Upset shines in Fnatic’s win over SK Gaming in first round of 2021 LEC Spring Split playoffs

Fnatic took the first step on their long road to an LEC title.
Photo via Riot Games

The 2021 LEC Spring Split playoffs kicked off today with a lower bracket matchup between SK Gaming and Fnatic. Fnatic took the series win 3-1, moving on to the second round of the bracket in the process. Today’s match also marked the first set of games to be played in the LEC studio since last March.

Recommended Videos

Today’s victory sets Fnatic up with another best-of-five series on April 2 against the League of Legends team with the lowest remaining seed in the LEC playoffs. MAD Lions, Rogue, and Schalke 04 could all be possible opponents for Fnatic come next weekend. 

The biggest contributor for Fnatic during today’s series was the team’s AD carry, Upset. His unreal scoreline of 29/6/22 over the span of four games translated to a KDA of 8.5 on the day. In the final game of the series alone, Upset racked up 13 kills en route to a series-clinching victory. 

A win today was only the initial step on what’s sure to be a grueling run through the playoffs for Fnatic. Since the team finished fifth in the Spring Split, they’ll have to play through the entire lower bracket to have a chance at the LEC Spring Split title. Fnatic would have to win four more best-of-fives if they want to secure the Spring Split championship. 

As for SK, their LEC Spring Split run comes to an end. Although the team proved to be a contender at various points throughout the spring, SK ultimately lost eight of their last nine games, including those against Fnatic today, to close out their split. SK have never moved past the first round of the LEC playoffs since the league’s inception in 2019. 

The LEC will return to action tomorrow at 11am CT with the first upper bracket matchup of the 2021 Spring Split playoffs—a best-of-five series between G2 Esports and Schalke 04.


Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article LoL fans claim struggling Galio ‘has no point’ anymore—but Riot totally disagrees
Galio's splash art in League of Legends
Read Article CEO of former TSM, LCS sponsor FTX sentenced to 25 years in jail
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sporting a TSM jersey.
Read Article Phreak sparks debate around LoL laners’ lack of ‘appreciation for what jungling takes’ 
Lee Sin practising Muay Thay.
Related Content
Read Article LoL fans claim struggling Galio ‘has no point’ anymore—but Riot totally disagrees
Galio's splash art in League of Legends
Read Article CEO of former TSM, LCS sponsor FTX sentenced to 25 years in jail
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sporting a TSM jersey.
Read Article Phreak sparks debate around LoL laners’ lack of ‘appreciation for what jungling takes’ 
Lee Sin practising Muay Thay.
Author
Michael Kelly
Staff Writer covering World of Warcraft and League of Legends, among others. Mike's been with Dot since 2020, and has been covering esports since 2018.