On Thursday, August 21, Los Ratones booked their ticket to the EMEA Masters Main Event after dismantling Rich Gang 3-0 in the NLC Summer 2025 upper bracket final. The victory not only guarantees them a place in Europe’s biggest regional showdown but also confirms that the Rats will get a chance to achieve a Grand Slam and win NLC's three splits this year.

On top of that, they advance to a Grand Final that will be unique for the first time, as NORD Esports — Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski’s team — failed to qualify for their third consecutive final, finishing fourth this split. Los Ratones now await their new opponent, whom they will face in Sweden on August 30.

The 3-0 sweep secures the Rats a direct spot in the Main Event, bypassing the Last Chance Qualifier, and further cements their meteoric rise. With back-to-back titles already under their belt, the reigning European champions now have the chance to defend their crown for a third time and chase a never-before-seen triple victory at the EMEA Masters.

A Qualification Overshadowed

However, while their ticket is secured, their participation is not yet 100% confirmed. Since the announcement that the EMEA Masters Summer final will take place on November 2nd at Paris Games Week in Paris, rumors of a possible boycott have spread. Martin "Rekkles" Larsson himself mentioned during a stream — in Marc "Caedrel" Lamont’s chat, when the schedule was revealed — that they should seriously consider skipping the tournament to instead head to China or South Korea for a bootcamp.

The main issue lies in the scheduling: the timing of the final would lock teams deep in the competition in Europe, preventing them from training abroad. Los Ratones may see more value in scrimming against World-caliber opponents overseas than in playing a tournament they have already won twice this year—even if it means sacrificing the prestige of claiming every single trophy they entered in 2025.