G2 Esports Claim LEC Versus 2026 Title in Epic 3-2 Grand Final Over Karmine Corp

Lee Astley, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 02/03/2026

G2 Esports have triumphed in the LEC Versus 2026 Grand Final, edging out Karmine Corp 3-2 in a nail-biting best-of-five series at the Olympic Arena in Barcelona.

This marks G2’s 18th LEC title since 2016, their second straight, and secures EMEA’s sole spot at First Stand 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil (March 16-22).

Rasmus “Caps” Winther earned Finals MVP honors for the seventh time, his 16th domestic trophy, capping a masterful series.

Playoff Paths: G2’s Upper Dominance vs KC’s Lower Bracket Grit

Despite a middling 6-5 regular season (sixth place), G2 were flawless in the upper bracket: 2-0 over Team Heretics, a dominant 2-0 rematch win against top-seeded KC, and 3-0 versus Movistar KOI.

KC, regular season leaders at 8-3, dropped after their upper quarterfinal loss but roared back: 2-1 over Team Vitality, 3-0 sweep of GIANTX, and a thrilling 3-2 lower final against KOI to force the Grand Final rematch.

Grand Final Thriller: Game-by-Game Breakdown

Game 1 (34:16): G2’s Shen/Aatrox/Orianna/Caitlyn/Bard outmaneuvered KC’s Ambessa/Jarvan/Galio/Lucian/Nami. Caps’ Orianna interrupted Yike’s recall during a Baron steal, leading to base kills.

Game 2 (32:37): Yasuo/Dr. Mundo/Taliyah/Ashe/Seraphine powered G2 to 2-0, exploiting KC’s Baron aggression.

Game 3: KC flipped the script on G2’s errors, chaining kills for a comeback win.

Game 4: G2 led most of the way, but Canna’s miracle Gnar engage turned a late teamfight, forcing Silver Scrapes and tying it 2-2.

Game 5 (46 mins): G2’s engage-heavy Kled/Skarner/Anivia/Kai’Sa/Neeko overwhelmed KC’s stall. BrokenBlade’s backdoor and SkewMond’s Skarner, backed by Caps’ Anivia walls, clinched it via Elder Drake and Baron. G2 vs Karmine Corp peaked at ~730k viewers — the split’s highest, up 23% from regular season peaks.

What’s Next?

G2 head to First Stand as favorites, facing Gen.G, LOUD, and others. KC’s resilient run signals Spring Split threats.

Lee Astley, Senior Editor

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