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Fnatic found themselves in a repeated matchup against another Turkish roster following their loss in Week 1 to BBL. Faced against FUT, it was imperative for Fnatic to begin winning if they wished to keep their dreams of Santiago qualification alive – and win they did. What began as a one-sided affair for Fnatic quickly shifted as FUT rallied back to force the series to go the full distance. While Fnatic eventually emerged as the victor, it was far from a clean win. Following the conclusion of their series, Strafe Esports sat down with Fnatic IGL and captain Jake “Boaster” Howlett to reflect on the close nature of the series, Fnatic’s run at Kickoff thus far, the challenges of the off-season, expectations carried by the roster, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) have been eliminated from the LCK Cup 2026 following their loss to Gen.G this morning. This elimination also means that the reigning champions from last year’s First Stand will not be in attendance this year to defend their title. 

Team Liquid’s battle against Karmine Corp was a show of determination and grit. After a close series loss the previous week to Team Vitality, Liquid found themselves now in the Middle Bracket of VCT EMEA Kickoff with two lives left to battle to Santiago. Backs against the wall after a dismal Map 1 performance, Liquid turned their fortunes around to complete the reverse sweep, propelling themselves with their first official win of the season. Following the conclusion of their series, Strafe Esports sat down with Team Liquid IGL and captain Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin to reflect on the series as a whole, the challenges of heading into a new season with a substitute for Week 1, his evolution as a leader for the team, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

Team Vitality’s clash against Team Liquid in the Upper Bracket of VCT EMEA Kickoff proved to be the first real test for the squad, going the full distance in an all-out brawl between the two teams. Vitality eventually emerged as the victor, placing them two series wins away from qualifying for Masters Santiago. Following their series win, Strafe Esports sat down with Team Vitality’s Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev, who spoke on the series as a whole, the team’s preparation coming into Kickoff, his thoughts on the new crop of teams taking over the EMEA stage and more in this exclusive interview.

As players continue to acclimate to League of Legends in 2026, patch 26.03 rolls into town with a number of adjustments aimed at addressing player frustration. With plenty of changes coming, let’s take a look at the biggest changes coming based on the official preview. LoL Patch 26.03 is set to release on February 4th, 2026.

NAVI are storming into the lead at VCT EMEA Kickoff after taking down yet another name on their path to Masters Santiago qualification. With this win against Team Heretics, the team is 2 wins away from a spot at the first international event of the year. Following their victory, Strafe Esports sat down with Natus Vincere (NAVI) player Emirhan “hiro” Kat to speak on the team’s success thus far at Kickoff, his personal preparation in the off-season, the team’s goals for the season, and so much more in this exclusive interview.