LoL - LEC: GX eliminated, Fnatic bounces back, and Upset named Regular Season MVP

Fnatic is back on the winning track. They overcame a potential trap match against GIANTX with a 3-1 win in the lower bracket of the LEC playoffs. Their playoff run is still alive, and they can still climb their way back up to join Movistar KOI and G2 Esports in the later stages. But first, they’ll need to play again this Monday against the winner of Karmine Corp vs. Team Heretics, which takes place this Sunday.

Elias "Upset" Lipp was awarded the MVP title for this year’s Spring Split regular season — a well-deserved and hardly surprising recognition, given his immense impact on Fnatic’s victories recently. The team, heavily built around enabling him, can thank their AD Carry, who consistently delivers in high-pressure matches and rarely misses a beat.

After their surprising and heavy defeat to G2 Esports last week, the Black and Orange finally managed to bounce back, although their performance still wasn’t perfect. As the second seed in the regular season, they’ve struggled to live up to that ranking, even dropping a game due to multiple individual mistakes in game 3. Luckily, they still showcased their ability to capitalize on the many errors made by the GX players.

This defeat marks the elimination of GIANTX from the LEC, as they finish this Spring Split in 5th-6th place — the same result they had in the Winter Split. It’s a somewhat acceptable result, considering the team had to adapt to Can "Closer" Çelik stepping back between splits and the arrival of Ismaïl "ISMA" Boualem in the jungle to replace him. ISMA joined with limited preparation, having played the EMEA Masters with Karmine Corp Blue during the Winter.

Despite these tough conditions and a disastrous start to the regular season — they were 9th with a 2-5 record just two weeks before the end — this team turned out to be a slow burner. They came alive in front of their home crowd during the Madrid Roadshow, notably upsetting the G2 Esports Samurais. The outcome isn’t all doom and gloom, but it still falls short of the organization's dark horse ambitions. Once again, they’ll have to settle for a mid-table finish. That said, based on their recent showing, it’s clear there’s room for growth heading into the Summer Split.

But before that, five teams remain in the playoffs. Fnatic awaits the result of Sunday’s match, as out of the four teams competing this weekend, only one will still be standing after it’s all over. It continues with Team Heretics vs. Karmine Corp in a do-or-die fearless BO5.