MAD Lions

Origins in the Spanish League

MAD Lions was founded on 31 August 2017 to compete in Spain's professional League of Legends scene. The team quickly established itself as a dominant force in the national SuperLiga, consistently finishing at the top of the standings.

This success allowed the organization to qualify for the European Masters tournament, a prestigious competition for the best teams from Europe's regional leagues. MAD Lions won this tournament in the summer of 2018, marking its first major trophy and raising its profile across the continent.

During this period, the organization also began to expand its brand globally, sponsoring several teams in Latin America under the MAD Lions name.

Acquisition and Entry into the LEC

In May 2019, the organization was acquired by the Canadian company OverActive Media. This acquisition led to a major strategic shift later that year.

OverActive Media decided to dissolve its other esports subsidiary, Splyce, which already had a team in Europe's top-tier League of Legends league, the LEC. In November 2019, Splyce's LEC team was rebranded as the primary MAD Lions squad.

The original Spanish League of Legends team, which had founded the MAD Lions identity, was renamed MAD Lions Madrid and continued to compete as the organization's academy team in the Spanish SuperLiga.

A Rookie Squad Makes Its Mark

The new MAD Lions LEC roster for the 2020 season was built around four rookies: Orome, Shad0w, Carzzy, and Kaiser. They were joined by one experienced player from the former Splyce lineup, Humanoid.

Despite low expectations, this young team finished fourth in the 2020 Spring Split regular season. They then pulled off a major upset by defeating the tournament favorites, G2 Esports, in the first round of the playoffs. They eventually finished the split in fourth place after a loss to G2 in the lower bracket.

The team kept the same lineup for the summer season, finishing second in the regular season. They qualified for the 2020 World Championship through the play-in stage but suffered a surprising elimination, failing to reach the main event.

The 2021 Championship Season

Prior to the 2021 Spring Split, MAD Lions made two key changes to its roster. Top laner Orome and jungler Shad0w were replaced by Armut and Elyoya, both making their LEC debuts.

Armut had previously played for the Turkish team SuperMassive, the very team that had eliminated MAD Lions from the previous World Championship. The new lineup gelled quickly, finishing third in the regular season.

In the playoffs, MAD Lions fought through the winners' bracket, defeating Rogue and then G2 Esports to advance to their first-ever LEC finals. Facing Rogue again in the championship match, MAD Lions found themselves down 0-2 in the best-of-five series. They staged a dramatic comeback, winning three consecutive games to complete a reverse sweep and claim their first LEC title on 11 April 2021.

Organization and Other Esports

Beyond its flagship League of Legends team, MAD Lions was a multi-game esports organization. It fielded professional teams in other popular titles, including Counter-Strike and Valorant.

The organization's Counter-Strike team was particularly notable, earning over $720,000 in total prize winnings during its competitive history. MAD Lions also had teams competing in games like Clash Royale and FIFA, representing its broad involvement in the esports scene.

The Movistar KOI Merger

The MAD Lions brand did not continue indefinitely. On 6 December 2024, the organization completed a definitive merger under the Movistar KOI brand. This move consolidated the identities of two prominent Spanish esports entities into a single organization, marking the end of MAD Lions as a separate competitive brand.