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Fnatic Fail to Qualify for MSI 2025 after Crushing Loss to Karmine Corp
Martin Arévalo-Östberg
2 Jun, 2025, 20:05
|Last updated: 2 Jun, 2025, 20:09
After a promising display throughout the Regular Season, Fnatic's run at the LEC Spring Season has come to a disappointing end. Once one of the most formidable teams in the league, Fnatic were on the receiving end of a clean sweep by Karmine Corp during the Lower Bracket of the 2025 LEC Spring Playoffs, eliminating the team from the competition.
The crushing loss also means that Fnatic will not be able to represent the LEC at the next step of international competition. Now, it's up to Movistar KOI and Karmine Corp to decide who will be the final LEC representatives at MSI 2025.
Fnatic Crash and Burn
Fans of Fnatic came into these Playoffs hopeful of the team's chances to lift an LEC trophy once more after a 7-year-long dry spell. Not only did the team finish in 2nd place during the LEC Spring Regular Season, but they also looked more solid and cohesive in their play than they have in a long time.
The team's great run of form even proved enough to earn its players individual accolades, with Elias "Upset" Lipp being named MVP of the Regular Season. Despite all of the good signs, however, Fnatic could not live up to the hype when it mattered most.
After losing to G2 Esports in their opening match of the Playoffs, Fnatic were down to their last life at the Spring Season. Though the team were able to get past GIANTX without much trouble, their next rivals in the Lower Bracket would spell a much tougher challenge. The reigning LEC Champs of Karmine Corp had no intent of missing out on MSI, and that meant taking down Fnatic where they stood.
A Tragic End to a Good Season
Whether Karmine Corp leveled up for the Playoffs or Fnatic simply crumbled under the pressure, the truth is that the two teams' clash in the Lower Bracket was about as one sided as it gets.
Over the course of the series, Karmine Corp dominated the map throughout while simultaneously outplaying the Fnatic squad on a mechanical level across several crucial team fights. One of the most telling stat of the series, for instance, was the fact that over the course of the three games played, Karmine Corp secured a total of 12 drakes for themselves, while Fnatic secured just one.
Though the teams were expected to come into this match showing similar power levels, Karmine Corp blew their rivals out of the water, sweeping the series to crush Fnatic's hopes of making MSI.
With Fnatic's Spring Season now done and dusted, Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI will play a thrilling rematch of their opening match of the Playoffs this Saturday, June 7th, to decide which team will accompany G2 Esports to MSI 2025. Though some fan favorites may be out, there's still plenty of top-level action to be had as the LEC Spring Season heads for its last weekend of matches!
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Featured image credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
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