LEC Winter Playoffs 2025 Preview: Opening Matches and Predictions

League of Legends

Martin Arévalo-Östberg

The 2025 LEC Winter Playoffs are right around the corner, and the landscape looks far more competitive than it has in recent years. Now, eight teams will compete for a shot at the first LEC trophy of the year, as well as the chance to represent their region at First Stand, the new international tournament.

With Round 1 of the bracket set to start this Saturday, February 15th, let's take a look at our predictions for all opening matches of the LEC Winter Playoffs.

Fnatic vs Team Heretics: The Return of a Powerhouse

The truth is Fnatic have looked stellar during their Regular Season run. With a name as historic as theirs, though, pressure will be at an all-time high for the team to perform when it matters most, and it all starts with Team Heretics.

Fnatic come into the match looking far more solid than they have in recent years, with a more methodical and controlled approach to the game than we're used to seeing from them. Mikyx's addition to the roster has done wonders for improving the team's macro, and his partnership with Razork is turning out to be one of the best jungle-support pairings in the league.

Meanwhile, the Heretics struggles in the LEC continued during the Winter Season. In fact, the last time the two teams met during Week 3 of the Regular Season, Fnatic disposed of the Heretics in a straightforward game that lasted little over 25 minutes.

Now, we expect Fnatic to come into the match high on confidence and get past Heretics without the need to reveal too much in draft.

Prediction: Fnatic 2 - 0 Team Heretics

Can Fnatic finally return to the top of the European League of Legends scene? (Credit: LoL Esports)

G2 Esports vs GIANTX: A Proper Test

This is one of the most interesting matchups of the opening round. The two teams will meet up after going in opposite directions during their runs in the Regular Season; with G2 starting out cold but ramping up into form eventually, while the initial GIANTX hype waned over time instead.

In the end, this game will come down to how much SkewMond and Labrov will have been able to continue to adapt to G2 over the course of the past two weeks. With a stacked roster across the board, a clicking G2 should be a scary prospect for any team having to face off against them in the Playoffs.

GIANTX continue to have one of the best bot lanes in the LEC, and this could prove to be an exploitable avenue for the team against a G2 bot lane that is still in the process of developing synergy.

Though GIANTX will not go down without a fight, we expect G2 to develop enough understanding of their win conditions over the course of the series to take the win in the end.

Prediction: G2 Esports 2 - 1 GIANTX

G2 looks in danger of losing their crown in the LEC. (Credit: Steph Lindgren/Riot Games)

Movistar KOI vs Team BDS: The Jojo Show Must Go On

Let the MKOI show go on! With the addition of Jojopyun in the mid lane, the Spanish squad quickly turned into one of the most exciting teams to watch in the LEC. While that may sound great, however, it also adds a certain amount of volatility to their gameplay.

BDS have struggled to get back to their previous heights with the new roster, and will hope to have made good use of the past two weeks of practice. The biggest strength for the team should theoretically lie in the bot lane, though Ice and Parus still need to find a way to deliver more controlled aggression in the laning phase.

With Jojo and Elyoya controlling the middle of the map, it should be difficult for BDS to move around with enough freedom to create favorable plays. Now we're in the Playoffs, though, and Movistar KOI should take no chances in their games if they want to close out the season strong.

Prediction: Movistar KOI 2 - 0 Team BDS

The Jojopyun-Elyoya partnership will be coming for it all during the LEC Winter Playoffs. (Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games)

Karmine Corp vs Team Vitality: Time for KC to prove their worth

Karmine Corp came in the LEC Winter Split and took the league by storm. With a top tier roster, KC have made use of their strong laning and mechanical prowess to give Yike the freedom he needs to dictate the early games in what was a great Regular Season for the team.

Though Team Vitality's 5-4 record may look good at a first glance, the team wasn't able to take a single win against any of the top 4 teams from the LEC Winter Split. Now, against an exciting, and incredibly hungry, KC squad, it's tough to see what Vitality's avenue for success may look like.

We haven't seen Caliste perform on a playoffs stage yet, but if the young Frenchman is able to avoid the first time jitters, this match should pose no real threat to Karmine Corp as they start their quest for their first LEC trophy.

Prediction: Karmine Corp 2 - 1 Team Vitality

After winning the EMEA Masters with Karmine Corp, can Caliste do the same in the LEC? (Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games)

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Featured Image Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games

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