A pair of the LEC’s most popular teams are already in must-win mode to remain in 2023 Winter Split

Although it’s only two weeks into the 2023 LEC Winter Split, teams are already preparing for the final week of the regular season. Thanks to the league’s new format, teams are a week away from getting eliminated from championship contention, including two of the biggest organizations in EMEA League of Legends today.

After only six games, Fnatic and KOI are a game out from being in the ninth and tenth place positions in the standings, which is on the precipice of elimination from the region’s upcoming group stage. It also doesn’t help that both teams have some of the toughest schedules to end off the single round-robin.

Before the season began, Fnatic were highly regarded by many as one of the top contenders in the LEC, especially after the team’s recent acquisition of European AD carry legend Martin “Rekkles” Larsson. With the iconic marksman in tow, supporters felt their confidence surge to new heights. But the roster has struggled to find any consistent results so far.

Fnatic have struggled to find any success in the early-game phase of their matches, holding the second-lowest average gold difference at 15 minutes in the LEC, according to League stats aggregate Oracle’s Elixir. The team lacks pressure and accurate aggression to create plays, and they ultimately fail to execute ganks and dives that would help build a snowball into the mid-to-late game.

KOI, on the other hand, started off the season on a decent mark, winning two of their first three games in the opening week against Excel Esports and Team BDS. Since then, however, the defending champs have lost four games straight and are headed right into matchups against G2 Esports and Vitality, who are two of the strongest teams in the league. With the loss of veteran top laner Odoamne, the squad hasn’t looked nearly as cohesive as in seasons past.

Additionally, their laners haven’t been nearly as reliable. The team’s star AD carry Comp, for example, hasn’t been nearly as dominant as fans have seen before, hovering around the middle of the pack for average gold difference at 15 minutes among LEC marksmen. Last summer, he was the second-best in his class for the same stat, along with posting a higher kill participation percentage and better damage numbers, according to Oracle’s Elixir.

If these two major organizations aren’t able to find some wins in the final week, their supporters will be hoping that both Excel Esports and Astralis aren’t able to suddenly hit a hot streak to save their season. You can catch all the action when the 2023 LEC Winter Split continues on Saturday, Feb. 4.