It’s an electrifying weekend for League of Legends fans, as the LEC Summer 2025 Playoffs and the Championship of The Americas North 2025 Split 3 both delivered high-stakes clashes, upsets, and defining moments for teams with their eyes set on Worlds. In Europe, GIANTX stunned spectators with a dominant 3-0 sweep over Team BDS, while across the Atlantic, 100 Thieves edged out Cloud9 in a nail-biting 3-2 series to keep their championship dreams alive. With Worlds qualification and regional glory on the line, every match is a battle for legacy.
Let’s start in Berlin, where the LEC Summer 2025 Playoffs are in full swing. On September 6, GIANTX squared off against Team BDS in the Lower Bracket Round 1—a do-or-die situation where the loser’s season would come to an abrupt end. Many expected a tight contest, but GIANTX had other plans. They came out swinging and never let up, dispatching Team BDS in just three games to sweep the series 3-0.
The tone was set from Game 1, with GIANTX locking in Yorik, Vi, Azir, Kai'Sa, and Rakan against Team BDS’s Ambessa, Wukong, Ziggs, Ezreal, and Bard. Team BDS fought valiantly, farming the map and forcing skirmishes, but GIANTX’s coordination and confidence proved overwhelming. The next two games? Well, they were nothing short of a rout. In Game 2, GIANTX’s K'Sante, Xin Zhao, Annie, Corki, and Rell squared off against BDS’s Aurora, Jax, Victor, Yunara, and Braum. By then, GIANTX was in the driver’s seat, executing clean plays and giving BDS little room to breathe.
Game 3 sealed the deal. GIANTX drafted Gnar, Maokai, Yone, Varus, and Alistar, while BDS tried to stay afloat with Aatrox, Pantheon, Taliyah, Jhin, and Gragas. But the outcome was never in doubt—GIANTX closed out the series with authority, sending BDS home and ending their season. With this emphatic victory, GIANTX advances to the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, where they’ll face a team dropping from the upper bracket. The stakes couldn’t be higher: the LEC Summer 2025 Playoffs, running from September 5 to September 28, offer not just an €80,000 prize pool, but also three coveted slots at the World Championship 2025—the pinnacle of the League of Legends competitive calendar.
For Team BDS, the loss is a bitter pill to swallow. Their journey in the 2025 season ends here, and they’ll be left to reflect on what could have been. The LEC Summer Playoffs are unforgiving, and with so much on the line, every team is forced to bring their absolute best or risk a swift exit. As the playoff bracket advances, fans will be watching closely to see if GIANTX can carry this momentum forward and punch their ticket to Worlds.
Meanwhile, over in Los Angeles, the North American scene delivered a five-game thriller in the lower bracket. On September 5, 100 Thieves faced off against perennial rivals Cloud9 in the Lower Bracket Round of the Championship of The Americas North 2025 Split 3. The stakes? A spot in the lower-bracket final and a chance to keep the dream of regional supremacy alive. The match was a back-and-forth rollercoaster, with both teams trading blows and neither willing to back down.
100 Thieves drew first blood with a 33-minute win on the red side, but Cloud9 responded in kind, taking Game 2 in 34 minutes on blue. The momentum swung again as 100 Thieves claimed Game 3 in 36 minutes, only for Cloud9 to equalize in a lightning-fast 29-minute Game 4. Everything came down to the decisive fifth map, and it was 100 Thieves who held their nerve, clinching the series with a 31-minute win on blue side.
Individual performances were nothing short of spectacular. Australia’s Ian Victor "FBI" Huang led the way for 100 Thieves, racking up a 17/12/29 kill-death-assist ratio. Not to be outdone, South Korea’s Lee "Loki" Sang-min put up a 21/8/27 stat line for Cloud9, keeping his team in contention at every turn. But in the end, it was 100 Thieves who found the winning formula, sending Cloud9 packing and keeping their championship hopes alive.
The win propels 100 Thieves into a Saturday showdown with Shopify Rebellion in the lower-bracket final. The winner of that clash will earn the right to face FlyQuest in the grand final on Sunday, September 7. But there’s more on the line than just regional bragging rights—the top three teams from this tournament will qualify for the LoL Championship of The Americas, set to take place in Allen, Texas, from September 13 to September 28, 2025. And for the champion, an automatic berth at the World Championship 2025 in China awaits, where the best teams on the planet will battle for ultimate glory starting October 14.
The North American playoff bracket is as fierce as ever, with Cloud9 now eliminated and Team Liquid, Disguised, Dignitas, and LYON having already bowed out in earlier rounds. For 100 Thieves, the path forward is clear—but far from easy. Shopify Rebellion stands in their way, and FlyQuest looms on the horizon, hungry for the title and a shot at Worlds.
As the dust settles on this weekend’s action, one thing is certain: the road to Worlds is paved with unforgettable moments, crushing defeats, and the kind of resilience that defines champions. Whether it’s GIANTX’s resounding sweep in Europe or 100 Thieves’ gritty triumph in North America, these teams are writing new chapters in their storied histories. And with the biggest events of the year just around the corner, fans can expect even more drama, heart, and high-level play as the world’s best vie for a place among legends.
Stay tuned as the playoff brackets unfold and the race to Worlds intensifies. With every match, the stakes get higher, the plays get bolder, and the dream of lifting the Summoner’s Cup comes one step closer to reality.