Fnatic and SK out of EWC as Challenger teams Solary and Galions advance

The Esports World Cup EMEA qualifiers have been rocked by a pair of major upsets as LEC teams SK Gaming and Fnatic have been eliminated by LFL regional teams Galions and Solary.

The qualifiers, also known as the League of Legends at Esports World Cup 2026 EMEA Qualifier, to give them their full mouthful of a name, saw both SK Gaming and Fnatic fall on the same day to their regional league opponents in a pair of upsets that have rocked the European scene and reignited the question about league franchising.

Fnatic and SK eliminated from EWC by LFL regional teams

Kicking off the day with a humiliating loss were SK Gaming. A storied org in European League of Legends history, the team, who have struggled this year in the LEC, where humbled in two quick losses to French side Galions.

Hours later, and Fnatic, another Euro org that has limped on as a shadow of its former self, fell to the LFL’s number one team Solary, again 2-0, and again in quick succession.

In the wake of these losses, Solary and Galions’ socials exploded with taunts, opening a floodgate of criticisms directed at Fnatic, SK, and the whole of the LEC franchising system.

While cooler heads could analyse the pair of losses as inevitable: Online qualifiers against teams that have thrived in such environments for months versus a tired LEC team fresh off on-the-road defeats, there also seems to be an element of apathy from the LEC teams about these EWC qualifiers.

Team Vitality, the second best team in the LEC lost their last qualifier game to Movistar KOI, a team they haven’t lost a game against in the regular season in what feels like years. This was following a 2-1 victory over Solary where the latter pushed them to the limit. Criticism could be levied at a seemingly lethargic series of performances from Vitality.

Meanwhile, the qualifiers themselves are elusive enough to even watch as a viewer. Broadcast on EWC’s YouTube and Twitch, but with VODs instantly privated, and public stats not registered on any major platform, the qualifiers for LoL at EWC26 are not easy to follow.

Still, with top teams losing and regional leagues sparking questions about whether franchising is even a good idea (given that the franchised teams are losing to EMEA regional league mid-tablers), these qualifiers are gaining notoriety.