MSI Esports Tournament

Publication date: 24 Jul 2025

MSI (Mid-Season Invitational) is one of the key and most prestigious esports tournaments globally, held in the discipline of League of Legends. Organized by Riot Games, it traditionally takes place mid-season. It gathers the strongest teams from various regional leagues. Besides, MSI is regarded as the second most important esports event of the year after the World Championship (Worlds). Furthermore, it draws the attention of millions of spectators and analysts worldwide.

Official tournament webpage: lolesports.com.

MSI 2026/ Where and When

MSI 2026 will be held from June 26 to July 12, 2026 in South Korea. At the same time, the final host city is still being chosen: the main contenders are Seoul and Busan. The tournament is organized by Riot Games with the support of the Korean Esports Federation (KeSPA). As for the format, the tournament will be held offline with a live audience and broadcasts on all official LoL Esports channels. MSI 2026 will traditionally consist of two stages: first, the Play—In, after which the main group stage and the playoffs will begin. It is important to note that 10 teams are expected to participate: these are the champions and finalists of the largest regional leagues.

Participants and Favorites

The list of participants will be determined based on the results of the 2026 spring splits. Among the expected favorites:

T1 (Korea) is a legendary organization, multiple world champion.

Gen.G (Korea) — current LCK tops, MSI 2024 winner.

JD Gaming (China) is one of the strongest representatives of the LPL in recent years.

G2 Esports (Europe) is an experienced European grandee with an aggressive strategy.

Team Liquid (USA) is the traditional leader of the LCS, steadily advancing to the final stages.

The tournament is expected to feature star players Faker, Chovy, Caps and Ruler if they retain their positions in the squads. The full list of participants and the schedule of matches will appear closer to the start of the tournament on the official League of Legends Esports website.

Tournament History

The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) has been held annually since 2015 года and has become a sort of “mini-World Championship” for League of Legends. In addition, the tournament gives fans the opportunity to witness clashes between the best teams before the season finale.

Initially, only league champions participated in the event. However, since 2023, the format expanded to accommodate 13 teams. Later, it was optimized to include 12 teams with the introduction of a double elimination bracket.

Winners of the Last Three Tournaments

MSI 2027

MSI 2027 has not yet been officially announced. However, according to preliminary information, Spain and the United States are being considered as possible host countries.

Keep an eye on the dates of esports competitions and other events in our Sporting Events Calendar.