NLC Spring 2025: Results, Teams, and More

Summary:

The NLC Spring 2025 season had a group stage of 10 teams in two groups, and then a double-elimination playoff bracket.

In the playoffs, the top two teams earned their invitation to compete at the EMEA Masters Spring event.

Los Ratones took down NORD Esports in a 3-0 sweep in the finals.

Veljko “Velja” Čamdžić was the MVP in the Finals after an incredible performance in the series.

The NLC Spring 2025 season just concluded, and it surely was a thrill ride! This spring’s tournament was everything we could have wanted in a tournament. There is a lot to unpack in terms of who succeeded, who surprised, and where our rising stars go next. Let’s check it out.

Tournament Format and Structure

For the season, we will start with a seeding stage with 10 teams split into two groups of five teams. The groups will have a single round-robin format of play, with all matches played as best-of-one. The top four teams from each group will move on to the playoffs’ upper bracket, and the teams below them will go to the lower bracket.

After the seeding phase, the playoffs are a double-elimination bracket. Matches will be played in the Fearless Draft format, meaning once the champion is picked, it is banned and cannot be picked again. Teams cannot pick the same champions and must think about how to counter the champions of the opposing team seamlessly. The upper bracket quarterfinals and semifinals are best-of-three matches, and all other playoff matches, including the lower bracket finals, and finals will be played as best-of-five matches.

The first and second teams from the playoffs will qualify for a spot in the EMEA Masters Spring event.

Participating Teams

NLC Spring 2025 was an exciting season, with a lively field of 10 teams, in two groups of five during the group stage. The teams, full of familiar and up-and-coming names from across Northern Europe, were ready for an engaging competition.

Group A	Group B
KAOS e-sport	Bulldog Esports
Los Ratones	DMG Esports
Rich Gang Esports	Lundqvist Lightside
Venomcrest Esports	NORD Esports
Verdant	The Ruddy Sack

Group Stage Results

In Group A, Los Ratones went undefeated as they took first place with a record of 4-0. They had all the strength going into the playoffs. Verdant ended up close behind with a strong record of 3-1. Venomcrest Esports is earning an even record of 2-2. Meanwhile, KAOS e-sport and Rich Gang Esports fell short of a playoff position with records of 1-3 and 0-4, respectively. The clear separation of teams within the group made it evident that Los Ratones would be the team to beat going into the playoffs.

Group B was much more balanced, with Bulldog Esports being 3-1 at the top. There was a tightly contested middle of the pack with NORD Esports, The Ruddy Sack, and DMG Esports all at 2-2, which meant they had to be decided by tiebreakers to figure out playoff seeding. Lundqvist Lightside finished at the bottom of the group with a 1-3 record.

Playoffs Overview and Results

The playoffs kicked off with some really intense matches. After a shake up, Los Ratones, Verdant, NORD Esports, and The Ruddy Sack became the carry in the upper bracket. The lower bracket had some really intense moments as the teams tried to stay alive and the end result was a total of 48 games played with an average length of just over 32 minutes a game.

Upper Bracket Round 1
Opponent	Score	Opponent
LR	2:0	DMG
NRD	2:0	VNC
BDG	2:0	KAOS
VER	1:2	RS

Lower Bracket Round 1
Opponent	Score	Opponent
DMG	3:0	RG
KAOS	3:2	LLS

Upper Bracket Round 2
Opponent	Score	Opponent
LR	0:2	NRD
BDG	0:2	RS

Lower Bracket Round 2
Opponent	Score	Opponent
VNC	3:1	DMG
VER	3:0	KAOS

Upper Bracket Round 3
Opponent	Score	Opponent
NRD	3:1	RS

Lower Bracket Round 3
Opponent	Score	Opponent
LR	3:0	VNC
BDG	1:3	VER

Lower Bracket Round 4
Opponent	Score	Opponent
LR	3:0	VER

Lower Bracket Round 5
Opponent	Score	Opponent
RS	0:3	LR

Finals Recap

The NLC Spring 2025 Finals capped the season off with a thrilling finish as Los Ratones played like they were the best team in the league, sweeping NORD Esports 3-0 in hellaciously fast-paced matches. Just a couple of weeks prior, Los Ratones had faced a tough playoff game where they dropped their first game of the year to NORD. But Los Ratones entered the finals on a mission, ready to show they were not just a good team, but the better team by a huge margin.

Los Ratones came in and drafted effectively while taking advantage of every opportunity before they dismantled NORD in all 3 games. Veljko “Velja” Čamdžić was recognized as the Finals MVP and deserved it as he was phenomenal in the series.

The finals not only reinforced Los Ratones’ history, calling them NLC champions back to back, but has paved the way for their EMEA Masters Spring’s 2025 run. The series was full of ups and downs, with NORD Esports having some heavy resistance during the series but ultimately losing out to the pressure and synergy of Los Ratones.

Conclusion

When it was all said and done, NLC Spring 2025 had it all: thrilling matches, rising stars, and a champion that earned every last bit of the title. Aside from the victors, this season showed us the wealth of talent emerging in the region to set up even more entertaining matches for the upcoming months. If this spring is any indication, European League of Legends has a bright future ahead.

Stalingrad Dollosa

Stalingrad Dollosa is an award-winning esports journalist with over 5 years of experience covering the global competitive scene. Specializing in titles like Dota 2, CS2, and Mobile Legends, he combines deep game knowledge with a talent for storytelling and analysis. His work has earned industry recognition for its clarity, accuracy, and engaging style. Known for breaking key stories and delivering sharp tournament coverage, Stalingrad brings a professional, data-driven edge to every article. At Fragster, he continues to set the standard in esports reporting, offering fans expert insights and high-quality content that captures the pulse of the game.