Galions have done it again. The French organization defeated Solary 3-2 in the
EMEA Masters 2026 Summer Finals to claim its
second title of the year and cement its place at the top of the EMEA Regional Leagues. With the offseason now underway, however, the focus will shift to where Galions' standout players end up next, as the team prepares to see its roster picked apart by LEC organizations.
As for Solary, while the squad fell short of lifting the trophy and struggled to maintain its form following its appearance in the
World Star Challengers Invitational finals, the team can still look back on a successful year. With one title of its own in Winter and appearances in all three finals this year, Solary has consistently remained among Europe's top ERL teams.
HARPOON takes it home
Just as he has done throughout the year,
stepped up when it mattered most, earning the finals MVP award after a standout performance across the series. Game one was perhaps the clearest example, with the Polish ADC single-handedly keeping Galions in contention despite a difficult early game.
Still competing in the LFL 2nd Division last year, HARPOON has spent 2026 making sure the European scene knows exactly what he is capable of. The 21-year-old has repeatedly demonstrated that he is one of the most promising talents yet to make the jump to the LEC, finally putting together the kind of breakout season that had previously eluded him. Despite competing since 2019 and having already played for several teams, this year has allowed him to take his game to another level and show just how high his ceiling can be.
With his mother also in attendance for the finals, HARPOON had all the more reason to celebrate after helping Galions secure another EMEA Masters title.
A clash of titans
Focusing solely on Galions' achievements would do Solary a disservice. The squad fought hard throughout the series and, despite a disappointing final game, had every chance of taking the trophy home had a few key moments gone its way.
, in particular, deserves recognition after what has been a remarkable improvement, repeatedly getting the better of his lane opponent throughout the series, notably against Locke in game two.
Both teams excelled in different areas, making for a series that rarely lacked action. Game two was perhaps the best illustration of that, ending after just 33 minutes with 54 kills between the two sides. While the series ultimately went Galions' way, the level of competition throughout the finals showed just how close the gap between Europe's top ERL teams can be.
The biggest question now is how many of these players will make their way to the LEC for 2027. Both organizations have spent the year proving that their rosters have what it takes to compete at the highest level, and several players could attract the attention of Tier 1 teams during the offseason.
Unfortunately, neither Galions nor Solary will have the opportunity to carry this momentum into the LEC themselves. As
announced by LEC Commissioner Artem Bykov last month, the league will not bring back the previous LEC Versus format, leaving both organizations outside Tier 1 for the foreseeable future.
For now, however, Galions can celebrate another trophy, while Solary will have to settle for another finals appearance. After facing each other in all three finals this year, the two organizations have established themselves as the teams to beat in the ERLs. Whether their players remain in Tier 2 next year is another question entirely.
