In the high-stakes world of competitive League of Legends, every scrim, flight, and moment of preparation counts — especially when a team’s playoffs hopes hang in the balance. For GIANTX, currently battling to secure a playoffs spot in the LEC while in 9th place, an already tense situation was made worse by an unexpected and chaotic obstacle: a massive blackout in Madrid. The team was returning from their roadshow during the last LEC weekend when the power outage hit the city, plunging them into a logistical nightmare. Assistant coach Nicolas Perez provided a glimpse into the team's journey through a tweet (in French).

“Everyone’s okay (the most important),” Perez began, before detailing how the team spent ten hours stranded in the hotel lobby, unable to communicate or make travel plans due to a complete loss of cell service. The blackout also grounded their flight out of Madrid, forcing GIANTX to cancel a crucial scrim day. As any team fighting for playoffs contention knows, every practice session can be decisive, especially with only a few games left to play and no margin for error.

In a heartwarming twist, fellow LEC team Movistar KOI stepped in to offer GIANTX access to their offices so players could at least get some solo queue time in. “Big thanks to them for helping us in a time of crisis,” Perez added, acknowledging the spirit of camaraderie among rival teams—even in competition. They even ended up flying from Madrid back to Berlin—via a layover in Prague—alongside Fnatic, who also seemed affected by the blackout as they head into their final two matches of the split this weekend.

A tense road to Playoffs

Unfortunately, due to the disruptions, GIANTX will go into their match against Team BDS with only two scrim blocks instead of four—a significant blow in a meta where preparation and team coordination can be the difference between victory and elimination. With playoffs on the line and no more games to lose, the team must quickly recalibrate despite the shortened practice time. Their performance against BDS this Sunday could determine whether their season continues or comes to an abrupt end.