The first round of elimination matches in the LEC 2026 Versus lower bracket brought an end to two teams' tournament runs, as GIANTX dispatched Team Heretics and Team Vitality proved too strong for Fnatic.

Both series were played in bo3 format, and the defeated sides have now been eliminated from the competition.

GIANTX 2:1 Team Heretics

GIANTX set the tone early with a dominant Game 1 display, maintaining airtight objective control throughout and closing out convincingly at 15:3 in just 30 minutes. Team Heretics found their footing in Game 2, grinding out a 12:12 result in 38 minutes by leaning on their late-game strengths to level the series. The decider, however, went the way of GIANTX once again — the team dictated the pace from the opening minutes and put the series to bed with a clinical 12:1 finish in 29 minutes.

Noah was named MVP of the series, finishing with a 6.6/1.3/4.9 KDA. He consistently converted his lane dominance into meaningful advantages and showed up reliably in every critical teamfight.

Fnatic 0:2 Team Vitality

Team Vitality came out with a high-tempo game plan that Fnatic were never able to counter, denying them any opportunity to establish themselves in the laning phase. Game 1 ended 17:9 in 33 minutes as Vitality maintained full control of neutral objectives throughout. Game 2 followed a similar script — Vitality seized a midgame advantage and carried it to a 22:12 victory in 36 minutes to complete the sweep.

Humanoid was awarded MVP of the series, recording a 4.9/2.1/5.6 KDA. He was a consistent presence in skirmishes and teamfights, making a significant impact on his team's overall damage numbers.

The LEC 2026 Versus runs from January 16 to March 2, with the tournament winner set to represent the European region at the First Stand 2026.