The Mid-Season Invitational is, besides the League of Legends World Championship, League’s largest international event. Since the MSI is traditionally held between the Spring and Summer Split, it features the Spring Split winners from each region. Given that the leading teams from various regions participate in the event, the MSI is an outstanding opportunity to both scout the competition and showcase your talent pool.
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA - MAY 08: Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong, left, and Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok of T1 pose at the League of Legends - Mid-Season Invitational Features Day on May 8, 2022 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Lee Aiksoon/Riot Games)
The 2022 Mid-Season Invitational is taking place from Busan, South Korea, between May 10th and 29th. The event welcomed eleven teams from regional leagues in North America, Europe, Latin America, Brazil, Oceania, Korea, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
The total prize pool for the event is $250k. However, a percentage of the revenue from the designated in-client sales will be added. Currently, the winner of the 2022 MSI will take home $75,000. The second team will win $50,000, and the third and fourth place teams will both take home $25,000.
Following the format from the previous years, the event was organized in three separate stages: the Group Stage, the Rumble Stage, and the Knockout Stage. The Group Stage took place from May 10th to May 15th. As the name indicates, the teams were divided into three groups. Groups A and B both had four teams, whereas Group C only had three. To compensate for the discrepancy, the teams assigned to Groups A and B played a double round-robin, while Group C played a quadruple round-robin. However, only two teams from each group advanced.
Group A
Group A consisted of T1, Saigon Buffalo, DetonatioN FocusMe, and Team Aze. As T1 already has two MSI titles and they effortlessly outshined every other team in the LCK during the Spring Split, they were a clear favorite. As anticipated, T1 lived up to the expectations and swept group A, ending the Group Stage with an undefeated record of 6-0.
All but one team in Group A opted for a rather defensive and timid playstyle against T1. Saigon Buffalo dared to confront and push the limits of T1, even though they would not be victorious in either of their clashes against the powerhouse. Nonetheless, Saigon Buffalo came in second with a score of 4-2, winning both of their games against DetonatioN FocusMe and Team Aze.
For those two teams, the Group Stage marks the end of the line for them, as they both finished with 1-5 records; each team managed to take only one win off of the other.
Group B
Group B was almost identical to Group A in composition, featuring an apparent front-runner in Royal Never Give Up; a bold, wild card team in PSG Talon, and two underdogs, RED Canids and Istanbul Wildcats. Just like T1, Royal Never Give Up exceeded all expectations by ending the Group Stage with an undefeated record of 6-0.
PSG Talon, the last year’s semifinalists, fearlessly fought Royal Never Give Up, but, in the end, they lost both games. Regardless of this, PSG successfully placed second with a 3-3 record and secured their place in the Rumble Stage.
Third place was taken by RED Canids, a team that surprisingly forced even Royal Never Give Up to break a sweat before they could take their win, but ultimately went 2-4. Istanbul Wildcats ended in last place with a 1-5 record, their only win during the Group Stage coming from a bout against RED Canids.
Group C
Unlike Groups A and B, group C had only three teams competing. This is because the LCL did not send a representative team to MSI this year due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Needless to say, G2 continued its winning streak from the end of the LEC Spring Split, concluding the Group Stage with an undefeated 8-0 record. Including their performance in the Spring Split playoffs, G2 are currently on a 20-game winning streak.
Evil Geniuses finished in second place with a 4-4 record, taking every game against Order but losing every game against G2. Order didn’t have much luck in the MSI this year, with the LCO team being the only competitors to not pick up a single win.
The next stage of the MSI, the Rumble Stage, will be happening from May 20th to 24th. During the Rumble Stage, the teams will play double round-robins. Only four of the six competing teams will advance to the final stage of the MSI, the Knockout Stage. That BO5 single-elimination bracket will occur from May 27th to 29th.
