All three 2021 Mid-Season Invitational (or MSI for short) groups have been finalized! The second-biggest international tournament of the year is right around the corner and we finally know which teams will face off in just a couple of days! Needless to say, the hype is mounting and we cannot wait to see what’ll happen! Better yet, we know that — regardless of the final outcome — we’ll be entertained beyond measure. There’s no chance that this year’s MSI, after a two-year-long gap, will fail to deliver! And, of course, we’ll have the luxury of watching eleven champions duke it out for a sizable sack of cash and, arguably more importantly, regional pride and glory!
Winning MSI might not be as prestigious as winning Worlds, but it’s darn close — close enough for it to truly matter!
The five individuals who will eventually emerge victorious will etch their names in history. In other words, there’s a lot on the line! Unfortunately, the VCS champions GAM Esports will be unable to attend because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. That, in short, is quite a depressing blow; not only do the Vietnamese champions always deliver in terms of feistiness and entertainment, but they were unable to compete at last year’s World Championship as well. If this were the “norm” so to speak, if no one could compete then they would surely have an easier time enduring this rather unfortunate series of events, but watching everyone else trade blows on the biggest of stages (and for the biggest of prizes, too) has to be extremely disheartening.
It’s like being sick and bedridden while all your friends get to go out and shoot some hoops or, in our case, play video games without a care in the world.
With GAM Esports out of the equation, Riot has, surprisingly, decided to keep the initial tournament format intact. This means that groups B and C will still have four teams each, with group A having “only” three competitors. As initially planned, two of the best teams from each group will advance into the Knockout Stage.
The 2021 MSI groups are as follows:
Group A — Royal Never Give Up [LPL]; Unicorns of Love [LCL]; PentanetGG [LCO]
Group B — paiN Gaming [CBLOL]; Istanbul Wildcats [TCL]; MAD Lions [LEC]; PSG Talon [PCS]
Group C — DWG KIA [LCK]; Cloud9 [LCS]; Infinity Esports [LLA]; DetonatioN FocusMe [LJL]
Overall, there’s definitely a reason to get excited for what’s to come! The lack of any VCS representatives will definitely be felt, but it’s not like this year’s MSI will be noticeably worse given who’s going to compete in Reykjavik, Iceland! The action begins on May 6, so make sure to mark your calendars!
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