: eSuba (second seed) secured a 2-1 victory over LPLOL’s top seed Flame Hard, while NightBirds (first seed) fell 1-2 to EBL second seed Partizan Sangal.

Champions prepare to enter the fray

Portuguese teams — For The Win Esports and Flame Hard — thus concluded the day winless. In the final match of Day 1, FOG Esports (Arabian League #2) secured a 2-1 win over Colossal Gaming, champions of the Italian league (LIT), in Group A. As a reminder, the group stage follows a GSL format, meaning teams face opponents with identical records in subsequent rounds. Two victories secure a playoff berth, while two defeats result in elimination. For instance, in Group E, BIG and BKR will meet in the Winner’s Match with a playoff spot on the line, while Los Heretics and FTW will clash in the Elimination Match to avoid an early exit.

The EMEA Masters group stage takes place across five days — excluding the weekend, when the LEC is in session — and will conclude on Monday, June 9. On Wednesday, the reigning champions begin their title defense against Kaufland Hangry Knights, the third seed from the Prime League, in Group F. This group also features Barça eSports, Superliga champions, who will open their tournament with a match against Axolotl (LIT #2). Gentle Mates (LFL #3), Geekay Esports (Arabian League #1), Zero Tenacity (Rift Legends #1), and Team Phantasma (Hellenic League #1) will also make their debuts on Wednesday.