Movistar KOI Turn Their Season Around and Qualify for Worlds 2026

It's been a real rollercoaster ride for Movistar KOI at the LEC 2026 Summer Split. Despite showing truly terrible form throughout the entirety of the Regular Season, the Spanish team managed to run across the Lower Bracket in the Playoffs, securing their spot at LoL Worlds 2026 against all odds.

MKOI Turn the Ship Around in the Nick of Time

Coming off of one of their worst Regular Seasons in recent history, Movistar KOI showed up to the playoffs looking like a different team. The team has looked completely out of sorts in this LEC Summer Split, finishing the Regular Season with a 4-5 record and only just qualifying for playoffs as the lowest seed.

And that's when it all turned around. Whether the squad was simply "sandbagging" through the less important games or whether they simply found a new gear in playoffs, the truth is that Movistar KOI kicked it up a notch (or two) when it mattered most.

With G2 Esports and Karmine Corp having already booked their tickets to North America, the final LEC slot at Worlds 2026 would come down to Movistar KOI vs NAVI. And though this young and hungry NAVI squad has been a sight to behold all year long, experience reigned supreme this time around.

Looking one step above throughout the entire series, MKOI took NAVI down 3-1 to save their season and secure their spot at Worlds.

Jojopyun Does It Again

As is almost always the case nowadays for MKOI, the team's savior came in the form of Joseph "Jojopyun" Pyun. After finishing the series with a 21/5/24 KDA, Jojo was named MVP of the series against NAVI.

Impressive scoreline aside, though, Jojopyun's influence on the Rift extended far beyond mere numbers. The North American Mid Laner was simply everywhere for MKOI, single-handedly changing the course of seemingly lost teamfights with multi-man ultimates, creating picks in crucial moments, and giving his teammates the space they needed to operate.

With Jojo's contract extension still hanging in the balance, performances like these serve as a stark reminder of why Movistar KOI simply cannot afford to let go of such a talented player.

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Featured image credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games

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