Los Ratones keep LEC Playoffs hopes alive despite NAVI loss

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 02/02/2026

Los Ratones’ win streak is over as they were dominated by Natus Vincere (NAVI) in LEC Versus Week 3.

However, the team still has a very good chance of making the Playoffs.

Building on Los Ratones’ first LEC wins last week, the former EMEA Masters champions extended their win streak.

Ratones caused major upsets against last year’s Summer finalists, G2 Esports and Movistar KOI, to keep their Playoff hopes alive.

But following the loss to NAVI, Los Ratones barely sit in the top eight with a record of four wins and five losses.

After a poor start to the year, fans and even analysts were taking bets on whether Los Ratones would get a single win in the LEC. Now they have four.

Their first LEC win had left Caedrel tearing up on his stream, and he was equally emotional after defeating G2, calling his mum while streaming to celebrate.

It appears that Los Ratones have found a playstyle that works, repeatedly coming back from gold deficits and winning through excellent teamfighting.

However, they weren’t given a chance to do that by NAVI in a very one-sided end to Week 3.

After revealing Los Ratones’ scrim woes, coach Jakob ‘YamatoCannon’ Mebdi was full of praise for NAVI’s coaching staff.

And it seems that NAVI’s Vasilis ‘TheRock’ Voltis had his team well-prepped with a perfectly executed early game.

The NAVI and support duo perfectly timed their jungle invade and set jungler Veljko ‘Velja’ Čamdžić very far behind.

From there, NAVI pulled Los Ratones apart, gathered an 11k+ gold lead, and never gave Los Ratones an opportunity to make a comeback.

What do Los Ratones need to do to make Playoffs?

After Shifters’ loss to Karmine Corp, Los Ratones sit in sole possession of the eighth and final LEC Versus Playoffs spot.

Meanwhile, there’s a four-way tie for fourth above them and three teams just one win behind Caedrel’s team.

One win should be enough to secure Los Ratones’ spot in the next phase, but that’s easier said than done.

Los Ratones face two tricky matches against Team Vitality and SK Gaming next week.

Vitality were in particularly fine form this week. They stomped KCorp, beat GIANTX, and almost made an insane comeback against G2.

Still, Los Ratones’ fate is in their hands.

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

In my seven years of esports writing, I've introduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I'm most proud of the latter.

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