BOL Premier Playoffs Begin

Hello everyone and welcome to the playoffs! In my article today I am going to give you my thoughts on every team in the league trying to touch on every player who should be making a playoff appearance. I also have some questions that I asked you the people to try and get to know you all better and see what everyone thinks about the playoff teams. I am disgusted to see that I am one of the few Dlashers in Premier for example. Want to see my predictions? Tune Into Otter Talk!

For those who have not seen the announcement below you can find the playoff format. In Round 1 (this week) we have the top 4 teams playing each other to keep their double elimination alive in a best of 3. Starting next week every other playoff series is best of 5. Omega Gaming and The Literal Monkeys start the playoffs in the losers bracket as they finished 5th and 6th but can still go all the way.

Team Solo Invade

Game Score: 11-6Highest Rated Player: NBK

Team Solo Invade (TSI) finished the regular season in first place, edging out Elysium thanks to their tiebreaker victory. From start to finish, TSI have looked like one of the strongest teams in Premier, and they’ve quickly become a favourite for a deep playoff run. What makes them so threatening is their balance of raw talent and aggressive identity though as with every top team, there are a few cracks that could be tested come playoff time.

TSI’s strengths begin with their solo lanes. In the mid lane, NBK has established himself as one of the premier carries in the entire league. Despite only recently joining the roster, NBK has wasted no time in proving that he can take over games. His champion pool leans heavily into high-impact playmakers, and his laning dominance creates space for TSI’s aggressive style. It’s not an exaggeration to say that NBK could be the X-factor for TSI in playoffs.

In the jungle, HamanKarn is the engine that drives TSI’s early game. Known for his creativity and confidence, he’s one of the few junglers in Blue Otter League who consistently looks to punish the enemy with risky but calculated invades. This willingness to fight early and often sets the tone for TSI’s identity as a team that wants to dictate the tempo. When HamanKarn is ahead, TSI looks unstoppable, as opponents frequently find themselves suffocated before they can even scale into the game.

The bot lane has been a point of both strength and uncertainty. Just RJ has been steady in the ADC role and has shown flashes of brilliance, particularly when put on late-game hypercarries like Aphelios. The challenge has been consistency in the support position, where TSI cycled through four different starters across the seven-week season. That lack of stability has sometimes left Just RJ without the peel or setup he needs to thrive, but when TSI drafts around him properly, he has proven he can be a reliable second carry threat behind NBK.

The most unique piece of TSI’s roster is Smoke in the top lane. Unlike most toplaners in Premier, Smoke leans into a carry-oriented style, often piloting champions like Darius and looking to create individual advantages. While he has games on tanks like Ornn, his preference for aggression carries through regardless of the champion he’s on. That identity has a double edge: Smoke leads all toplaners in kills per game, averaging over five, but also dies more than anyone else in the league. It’s a volatile style that can either blow open games or give opponents an opening back in. Heading into the playoffs, the question will be whether TSI can balance Smoke’s aggressive tendencies with the need for consistency, especially when their other carries already demand resources.

Looking at the team as a whole, TSI’s biggest strength is their ability to control the pace of the game. Few teams in Blue Otter League are prepared for the constant pressure and skirmishing they bring, and in a format like Fearless, where flexibility is tested, their wide pool of aggressive picks could become a real asset. However, their biggest weakness lies in their ability to play from behind. TSI rarely looks comfortable slowing the game down and clawing their way back, instead preferring to snowball from the start. Against disciplined playoff opponents, that tendency could be punished.

Still, there’s no doubt that Team Solo Invade belong in the conversation as title contenders. With NBK and HamanKarn leading the charge, and Just RJ and Smoke adding unique flavors to the roster, this is a team that thrives on chaos and momentum. If they can stabilize their support situation and adapt when their early aggression doesn’t pan out, they have every tool needed to lift the trophy.

Elysium

Game Score: 12-7

Highest Rated Player: GusterPosey

At the start of the season, Elysium were my pick to win Premier. On paper, they had everything you could want in a championship roster talent across every role, a strong sense of identity, and the kind of flexibility that makes drafting against them a nightmare. Now that the regular season has wrapped up and I’ve had the chance to cast them multiple times, do I still feel confident in that choice? The answer is a resounding yes. Elysium remain one of the top two teams in Premier, and they look poised to make a deep playoff run.

What makes Elysium such a difficult opponent is their flexibility. Every player on the roster has shown they can both step into a carry role and take a backseat when needed. Dilly, for example, is just as comfortable running the lane with aggressive picks like Lucian as he is playing scaling artillery mages like Ziggs. That kind of range gives Elysium multiple ways to approach a game, making them nearly impossible to pigeonhole.

The synergy between Dilly and Aero, though Aero has played fewer games this split, is another promising piece of this roster. The two have been playing together for a long time, and that history makes up for any lack of on-stage repetitions this season. The bot lane may not have the raw statistics of some of their competitors, but their ability to adapt to drafts and fulfill different roles has been invaluable.

Moving to the top side of the map, GusterPosey has been a standout while jungling. He has shown the ability to take over games on champions like Jax and Sylas, but what’s most impressive is his willingness to pivot to more supportive options like Ivern when the draft calls for it. The same can be said for CZI in the top lane, who has run the gamut from bruisers like Gwen to tanks like Ornn. This adaptability across solo lanes means that Elysium can sculpt their win conditions on the fly, depending on what their opponents leave open. In the mid lane, Watercat might be the best representation of Elysium’s flexibility. Over the course of the split, he’s played everything from supportive enablers like Seraphine to traditional mages like Corki. That champion diversity keeps opponents guessing and makes it nearly impossible to target him out in draft without sacrificing bans elsewhere.

If there is one concern for Elysium, it’s their tendency to drop games. Statistically, they played more Game 3s than any other team in the league, a troubling sign for a squad that finished tied for first. It suggests a level of inconsistency, particularly against weaker competition most notably their loss to High Alert in the final week of the season. For a team with championship aspirations, those kinds of slip-ups could be costly in a best-of-five playoff setting.

But what makes this postseason especially intriguing is their budding rivalry with Team Solo Invade (TSI). Both teams finished tied for first in the regular season, with TSI taking the number one seed thanks to the tiebreaker. The two squads represent contrasting philosophies: TSI thrives on relentless aggression and snowballing games through early skirmishes, while Elysium lean on adaptability, drafting versatility, and trust in one another to outlast and outmaneuver their opponents. Every clash between them feels like a clash of ideologies tempo versus flexibility, chaos versus structure.

Heading into the playoffs, Elysium remain a dangerous, well-rounded team. Their ability to draft creatively, swap carry responsibilities across the map, and play with decisiveness gives them all the tools they need to contend for the title. The only question left is whether they can clean up their consistency and avoid giving away games they shouldn’t. If they can, Elysium not only has a path to the championship but also the chance to cement themselves as the definitive answer to their biggest rival, Team Solo Invade.

Dorado Gaming

Game Score:9-7

Highest Rated Player: Pelli Penguin

Few teams in BOL Premier have undergone as dramatic a transformation as Dorado Gaming. At the start of the season, this roster looked completely different Trouble Killa is the only player remaining from the squad that took the Rift in Week 1. Yet despite all the turnover, or perhaps because of it, Dorado have emerged as one of the most exciting playoff contenders. Finishing third in the regular season and closing things out with back-to-back 2-0 sweeps against other playoff-bound teams, Dorado are quickly becoming the team no one wants to face.

It’s not just that Dorado stabilized; they upgraded across the board. Every new addition has elevated the roster, turning Dorado into a team defined by confidence, mechanical skill, and a refusal to play safe. In fact, the best way to describe them is as a “Well Show Them All” style team. That’s not just a label it’s an identity. Dorado play with ego, with swagger. They draft direct counters, pick champions with high skill expression, and lean into constant aggression. Their mindset isn’t about playing the slow, methodical game it’s about showing up on the Rift, throwing down, and proving they can outplay whoever lines up against them.

The results speak for themselves. Dorado’s final game of the regular season lasted just 22 minutes, a statement win that perfectly captures their tempo-first identity. This is a team that doesn’t want to brawl in long, drawn-out 5v5s; instead, they thrive in skirmishes and small fights, creating chaos across the map and snowballing their leads until opponents have no way back in. Their drafts reflect this philosophy too you won’t see many traditional engage tanks on this roster. Instead, they gravitate toward proactive picks like Poppy, Pantheon, and engage supports that can force isolated duels and prevent clean teamfights from ever breaking out.

The roster itself is filled with players who perfectly embody this approach. Pelli Penguin has been a revelation, flexing between jungle and support and putting up monstrous performances in both roles. His willingness to engage and take risks often sets the tone for Dorado’s early-game tempo. In the mid lane, Gabriel Leo brings not only a wealth of experience but also a proven championship pedigree, adding stability to the chaos with champions that can either brawl in skirmishes or provide map-wide impact. Of course, the team’s heartbeat remains Trouble Killa, the lone holdover from the Week 1 roster. His comfort on bruisers like Mordekaiser and Aatrox fits Dorado’s tempo identity perfectly, giving the squad a reliable frontline presence who still has carry potential in drawn-out fights. Well Show Them All an ADC who thrives on aggressive champions like Kai’Sa, always hunting for the highlight-reel play, Dorado’s bottom lane embodies the risk-reward dynamic that defines this team.

The question, of course, is whether Dorado’s all-gas-no-brakes playstyle can hold up in the playoff gauntlet. Their aggression is a double-edged sword: when it works, games are over in a flash; when it doesn’t, Dorado can find themselves overextending into poke comps or being stalled out by teams with strong disengage tools. Even so, Dorado often mitigates this weakness by drafting picks that can force fights on their terms champions like Ashe or Nautilus, who can create instant pick opportunities and deny opponents the ability to simply kite them out.

At their core, Dorado Gaming are a team that want to prove themselves through action. They don’t play scared. They don’t back down. Their rebuild has turned them into one of the most dangerous wildcards in Premier: a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain. If opponents can’t slow the game down and wrestle control of the tempo, Dorado have shown they are more than capable of smashing their way straight through to victory. Make no mistake this is not the Dorado that started the season. This is a team reborn, and one that’s ready to “show them all” in the playoffs.

The Spire

Game Score: 9-7

Highest Rated Player: POOPSOCKBOSSMAN

It’s hard to talk about The Spire in a positive light after the disastrous end to their regular season. Over the last three weeks, they went 1–5, including a 2-week stretch to end the season where they failed to pick up a single game win. For a team that once looked like a disciplined contender with sharp drafting and creative win conditions, they now appear directionless. The root cause, in my eyes and in the eyes of many others, is as clear as day: The Spire stopped being a team, and instead became the POOPSOCKBOSSMAN show.

The issue is that POOPSOCKBOSSMAN simply isn’t good enough to 1v9 every game no one in Premier is, yet the team continues to draft and play like POOPSOCK’s way is the only path to victory. Early in the split, The Spire’s strength came from balance and coordination; they could rely on multiple lanes to find advantages and trusted their macro to carry them across the finish line. Now, their play looks forced and one-dimensional, and the results speak for themselves.

Denial Hurts in the top lane embodies the frustration I have with this team. Earlier in the season, he was a legitimate threat, using counterpicks like Sett into favourable matchups to establish lane pressure. Recently, though, he’s been reduced to tank duty, locked into champions like Ornn, Shen, and Sion. While there’s nothing wrong with having a reliable frontline, The Spire’s drafts have stripped him of agency, leaving him to absorb pressure while the rest of the map collapses.

Big Sugar is another case of wasted potential. When given champions with strong playmaking potential, Aurora being the best example with some nearly game-winning ultimates against Dorado he’s shown he can be a difference-maker. But more often than not, he’s been stuck in low-impact situations, unable to influence the game when the team most needs it. His ability to swing fights is one of The Spire’s hidden strengths, but only if the team drafts to unlock it.

Notoriety, once known for his aggression and ability to dictate the jungle pace, has drifted into irrelevance. Instead of the proactive playmaker fans had come to expect, he now roams the map as a glorified bot-lane babysitter, with little impact on the overall flow of the game. Similarly, StrawberryFrog in the support role has been caught in the wake of the team’s dysfunction. More often than not, he’s left drafting whatever POOPSOCK wants, even if it means being shackled to passive champions like Yuumi picks that do nothing to solve The Spire’s glaring problems.

The tragedy here is that all the tools are still there. On paper, this roster hasn’t lost its individual talent. Denial Hurts, Big Sugar, and Notoriety are all proven performers. StrawberryFrog has shown flashes of being a steady, intelligent support. Even POOPSOCKBOSSMAN, when not forced to hard-carry, can play a valuable role within a functioning team structure. But the moment the team abandoned their balanced approach and allowed themselves to revolve around one player, the collapse became inevitable. It’s a painful fall from grace. Earlier in the split, The Spire were celebrated we gave MVP votes to the coaching staff and had players on as Draft Doctors. Now, they look like patient zero in a plague of bad habits: predictable drafts, overreliance on one carry, and a refusal to adapt when the strategy isn’t working. Just look at the Vayne pick last week in game 1 to see what I mean.

The path forward is simple in theory but difficult in execution: The Spire need to rediscover their identity as a team. That means empowering Big Sugar with impactful picks, putting Notoriety back on proactive junglers, giving Denial Hurts the chance to counterpick instead of defaulting to tanks, and perhaps most importantly telling POOPSOCKBOSSMAN that he doesn’t need to be the sole win condition. If they can return to the creativity and trust that once made them dangerous, The Spire still have the potential to right the ship. But if they continue down this path, then the only legacy they’ll leave behind is as a cautionary tale: a team that went from innovators to imitators and from contenders to collapse.

Omega

Game Score: 7-8

Highest Rated Player: J Young

Omega Gaming’s season has been a tale of two halves. They started about as poorly as possible, opening with an 0–3 record across the first three weeks and looking like a team destined for the bottom of the standings. Then came the addition of J Young, and everything changed. With his arrival, Omega began a meteoric rise back into playoff contention, turning what looked like a lost split into a respectable finish. Now, the question isn’t whether Omega can win a series they’ve proven that much but whether they can truly be considered among the great teams in Premier.

For me, the answer is no. Omega are a good team, but not yet a great one. Their recent wins, while important, haven’t come against the best of competition. Victories over the Monkeys and High Alert helped keep them in the playoff race, but neither opponent was a serious test of their ceiling. In their one big measuring-stick matchup in the final week of the regular season, Omega were dismantled by Team Solo Invade, a result that highlighted the gap between them and the top contenders.

That said, Omega’s strengths are real, and they start in the bot lane. The duo of Maj at ADC and J Young at support has been electric, consistently standing out as the backbone of the team. Maj has thrived when given resources, and J Young has proven to be the missing piece, stabilizing the roster and elevating their bottom-lane presence into one of the most reliable win conditions in Premier. Against most opponents, this duo has been able to secure lane advantages and convert them into meaningful pressure across the map.

The rest of the map, however, leaves more question marks. Saryn in the mid lane has struggled to keep pace with the league’s elite, often being outclassed in direct matchups against players like NBK and Watercat. While Saryn has shown a preference for comfort picks most famously the disastrous Kog’Maw mid and the self-ulting Lissandra the lack of efficiency and impact from those choices has hurt Omega’s ability to contest mid-lane priority, which is critical at higher levels of play. In the jungle, Kaxi remains solid but limited. He has never been a primary carry player and likely never will be, instead leaning on engage-tank junglers to set up fights. While that role has value, it also restricts Omega in draft, making them more predictable against teams that can ban out or prepare for those styles. The top lane situation with Perspicacious is also a mixed bag. On paper, buffs to his signature champion Illaoi give Omega a legitimate threat in Fearless drafts, forcing opponents to consider countermeasures. But in practice, Perspicacious hasn’t consistently been a difference-maker. His teleport usage has been shaky all season, being late to teamfights, and even when he secures gold leads, he hasn’t translated them into meaningful map impact. Omega need more from their top laner if they hope to compete with the upper tier.

Heading into playoffs, Omega feel like a team destined to sit in the middle of the pack. They have strong fundamentals and a bottom lane that can punch above its weight, but their flaws elsewhere are too significant to overlook. Against top teams like Dorado Gaming or Elysium, I don’t see a realistic path for them to win a best-of series. Unless Maj and J Young completely take over a matchup, Omega’s other weaknesses, limited draft flexibility, an exploitable mid lane, and underwhelming top lane impact, are likely to be exposed. For that reason, Omega would be my pick as a first-round exit team. Omega Gaming may have clawed their way back into playoffs, but unless they can rewrite their story on the biggest stage, they’ll be remembered not as contenders but as a team that stopped just short of greatness.

Literal Monkeys

Game Score: 8-10

Highest Rated Player: Goomi

The Literal Monkeys pulled off a heist of their own, snatching a playoff spot away from Conduit in dramatic fashion. For a team that has shuffled pieces around all season, it finally feels like they’ve landed on a roster that can at least hold their ground. With the addition of Just Cooper, the Monkeys now have a true jungler on the lineup replacing Slayer, who was an ADC main awkwardly forced into the jungle role earlier in the season. At support, Relix has been promoted to the main roster, and their solo queue pedigree already shows a clear upgrade over SuhPorta, the team’s former starting support.

These changes give the Monkeys a much more legitimate foundation, but the big question remains: can this team be more than just a sparring partner for the league’s elite? Are they destined to be a one-and-done in playoffs, or could they cause real chaos in a best-of-five? If the Monkeys are going to make noise, the spotlight will almost certainly fall on Goomi. As an ADC, Goomi has carved out a niche as a fantastic utility marksman, excelling on champions like Ashe and Jhin where vision, setup, and map control are paramount. In many ways, Goomi has been the most consistent and arguably best player on this roster. But cracks show when the team leans into more traditional hyper-carries on picks like Yunara and late-scaling threats Goomi has looked uncomfortable and at times outright overmatched. The Monkeys may be better served embracing Goomi’s strengths and leaning further into utility or unconventional bot lane options, like mages or Senna, to keep opponents on their toes across a long series.

Elsewhere, Baxel in the top lane has been serviceable, showing solid performances on scaling champions, though rarely taking over games. Just Cooper’s early showings in the jungle have been encouraging, and with more time, he could develop into the aggressive playmaker this team desperately needs. DL has been the Monkeys’ rock in mid all split long, relying heavily on control mages, though the question remains whether he can shift gears if the meta or the draft demands something different.

And that might be where the Monkeys’ real chance lies. In a straight-up standard game, they’re outmatched by the firepower of playoff titans like Dorado or Elysium. But if they can draft creatively, pull out curveball strategies, or lean into the unexpected like KoraXtc did last week, they may just steal more than one game. For a team called the Literal Monkeys, going bananas in draft might be their best (and only) shot at climbing deeper into the postseason.

Which two teams do you think are going to be first-round playoff exits?

What team surprised you the most with how they finished the regular season?

What Two teams do you think are the strongest and are likely to meet in Grand Finals?

Who was the best player on your team this season and why?

HamanKarn - TSI Veteran Minimum Player - NBK , no NBK im sad

Dilly of Elysium - Guster Posey for some big smite steals 

Sarryn of Omega - Maj not close

pelli, dorado - idk i joined 3 weeks ago im just a sub

Perspicacious#persp of Team Omega Gaming - Maj, always consistent

Relix - Literal Monkeys - Baxel - first time playing comp, and every game i played with him he did well

Unleashed of TSI - Equally HamanKarn and NBK, they’re always consistent & clutch

Crewman44 of Team Content - Storm <3

Dorado Yoyos - Had a lot of roster changes but TK has had consistently good performances and has been a real difference maker in many of our recent games. 

Just RJ of TSI - NBK, when he was there games weren't even close

Omega(No Name Given) - Maj. That guy is so consistent. He rarely makes major mistakes and comes in clutch when we need it.

maj Omega - j young! lets just be real we started the season 0-3 without him and with him we were nearly undefeated. to be frank after week 3 i think as a team we were down and out, bringing on j young singlehandedly improved our teams mentality, gameplay, and just overall energy. he has a strong case for #1 support in the league on paper. and after playing against all the bot duos now, in my personal ranking he's the best support in the league when hes preforming.

Baxel Monkey - Dongo I don't think he lose lane in any game and a very regular player overall

Suhporta literal monkeys - Goommi because hes such a vibe to lane with.

Brenden of Team Solo Invade -  Haman for consistently showing up to games and looking strong against his matchup 

literal monkeys(No Name Given) - baxel cuz hes the goat

Czi of Elysium - guster posey imo has been putting on a show this split, lots of baron steals and just plays with a lot of cahones

Are you happy with how your team performed this season?

HamanKarn - TSI Veteran Minimum Player -  considering we had a sub on almost every game yep ! (kappa)

Dilly of Elysium - Yes 

Sarryn of Omega - Not really. We had a lot of struggles. 

pelli, dorado - sure

Perspicacious#persp of Team Omega Gaming - No

Relix - Literal Monkeys - considering, i won every game i played im happy with how they played, how they played without me i cant comment on, plus it was thrown together so

Unleashed of TSI - TSI ended the regular season 1st so I’m content with that outcome.

Crewman44 of Team Content - Yes

Dorado Yoyos - Early season? Definitely not. We put in some real work for draft prep starting week 4 around the same time as some roster changes and from there, I’m very pleased. 

Just RJ of TSI - No, because half the time, I was inting

Omega(No Name Given) - Very happy. I think we could have beaten TSI to finish higher and get in the winners bracket but considering we were 0-3 to start, going 3-1 with the roster we're taking into playoffs feels good.

maj Omega -  no, i expect a lot from us and even more from myself.

Baxel Monkey - yes and no I didn't expect much since we change roster all the time and have 0 practice but we still manage to do playoff somehow. I think we could have been a really good team with cooper and relix.

Suhporta literal monkeys -  I joined at the end of the season but alot of work has been going on behind the scenes for preparations.

Brenden of Team Solo Invade -  Yes

literal monkeys(No Name Given) - no

Czi of Elysium - yeah, the vibes are chill and we beat down the team i was on last split so i cant complain

Do you listen to music while playing comp games?

Flash on D or F?

Do You Enjoy Solo Queue?

Shoutouts?

HamanKarn - TSI Veteran Minimum Player belated happy birthday TSI Brenden kekw 

Sarryn of Omega - Maj for letting me play asol during scrim while he wanted to alt-f4

Perspicacious#persp of Team Omega Gaming  - All of my team

Relix - Literal Monkeys- Literal Monkeys team, thanks for sticking around and hanging in there this split, and my boys over at TSI and ELY. Good luck to you both 

Unleashed of TSI - Shoutout to TSI, xHackzZ, and Sam

Dorado Yoyos - Shoutout to Wock Warlock for stepping up and on and off the rift as a leader for our team

Just RJ of TSI - Brenden, the owner of TSI, and Aguri for being the GOAT

Omega Kroger BOGO on little bites is over. Next one is in like 3 weeks.

maj Omega - my teammates persp, kaxi, and sarryn ofc its been a fun two seasons with those guys. j young brother thanks for coming on its been great having you and thank GOD you randomly liked me in our first tryout or i probably never would've reached out. mr lesser cant thank that guy enough, i credit him for so much of my improvement over the last 2 seasons

Baxel Monkey  Cooper and Kora Who help us do playoff! 

Brenden of Team Solo Invade  Smoke, SK, Haman, Unleashed, Aguri, NBK, RJ, Hackz, Kyeo and Brett 

Czi of Elysium - shout out to elysium, my other comp teams, and everyone in comp

we all enjoy being here and its a blessing that we have these spaces where we can play the game we love (and hate) as a collective group, compete against one another and build relationships that for good or bad, we wont forget.