Solary at EMEA Masters: a historic qualification

After seven years of falling just short of Europe, Solary will finally compete at the EMEA Masters for the first time in its history. Thanks to the slots allocation for the 2026 Winter edition and their results at the LFL Invitational, the organization is guaranteed a top-three finish in the split, and therefore bought their ticket for the Tier 2 most important tournament. Solary have even secured the top 2 of the local competition after their upper-bracket final victory against Galions. A historic qualification that ends one of the longest-standing curses in the French League of Legends scene.

In recent years, Solary have often fielded ambitious rosters capable of competing among the best in the LFL, yet failed to deliver when it mattered most. The story was always the same: strong regular seasons, high expectations, then a heartbreaking elimination one win away from the EMEA Masters. For César “Wakz” Hugues, Solary’s Head of LoL, reaching this milestone had become essential: “We’ve been waiting for this qualification for a very long time. The fans and the organization desperately needed it.”

This year, Solary dominated the Super Group stage, securing first place even before it ended. “We didn’t have the stress of putting everything on a single series, but we celebrated properly.” Wakz noted. For a team known for playoff heartbreaks, it’s consistency — not drama — that finally opened the door to Europe.

This success is the result of a much more radical offseason than previous years. After a turbulent 2025, Solary decided to retain only one player from its previous roster and to rebuild almost entirely around a strengthened staff.

The team officially appointed Wakz as Head of LoL, giving him a central role in the team’s sporting vision and recruitment strategy. He is supported by uko and Blazzios, who are both involved in all major managerial decisions concerning the main roster. One constant remained, however: Danny “Dan Dan” Comte, who continues as head coach and stands as the team’s authoritative sporting leader.

In an interview with Sheep Esports earlier this year, Wakz detailed the new working method introduced for 2026. Strong decisions were made internally: mandatory physical presence at the gaming house in Tours, an empowered coaching staff, and the inclusion of Blazzios in roster-building and scouting decisions. This more structured approach aims to avoid poor roster fits and projects overly reliant on the Web TV side of Solary.

As a result, instead of stacking well-known LFL names, Solary focused on recruiting “players with complementary profiles who work well together and are hungry,” as Wakz summarized earlier this season. The goal was no longer to create hype on paper, but to build a coherent, disciplined team capable of holding its own over a full season.

The main objective for the split is complete, but the hunger remains. “Qualifying for EMEA was the primary goal. Now we’re aiming for the LFL title,” Wakz said confidently, though without arrogance. As for the EMEA Masters, Wakz remains humble: “Just following our team against Europe’s best will already be rewarding.”

On the business side, the impact is significant too. “It’s a great way to reward our long-term partners like Acer Predator, and it’ll surely help attract new ones,” noted Baptiste, CEO of the club. Solary plan to celebrate this milestone with their passionate community. “We’re releasing a collector’s card for the team, and more surprises are on the way,” teased Wakz — including a long-delayed project.

This edition of the EMEA Masters is probably the most important in history, since it opens the door to the very lucrative Esports World Cup. The two best non-academy teams will have the opportunity to play a qualifier against LEC teams to secure a spot at the Saudi competition, and potentially face some of the world’s giants.

“Facing Gen.G or T1 would be thrilling. That said, let’s be honest: beyond the prerequisite of finishing top 2 in EMEA, managing to place top 2 in a tournament featuring all 10 LEC teams seems highly out of reach. Still, simply having the chance to do so is incredible. even if a top-two finish seems ambitious,” Wakz said“. But after seven years of frustration, Solary might be now unstoppable.