Movistar KOI will be the first team ever to miss their own LEC Roadtrip

It’s official: will become the first-ever LEC team to miss its own roadtrip. The organization’s third event overall, and the final one of the 2026 season, will mark a rather sad twist for the Spanish team, which will only be able to attend in spirit and help run the event without getting to compete on stage.

Expectations were high for Movistar KOI at the start of the year after the organization chose to keep its roster intact. However, the season has since turned into a slow descent, with the team progressively struggling and getting worse. Now, Movistar KOI finds itself fighting just to secure a playoff spot, having already been eliminated from contention for a top-four finish.

Those were the words co-owner Ibai Llanos used after the team’s defeat to . A match that, on paper, should have been won slipped through Movistar KOI’s fingers, with the manner of the loss proving even more frustrating for fans and the organization. Inconsistency has defined MKOI’s performances throughout the split, and the way they threw Game 2 against SK perfectly encapsulated the team’s season as a whole.

The final nail in the coffin, however, came the following day when defeated . Even after their loss to SK, MKOI retained a tiny 0.01% chance of finishing in the top four, but that hope disappeared the moment Heretics fell. Now, Movistar KOI is fighting simply to secure a playoff spot, with their final regular-season match against Team Heretics next week leaving no room for error. The squad will have to win if it wants to keep its season alive.

Since the creation of this roster, MKOI has never missed the playoffs, although it has come close occasionally. This time, however, the team finds itself in perhaps its most precarious position yet.

No matter what happens, MKOI will now start the LEC Summer Playoffs at best in the lower bracket, meaning it will have to grind through the gauntlet to secure a spot at Worlds and in Nice for the LEC Summer Finals. There is still a path to redemption, but it is becoming increasingly narrow.

Even a victory against Heretics would not put everything back in MKOI’s hands. Its chances will likely depend on the results of the other middle-of-the-pack teams, all of whom are fighting for their own playoff hopes while looking to upset the former LEC champions and write their names into the league’s history.

What is certain is that MKOI’s days of glory are looking increasingly distant. While and remain neck and neck at the top, with the Blue Wall continuing to challenge the reigning champions, one of the former members of Europe’s old trifecta now finds itself lagging behind.

The MKOI Roadtrip will take place in Madrid on September 5-6, serving as the final stop of the 2026 LEC season before heading to Nice. The event will feature two best-of-five series on the first day with Worlds spots on the line, while the LEC semifinals will take place on September 6.

Karmine Corp and G2 Esports have already secured their places, while Team Vitality is looking increasingly likely to join them. The final spot remains up for grabs between several teams, but Movistar KOI is no longer in contention. Ironically, the Spanish organization will still be involved in hosting the event, despite being unable to compete on its own stage.