MSI is just over a week away, as the draw show happened after the LEC Spring Split Finals.
We have come to the end of all the Spring Splits as we finally have all the teams that are coming to MSI 2023 of League of Legends. Gen.G surprised everyone by winning the LCK against a goliath in T1. Doran was a key player in that series with his insane Gragas play, but Peyz, the rookie ADC, got the Finals MVP for being a monster in all the games.
Meanwhile, JDG dominated the LPL finals, with Ruler winning his first LPL title and Finals MVP. LCS wrapped up fairly early as well, with C9 coming on top as a juggernaut in the league. Fudge grabbed the Finals MVP for the LCS. Lastly, from the major region, we had MAD Lions winning earlier today in a thrilling 5 game series as the rookie top laner in Chasy achieved Finals MVP.
Also joining those teams to MSI are the winners of PCS, VCS, LLA, CBLOL, and LJL. All the teams that have qualified for MSI are listed in this article. Riot announced a while back that the MSI Draw for the Play-Ins will occur after the LEC Finals. As that has wrapped up, Riot unveiled the Play-Ins stage brackets. Here is what we know about that.
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MSI 2023 Play-Ins Draw
With the teams confirmed for MSI 2023, here is the list of competitors in the Play-ins arranged in terms of Tier Assigned.
- Tier 1: Bilibili Gaming (LPL) and G2 Esports (LEC).
- Tier 2: Golden Guardians (LCS) and PSG Talon (PCS).
- Tier 3: GAM Esports (VCS) and Detonation FocusME (LJL).
- Tier 4: LOUD (CBLOL) and Movistar R7 (LLA).
A lot of familiar faces on the list as G2 Esports, PSG Talon, GAM Esports, Detonation FocusME, and LOUD are representing their regions once again. Old Titans of the LLA in Movistar R7 are making a return, while another strong emerging LPL team in BLG makes their way into MSI 2023.
All these teams were drawn into two brackets as a Tier 1 team will face a Tier 4 team while Tier 2 and 3 teams will face off against each other. The brackets were drawn as follows.
Play-Ins Bracket A
As shown in the image above, Bilibili Gaming (BLG), Movistar R7, Golden Guardians (GG), and GAM Esports were drawn into this bracket. BLG are clear favorites to come out of this group, while other teams could make it difficult for them. A series between Golden Guardians and GAM Esports is enticing as this could be a very hype matchup. All in all, a good Bracket A to start us off.
Play-Ins Bracket B
Bracket B consists of G2 Esports, LOUD (LLL), PSG Talon, and Detonation FocusME (DFM). This group is more open to anyone winning it all compared to bracket A. While G2 should be slight favorites, their recent form has not been great, although their loss to MAD Lions does not feel as bad considering the result in the Spring Finals.
PSG and DFM will be teams to be reckoned with as powerhouses from their respective regions. Also, LOUD has made quite the name for themselves as recently as Worlds 2022. This will be a tough fight for any of these teams to qualify for the next stage.
What’s At Stake In The Play-Ins
The winner of each bracket will qualify for the Brackets Stage, awaiting a draw to see their opponents. On the other hand, losing one series will not be all doom and gloom, as all those teams still have a shot to make it through the Last Chance Qualifier.
The Last Chance Qualifier will be a series to determine the final team going to the Brackets Stage. With all on the line, these teams will be hungry to prove themselves as they prepare for the tournament.
