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 Europeâs 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 â Marcin "Jankos" Jankowskiâs team â
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.
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 â in Marc "
Caedrel" Lamontâs chat, when the schedule was revealed â 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 yearâeven if it means sacrificing the prestige of claiming every single trophy they entered in 2025.
