The
League of Legends 2025 World Championship kicks off in Beijing on the 14th of October. A total of 17 teams will compete to, again, succeed T1 at the top of the Riot Games MOBA world hierarchy. On this occasion,
Sheep Esports brings you a daily feature on one of the teams taking part. On October 5th, the ninth episode of our series focuses on
Movistar KOI.
The Spanish organization spent the entire year at the top of the LEC ecosystem, comfortably belonging to the leagueâs undisputed top four. Within this elite group, they claimed
one regional title in Spring and reached the Grand Final in Summer, once again proving they can stand toe-to-toe with Europeâs best. But now, they enter again a competition in which they have never truly shone.
Searching for redemption on the Worlds stage
Their 2025 success has come with remarkable stability, having made only one roster change this year â the high-profile signing of Joseph â
Jojopyunâ Pyun on the midlane. The
arrival of Jojopyun marked a historic moment for the Western
League of Legends. North American imports to Europe are rare, but those that immediately succeed are unprecedented. "Jojo" became the
first NA player to win the LEC, capping off an outstanding rookie year in Europe by
taking Movistar KOI to both the Mid-Season Invitational and now Worlds.
Jojopyunâs performances this year propelled Movistar KOI back to the top of the LEC. Credit: Kirill Bashkirov
Built on the heritage of MAD Lions, the organization continues its streak of consecutive international appearances. Counting both identities, Movistar KOI are attending their sixth Worlds in as many years in the LEC â or even their seventh in a row if Splyceâs legacy is included, stretching the clubâs presence at Worlds back to 2016 with an eighth participation in total. Few EMEA teams can boast such sustained excellence and reliability at the top level.
Despite their domestic dominance, Movistar KOI have yet to make a lasting mark internationally. Their history at Worlds is littered with early exits â from the painful 2â3 loss to Papara SuperMassive in 2020âs Play-In, to the sweep by Evil Geniuses in 2022, and the struggles during the Swiss Stages of the past two years, where they exited with records of 1â3 and 0â3. Their deepest run came in 2021, when the team reached the quarterfinals by defeating LNG Esports and Team Liquid. Before that, Splyceâs 2019 quarterfinal appearance â where they famously took maps off both SK Telecom T1 and eventual champions FunPlus Phoenix â remains one of the fondest memories in their international history.
Having endured those disappointments, Movistar KOI now enter Worlds 2025 with no pressure and minimal expectations, a mindset that could become their greatest asset. Free from external scrutiny, the team aims to surprise the field and reclaim the credibility of the EMEA region on the global stage.
Captain Elyoya
The face of this new era for Movistar KOI is undoubtedly Javier âElyoyaâ Prades Batalla. The Spanish jungler has been the backbone of the roster since his debut, orchestrating every iteration of the team with his leadership and game sense. The entire roster has been constructed around him â by him, for him, and with him â reflecting his influence both inside and outside the game. Together with his support, Ălvaro "Alvaro" FernĂĄndez del Amo, he co-directs the teamâs macro decisions and mid-game calls, shaping MKOIâs identity as one of Europeâs most tactically sophisticated squads.
Elyoyaâs consistency is also record-breaking. No jungler in EMEA history has managed six consecutive Worlds appearances with the same organization. Despite such longevity, he remains self-aware and motivated. As he
told Sheep Esports after MSI 2025: â
You never know when it will be your last international.â His humility, combined with his ambition to challenge the best Asian junglers, continues to fuel his evolution as one of the Westâs few globally respected players.
For those who enjoy innovative drafts, Alex "Myrwn" Pastor Villarejo is undoubtedly Movistar KOIâs disruptor. The Spanish toplaner is renowned for pulling out uniquely inventive champion picks, an asset that was never fully showcased at Worlds last year. With the meta now more open and the newly introduced Fearless format at Worlds, Myrwn could finally shine in a best-of series should Movistar KOI advance far enough. The creative spark of Alvaro is perfectly complemented by David "Supa" MartĂnez GarcĂa, a player often underestimated in EMEA, but who, alongside Alvaro, forms one of the regionâs longest-standing and most synergistic botlane duos. Together for over three and a half years, their duo is a cornerstone of KOIâs consistency.
Adding a touch of narrative intrigue, Worlds 2025 sees an unusual reversal of roles: Jojopyun, now an LEC champion, will represent Europe, while his former Evil Geniuses teammate, Kacper âInspiredâ SĆoma, carries North Americaâs hopes with FlyQuest. Both were once celebrated as the potential best at their positions in the West â now, they stand on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Their divergent paths illustrate a growing synergy between Western regions, an emerging cooperation designed to produce rosters capable of challenging the eastern giants that have dominated for over a decade. Whether that effort begins to bear fruit will be one of the stories to follow throughout this Worlds.
Movistar KOI 2025 roster:
- Top: Alex "Myrwn" Pastor Villarejo
- Jungle: Javier âElyoyaâ Prades Batalla
- Mid: Joseph "Jojopyun" Pyun
- ADC: David "Supa" MartĂnez GarcĂa
- Support: Ălvaro "Alvaro" FernĂĄndez del Amo
Header Photo Credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games