MSI Esports Tournament

Publication date: 18 Jun 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 2025/ Where and When

MSI 2025 will be held from June 27 to July 12, 2025 at the legendary Pacific Coliseum complex in Vancouver, Canada.

Organizer: Riot Games.
Format: offline tournament with a live audience, broadcast on all official LoL Esports channels.
MSI is held in two stages: the preliminary stage will be held on June 27-30, and the playoff stage on July 2-5 and July 8-12. The Play-In involves the teams that took the first places in small regions, as well as the second places from major leagues. Meanwhile, teams that claimed first place in the major regions (LCK, LPL, LEC, and LCS) receive direct qualification to the main stage.

Participants and Favorites

Twelve teams from various regions, including South Korea, China, Brazil, and Vietnam, will compete in the MSI tournament.

The main contenders include:

• T1 (Korea): Legendary club with multiple trophies, including the Worlds 2023 title.
• Gen.G (Korea): LCK champion with a stable tactical approach and strong laning phase performance.
• JD Gaming (China): MSI 2023 winners known for their aggressive style.
• G2 Esports (Europe): LEC leaders with innovative strategies and experienced players.
• Team Liquid (USA): Powerful lineup featuring prominent individual talents.

Players to watch: Faker, Chovy, Ruler, Caps, Yagao.

Complete participant list and match schedule are available 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 2026

MSI 2026 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.