LoL - Worlds 2025: Movistar KOI, fishing for victory (9/17)

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 league’s 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 Europe’s best. But now, they enter again a competition in which they have never truly shone.

Their 2025 success has come with remarkable stability, having made only one roster change this year — the high-profile signing of Joseph “Jojopyun” 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.

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 — or even their seventh in a row if Splyce’s legacy is included, stretching the club’s 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 — from the painful 2–3 loss to Papara SuperMassive in 2020’s 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 1–3 and 0–3. Their deepest run came in 2021, when the team reached the quarterfinals by defeating LNG Esports and Team Liquid. Before that, Splyce’s 2019 quarterfinal appearance — where they famously took maps off both SK Telecom T1 and eventual champions FunPlus Phoenix — 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.

The face of this new era for Movistar KOI is undoubtedly Javier “Elyoya” 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 — by him, for him, and with him — reflecting his influence both inside and outside the game. Together with his support, Álvaro "Alvaro" Fernández del Amo, he co-directs the team’s macro decisions and mid-game calls, shaping MKOI’s identity as one of Europe’s most tactically sophisticated squads.

Elyoya’s 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: “You never know when it will be your last international.” His humility, combined with his ambition to challenge the best Asian junglers, continues to fuel his evolution as one of the West’s few globally respected players.

For those who enjoy innovative drafts, Alex "Myrwn" Pastor Villarejo is undoubtedly Movistar KOI’s 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" Martínez García, a player often underestimated in EMEA, but who, alongside Alvaro, forms one of the region’s longest-standing and most synergistic botlane duos. Together for over three and a half years, their duo is a cornerstone of KOI’s 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 “Inspired” Słoma, carries North America’s hopes with FlyQuest. Both were once celebrated as the potential best at their positions in the West — 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.