Movistar KOI

Founding and Explosive Debut

Movistar KOI was born from a high profile partnership between internet celebrity Ibai Llanos and former FC Barcelona star Gerard Piqué. The duo announced their intention to form an esports club in September 2021, acquiring a slot in Spain's League of Legends Superliga. The organization was officially unveiled on 15 December 2021 at a massive event in Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi. The launch was hosted by Llanos and Piqué, attended by over 15,000 fans, and reached a peak viewership of 379,000 on Twitch. During this event, the organization also announced its entry into Valorant and revealed its initial group of content creators.

From its first competitive matches in 2022, KOI captured the Spanish esports scene. The team set viewership records for domestic broadcasts and drew large crowds to its live events. This immediate impact reinforced its position as one of the most followed organizations in Spain and Europe. By the end of 2022, KOI had already expanded its competitive presence across multiple game titles.

International Ambition and Partnership Struggles

Following its rapid domestic growth, KOI sought to expand its brand internationally and enter major European competitions. In October 2022, KOI's parent company, Goatch Global, announced a strategic partnership with Infinite Reality and its ReKTGlobal brand, the owner of the established esports organization Rogue. The agreement stated that Rogue's competitive teams in League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Rocket League would compete under the KOI brand starting from the 2023 season.

This deal was a major step for KOI's expansion, specifically providing access to Europe's top tier League of Legends EMEA Championship. However, the collaboration was affected by poor sporting results and serious financial difficulties. Reports indicated that Infinite Reality failed to meet its financial obligations. The partnership was terminated on 3 November 2023. It was subsequently revealed that Ibai Llanos had invested more than three million euros of his own money to cover payments to employees, players, and content creators during this period of financial strain.

Restructuring and Merger with OverActive Media

After the partnership ended in November 2023, KOI entered a restructuring period internally called Operación Fénix. This phase focused on rebuilding the organization and strengthening its position in the Spanish esports scene. A permanent solution arrived on 4 January 2024, when OverActive Media, the owner of MAD Lions, acquired both Goatch Global (KOI) and Team Randomk Esports (Movistar Riders).

OverActive Media decided to merge the three Spanish organizations under the KOI brand. For the 2024 competitive season, the teams would compete as Movistar KOI and MAD Lions KOI. In February 2024, telecom giant Movistar renewed its contract as the main sponsor for three more years, through the end of 2026. The final structural merger was announced at the Movistar KOI-Con event on 6 December 2024 at the Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid, with the organization thereafter competing solely as Movistar KOI.

The LEC Journey: From MAD Lions KOI to Champions

KOI's presence in the LEC began in 2023 through the initial partnership with Rogue. The roster was largely maintained, with Mathias 'Szygenda' Jensen joining in the top lane. The team qualified for playoffs in the winter split, finishing third, but had less success in the spring and summer splits, finishing sixth and eighth respectively after signing support Henk 'Advienne' Reijenga.

For the 2024 season, following the merger, the LEC squad competed as MAD Lions KOI. The team announced a new roster built around jungler Javier 'Elyoya' Prades and four rookies: Myrwn, Fresskowy, Supa, and Alvaro. This team surprised the league by reaching the winter split final, losing to G2 Esports. They qualified for the 2024 World Championship as the third seed via the Season Finals, but were eliminated in the Swiss stage after losses to Bilibili Gaming, PSG Talon, and GAM Esports.

The 2025 season marked the full rebrand to Movistar KOI and a key roster change with the signing of North American mid laner Joseph 'Jojopyun' Joon pyun. The team won the LEC Spring split, defeating G2 Esports 3 1 in the final to claim its first LEC title under the KOI brand. This victory qualified them for the 2025 Mid Season Invitational and the 2025 Esports World Cup. At MSI they finished 7th 8th, and at the EWC they were eliminated in the playoffs by T1. The team also reached the Summer split final but lost to G2, and finished 9th 11th at the 2025 World Championship.

The Spanish League and Domestic Roots

Alongside its LEC ambitions, Movistar KOI maintains a strong presence in its home league, the Spanish Superliga (LES). The academy team debuted in the 2022 spring split after acquiring the slot of Astralis SB, finishing fourth. Its initial roster included players like SLT, Koldo, Hatrixx, Rafitta, and seaz. The team also won a showmatch against Karmine Corp 2 1 at its founding event.

In 2023, with KOI's entry into the LEC, the Spanish team was renamed Finetwork KOI. The roster saw multiple changes, and the team finished third in the summer split. That year, they reached the final of the Iberian Cup but were defeated 0 3 by Los Heretics. For the 2024 season, after the merger, the team became known as Movistar KOI and underwent a complete revamp. It qualified for playoffs in both the spring and summer splits, finishing sixth and fifth respectively. In 2025, the team changed its name to Movistar KOI Fénix and renewed its entire roster, competing in a new winter split where it finished sixth.

Expanding the Brand Across Games

Movistar KOI competes in several esports beyond League of Legends. The organization has fielded a Valorant team in the Spanish league since its founding announcement. It also maintains a Teamfight Tactics team and supports two players for Pokémon Champions at VGC events.

A significant brand expansion came in October 2025. OverActive Media announced that its Call of Duty League franchise, Toronto Ultra, would become part of the KOI brand, competing as Toronto KOI. This team brought a competitive history to the organization, having won three Stage Majors (2021 Major II, 2023 Major III, and 2024 Major I) and played in two Championship Grand Finals in 2021 and 2023. This integration marked KOI's entry into a premier global franchised league.

Event Hosting and Community Presence

Movistar KOI has established itself as a major event organizer within the LEC ecosystem. In 2025, the team hosted the LEC Roadtrip Madrid at the Madrid Arena during the spring split regular season. The organization's commitment to hosting was further emphasized in 2026, when it was announced the team would host three LEC Roadtrips throughout the year.

The first of these in 2026 was the Versus Finals at the Olimpic Arena in Badalona, where the team finished third. The second Roadtrip was held again at the Madrid Arena in May 2026 during the spring split. These large scale events, alongside the annual Movistar KOI Con, demonstrate the organization's focus on live fan engagement and its role as a central pillar of the Spanish esports community, a status it has held since its record-breaking launch event in 2021.