The regular season of CELOL Série A concluded and six teams have qualified for the playoffs: LOS Academy, Neon Esports, emBRAZA! Esports, Smoke Tram Esports, NKZ Vorax and Marere E-Sports. The elimination stage begins on October 24 and will run through the grand final on November 15.
Playoff format and significance
The playoffs adopt a double-elimination bracket with a Winner Bracket and a Loser Bracket. Teams that lose certain matches move to the Loser Bracket rather than being immediately eliminated, while a second defeat results in elimination from the tournament.
The double-elimination structure creates multiple paths to the grand final: a team can reach the final undefeated through the Winner Bracket, or recover from an early loss by advancing through the Loser Bracket.
Which teams qualified and seeding advantages
From the 12 teams that participated in the regular season, the six that advanced are:
- LOS Academy
- Neon Esports
- emBRAZA! Esports
- Smoke Tram Esports
- NKZ Vorax
- Marere E-Sports
Seeding from the regular season determines each team’s position in the playoff bracket. emBRAZA! Esports and Smoke Tram Esports earned byes into the second round of the Winner Bracket, while NKZ Vorax, Neon Esports, LOS Academy and Marere E-Sports begin in the first round.
The direct advancement to the second round rewards higher placement in the points phase, as those teams must win one fewer series to reach the Winner Bracket final.
Opening matches: October 24
The first playoff day features two best-of-three (MD3) series on Saturday, October 24, both scheduled for 5:00 p.m.:
- NKZ Vorax vs Neon Esports — Oct. 24, 17:00 (MD3)
- LOS Academy vs Marere E-Sports — Oct. 24, 17:00 (MD3)
Winners from these matches advance to the Winner Bracket second round on Sunday, October 25. emBRAZA! Esports will face the winner of NKZ Vorax and Neon Esports, while Smoke Tram Esports will meet the winner of LOS Academy and Marere E-Sports.
Full playoff schedule
The elimination phase runs from October 24 to November 15, with match times listed at 17:00 unless otherwise noted:
- 24/10 — 1st round, Winner Bracket (MD3)
- 25/10 — 2nd round, Winner Bracket (MD3)
- 31/10 — 1st round, Loser Bracket (MD3)
- 01/11 — 2nd round, Loser Bracket (MD3)
- 01/11 — Winner Bracket final (MD3)
- 07/11 — 3rd round, Loser Bracket (MD3)
- 15/11 — Grand final (MD5)
The Winner Bracket final determines the first grand finalist; the second finalist will emerge from the Loser Bracket. The grand final on November 15 is a best-of-five series (MD5), where the first team to reach three wins takes the title.
What to expect during the playoffs
With the points phase complete, previous standings only affect initial seeding and byes; every series now requires targeted preparation against specific opponents and adaptation between games.
Teams granted a bye to the second round start one stage ahead, while those competing in the first round can build momentum before facing rested opponents. The double-elimination format also allows for recoveries: teams dropping into the Loser Bracket can still reach the grand final by winning successive series.
Consistency, preparation and in-series adjustments will be critical as the competition moves into its decisive phase.
Viewing information
The opening playoff matches take place October 24 at 17:00 with NKZ Vorax vs Neon Esports and LOS Academy vs Marere E-Sports. The grand final is scheduled for November 15 at 17:00, when the CELOL Série A champion will be decided.
