EMEA Masters Winter 2026 Power Ranking

As the first EMEA Masters of the season approaches, the competition among ERL teams promises to be particularly close this year. While the reigning champions, , and the newly formed Witchcraft roster—composed of four former players—return in pursuit of the title, they will face strong opposition from several new contenders across the ERL ecosystem eager to establish themselves.

Beyond the trophy itself, there is an additional incentive at stake this year for both the champion and the runner-up. The two highest-placed teams in the competition (excluding academy rosters) will earn qualification for the EWC EMEA Qualifier. Ahead of the tournament’s start, Sheep Esports presents its Power Ranking of the twelve strongest teams entering the competition.

Winning the LFL title almost automatically confers favorite status upon the team entering the competition. Before finally breaking their long-standing LFL title drought, qualified in their first EMEA Masters following several years of unsuccessful attempts. Powered by a revamped roster and the outstanding form of —who lifted the trophy last year with Karmine Corp Blue—Solary now have the opportunity to pursue another historic achievement for the organization.

Following a brief stint in the LEC, four former Los Ratones players return to the ERL circuit with a clear objective: securing a place in the EWC qualifiers. Competing under a new banner and reinforced by in the toplane, Witchcraft undeniably possess a lineup rich in individual talent and experience, one capable of troubling many opponents. The remaining question is whether the team can once again dominate the ERL scene as they did last year.

After conceding only a single map throughout the entire TCL Winter 2026 season, arrive at the tournament with considerable momentum. Featuring a well-balanced roster and reinforced by the addition of Paul “Stend” Lardin before the event, the Turkish organization enters the competition with significant strengths to showcase. Widely regarded as one of the tournament’s major contenders, Misa count among their ranks AD carry Byeon “Hype” Jeong-hyeon as well as midlaner , one of the most recent champions with Karmine Corp Blue.

Karmine Corp Blue return to defend their title after finishing last at the LEC Versus. Despite four changes to the roster that had previously dominated the competition, KCB can still rely on their standout jungler to remain a credible contender. Although their LEC campaign ended in a last-place finish, the young lineup showed promising potential and will now look to reaffirm its strength back on the ERL stage.

Initially announced at the beginning of the season as the leading favorite in the LFL—and perhaps even across the ERLs—French Flair ultimately concluded the LFL Invitational as the French league’s third seed. The team founded by French streamer Jean “TraYtoN” Medzadourian, composed of four former LEC players, nevertheless remains a credible contender for the title, particularly with —four-time winner of the competition—among its ranks.

Galions have put together a very competitive roster this year, and their LFL split went very well. joined after a year in the LEC with Team Heretics, same for who played with Natus Vincere in the LEC. is entering his third year in the LFL with the Pirates. The organization kept last year’s botlane, and , one of the best duos in the ERL. Together, the team reached the LFL final, losing to Solary. This will be their second EMEA Masters appearance, and they are expected to reach the quarterfinals, as they did last Summer.

Regular participants in the EMEA Masters since last year, return after once again securing the Prime League title with a revamped roster. Thus far, the German organization has not managed to reach the quarterfinals in its recent appearances. Despite fielding an entirely new lineup, BIG rely on three former LEC players as the backbone of a team that has dominated its domestic league while attempting to recapture past success. The last time the German organization lifted the EMEA Masters trophy was in 2019.

enter the competition as the first seed from the Spanish league. Victorious in a league format played over a single weekend, the LEC organization’s academy roster displayed clear dominance over its domestic opposition and will aim to replicate that level against the rest of the ERL field. Retaining the same core lineup as last year while adding , MKF will participate in their first EMEA Masters and intend to make a strong impression.

The academy roster of the European champions made a strong impression during its first split in the Prime League. With an entirely new lineup,

G2 NORD

won the pre-season tournament before reaching the final of the German league first split — and even pushed BIG to a fifth game, though it ultimately proved insufficient to secure the trophy. For their first EMEA Masters appearance, G2 NORD may begin the tournament slightly below the primary favorites, but they nonetheless represent a noteworthy outsider.

For their first-ever split in the TCL, performed well. They brought in , who played the Summer in the LEC with , and Korean jungler , who spent Spring 2025 in Türkiye with . They also signed Turkish midlaner , while the botlane consists of and. The team had a strong split, starting from Round 1 of the playoffs, where they overcame and twice to reach the grand final, ultimately losing to Misa Esports. Entering as the TCL’s second seed, they are expected to make the playoffs, but barring a favorable draw, they are unlikely to reach the later stages.

have a fairly competitive roster, but due to numerous changes, they didn’t show much at the LES 2026 Kick-off tournament, where they finished 3rd–4th. The team retained its mid–jungle duo, and , and added two Koreans: in toplane and Shin “Lure” Jae-yoon as AD Carry, supported by . The roster is promising and should be playoff-capable, but their lack of cohesion from playing few games together will likely see them fall in the early rounds after the group stage.

Last year, USE’s run at the EMEA Masters Summer Split was a huge surprise, but it’s unlikely to be repeated given the strength of the competition. The Unicorns could make the playoffs, but probably won’t go much further. They retained some of last year’s players: toplaner , jungler , and AD Carry. They were joined by two Swedish players, midlaner and support . In the Prime League, they had a strong group stage, defeated in the quarterfinals, lost to G2 NORD in the semifinals, and secured third place against , which sends them to these EMEA Masters as the German Seed 3.