The LCS just came roaring back from a short but dramatic Mid-Season Invitational break, and the landscape has changed in ways few would have predicted. After two weeks of chaotic matches, the bottom of the table isn’t rolling over anymore. It’s fighting, it’s scrapping, and it’s forcing even the top-tier organizations to question every draft decision. A couple of shock results have turned the middle of the pack into a frantic scramble, and suddenly the playoff picture looks about as stable as a Baron pit warded by only a scuttle crab.

Think about it: who could have imagined that the two lowest-ranked squads would both sweep their sets last weekend while the reigning champions stumbled into demoralizing losses? Yet here we are. The standings going into Day 1 of Week 3 look like this:

Rank	Team
1	Counter Logic Gaming
2	Immortals, Team SoloMid
4	Cloud9
5	Team Dignitas, Team EnVy
7	Echo Fox
8	FlyQuest, Phoenix1
10	Team Liquid

The bottom two — FlyQuest and Phoenix1 — both exploded into action last week, thrusting themselves above a Team Liquid roster that once again failed to pick up a single game. In FlyQuest’s jungle, a rookie prodigy with the mechanical flair of prime Rush and the adaptive pathing of a young MikeYeung is making an immediate name for himself. This kid, going by the handle “AstroWhisper,” is already conjuring highlight reels that rival the legendary debuts of seasons past. Meanwhile, Immortals had a winless weekend of their own and suddenly found themselves staring up at CLG for the number one spot, tied with TSM — who, in a bitter irony, dropped a nail-biter to Cloud9. So much for boring one-sided stomps. This split is the gift that keeps on giving.

Today’s matchups promise more fireworks, and the schedule feels like a litmus test for whether the chaos will continue. There are two best-of-threes on the docket:

• Counter Logic Gaming vs FlyQuest (expected score: 1–2)

• Immortals vs Echo Fox (2–1)

A couple of weeks ago, calling the CLG-FlyQuest series would have been a sleep-inducing no-brainer. But after FlyQuest’s sudden awakening with back-to-back wins, it’s no longer safe to write them off. True, their victories didn’t come against title contenders — after all, Phoenix1 toppled Immortals, and FlyQuest beat a mid-tier Team EnVy — but a win is a win when your season started in the basement. The real intrigue lies in the playstyle. This version of FlyQuest echoes the split they surged through in 2017, when macro-genius Hai was orchestrating every lane. Today’s shot-caller, a veteran mid laner named “LunarWind,” channels that same strategic patience. Why try to force early skirmishes against CLG’s notoriously aggressive laning phase? Instead, FlyQuest will look to absorb pressure, trade objectives, and drag the game into the late stages where their teamfighting coordination shines. If they can survive the first 15 minutes without conceding a massive gold lead, they stand a genuine chance to pull off an upset. But if CLG’s top-jungle duo gets rolling, it could turn into a snowball that even the most impeccable macro can’t stop. Lately, CLG has shown a vulnerability when opponents deny them the 2v2 skirmishes they love. Can FlyQuest execute that game plan three times in a row? It’s a tall order, but the faith is there. An upset feels right in the air, so expect FlyQuest to edge it in three gripping games.

Then there’s the Immortals–Echo Fox matchup. Immortals looked out of sorts last week, dropping two straight and raising uncomfortable questions about their read on the meta. Are they tilting? Did the MSI hangover hit harder than expected? Whatever the case, they need a palette-cleanser, and Echo Fox might be the ideal opponent. Don’t get it twisted — Echo Fox are not a free win. Their games routinely stretch past the 40-minute mark, and they’ve developed an uncanny ability to stall out losing positions and force coin-flip late-game fights. This is a team that will bleed you out if you let the clock tick too long. For Immortals, the blueprint is clear: rediscover the aggressive, proactive style that had them dominating two weeks ago. Focus on crisp early rotations, secure the Rift Heralds, and close out before Echo Fox’s scaling engines come online. With a week of intense practice to iron out the kinks, returning to form shouldn’t be an insurmountable task. The question mark is mental: if Immortals show up tight and hesitant, they could easily find themselves dragged into the mud. But the expectation is that the experienced leaders on the squad — the bot lane of Arrow and Olleh, both seasoned clutch performers — will right the ship. Look for Immortals to take the series in two relatively controlled maps, though if it goes to a third, the advantage swings squarely to Echo Fox and their stall-based magic.

Big picture, these matches are about more than just wins and losses. They’re about momentum. CLG wants to hold firm at the top, Immortals wants to remind everyone why they were crowned spring champions, and the underdogs want to keep tearing up the script. With every game, the 2026 Summer Split is writing a narrative no analyst bot could predict. Buckle up — it’s going to be a wild ride.