Los Ratones lived up to expectations and crushed NORD Esports in the NLC Grand Final in Copenhagen. In a packed arena, the team — founded by streaming phenom Marc "Caedrel" Lamont last year — claimed yet another title, lifting their third trophy in as many tournaments. They will once again represent their region as its first seed to the EMEA Masters, this time with the well-earned status of tournament favorites as they look to defend their crown.

This kind of dominance is almost never-seen-before in Europe, drawing strong comparisons to Karmine Corp's explosive debut in the top-tier ERLs in 2021, when they won the LFL in Spring and both EMEA Masters that year, losing only the LFL Summer Final to Misfits Premier.

The return of the Rats

After an unexpected drop to the lower bracket — marking their first and only NLC loss of the year — Los Ratones exacted revenge in the grand final against their conquerors: NORD Esports, led by Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski. The legendary jungler joined the roster this Spring and was expected to shake up the league’s hierarchy. But once again, the final score was brutally clear: 3-0, just like in the Winter Split.

Superior in every aspect, Los Ratones's clutch factor and creativity once again made all the difference. Together, they’ve reshaped the face of the NLC, becoming the first organization ever to win back-to-back splits and complete a double in the same year. This also makes all five players the second-most decorated in league history, just behind Danish botlaner Nikolaj Asbjorn "DenVoksne" Meilby, who won three consecutive Summer Splits (2021, 2022, 2023) with three different teams.

Veljko "Velja" Čamdžić was crowned MVP of the final, thanks in large part to a dazzling performance on Naafiri in Game 2. His level of play — and that of his teammates — is turning heads across Europe. The LEC and already-eliminated orgs from the split may well come knocking soon. For now, Los Ratones and NORD are both heading to the EMEA Masters, and they’re sure to make headlines again in the coming weeks, with the group stage draw set to be revealed later today.