LoL - EMEA Masters Day 1: False Start for Superliga

The EMEA Masters Summer 2025 Swiss Stage has kicked off with a host of surprises, offering an early glimpse at the power dynamics shaping the year’s final edition. All 32 participating teams took part in their opening best-of-one, setting the tone for what’s to come. The LFL asserted itself immediately, with all four representatives picking up a win to go 1-0, while the Superliga found itself off to a rocky start at 1-3, Barça eSports scoring the region’s only victory with a win over Team Phantasma, despite coming in as Superliga’s weakest seed this split.

Perhaps the biggest upset of the day came from GIANTX Pride, Spain’s recently crowned dominant champions, who fell unexpectedly to the Balkan top seed Partizan Sangal. Showcasing a unique support Nidalee pick, Partizan Sangal made a statement and set the tone for what could be a chaotic tournament. Elsewhere, Los Heretics and Veni Vidi Vici both suffered losses to Vitality.Bee (the LFL’s fourth seed) and TeamOrangeGaming (the Prime League’s second seed), respectively.

Day two already promises high stakes, with defending champions Los Ratones—chasing the first-ever ERL Golden Road—having already knocked out Forsaken (from the Last Chance Qualifier) with Simon "Baus" Hofverberg’s legendary Sion. The next test puts them up against Barça eSports in a rematch of last Spring’s EMEA Masters final.

The second Swiss round will also bring an end to regional protection in the group draw, meaning teams will start facing counterparts from the same league. This creates compelling matchups, including an all-LFL clash between Karmine Corp Blue and Gentle Mates, as well as intra-regional battles for the Arabian League (Middle East & North Africa) and Rift Legends (Poland & Baltics).

As for the favorites, Galions are set to challenge Partizan Sangal, while GIANTX Pride look to rebound with a critical match against Colossal Gaming, Italy’s number two seed. There’s also no rest for Los Heretics, who now face Unicorns of Love Sexy Edition—the result means one of these two will end the day at 0-2.