At the conclusion of the second LEC week of competition, every team had returned to action, with
and
playing their first matches of the Spring Split. All teams in the league were active this weekend, with the exception of
.
Following three days filled with surprises and several teams confirming their newly established status within the league, Sheep Esports takes a look back at the most notable developments that shaped the week.
Fnatic are not dead
Sometimes it is precisely when the least is expected from a team that it finally awakens. After a concerning opening week that had shown little improvement compared with the LEC Versus,
faced their historic rival, G2 Esports, who entered the match in markedly different form, coming off an initial victory against
and a recent final appearance at First Stand.
Yet despite G2 comfortably winning the first game, Fnatic did not lose composure and instead displayed a far more dominant level in the following games, controlling the series to secure the victory, largely thanks to the renewed form of their leaders
and
.
Vitality disrupt the LEC hierarchy
The most in-form team in the LEC at the moment is undoubtedly
. Despite conceding a defeat in their opening match against Karmine Corp, the Bees have since strung together three consecutive victories, the most recent coming this Monday against
.
The French organization now appears to be the team best positioned to challenge the hierarchy established by the league’s top three. Often driven by the dominance of
in the toplane, the roster has steadily grown more cohesive, particularly through the performances of jungler
and support
, both of whom have been in strong form throughout the first two weeks.
Shifters stumble on their return
Absent from the opening week of competition as well as from the LEC promotional trailer due to a bootcamp held in Korea, Shifters’ return had been long anticipated. After narrowly missing playoff qualification during LEC Versus, some degree of improvement from the Swiss organization was expected this Saturday. However, while their opponents,
, appeared to show progress compared with the previous week, the same could not be said for Shifters, who fell 2–0 without offering much resistance.
In an interview with
RFT.gg, the team’s midlaner
revealed that during the bootcamp the team had not played a single scrim, focusing solely on solo queue. The revelation raised questions among fans, many of whom found the approach unusual. With two matches against in-form teams scheduled for this week, Team Vitality and
, Shifters will need to present a markedly improved performance to avoid an extremely difficult start to the split.
GIANTX remain unbeaten
Another team that appears to have gained momentum since LEC Versus is GIANTX. The Spanish side secured a third consecutive victory this weekend, defeating SK Gaming on Sunday before overcoming Team Heretics on Monday. Although they entered both matches as favorites, GX have demonstrated greater stability than during the previous split, largely due to the performances of their top side.
has already collected three MVP awards in as many matches, supported effectively by jungler
, who has been both reliable and consistent since the start of the split. After two weeks of competition, GIANTX stand as the only undefeated team in BO3 series alongside Karmine Corp, although the latter have played only a single series so far.
No Way Heretics
The mood has not been particularly celebratory for Team Heretics since the start of the split. The Spanish organization is the only team to have made a roster change, bringing in
to fill the support role. While the team managed to secure an opening victory against SK Gaming, it has since suffered three consecutive defeats, including two more this week against G2 Esports and GIANTX.
Despite a few promising phases of play and the individual talent displayed by Way, the team’s synergy does not yet appear to have fully developed, leaving them already in a precarious position in the race for playoff qualification. Their upcoming matches against
and Karmine Corp this week could therefore represent a decisive turning point in the team’s season, as further losses would significantly diminish their chances of reaching the playoffs.
