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League of Legends: The top teams defining the Mid-Season Invitational
League of Legends fans: the Mid-Season Invitational is nearly here. The world elite are set to clash in Vancouver and show us who's the best of the best. Take a look at the teams to watch at MSI 2025.
The 2025 League of Legends World Championship season is in full swing, and following the inaugural First Stand event earlier this year in March, the Mid-Season Invitational is the second international event of the year – and it's no doubt set to be an explosive one. The fires of past global rivalries will be stoked, while new legends will form and history will be made as international superstars are thrust into the limelight.
Who'll emerge victorious and fly the flag for their region? As the last international stop before the World Championship later this year, will teams be able to showcase their strength and send a clear warning shot to others? Let's take a look at who to keep an eye on.
01
What is the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational?
Historically, the Mid-Season Invitational is much as its name suggests: an invitational event that takes place half-way through the League of Legends competitive season. However, with domestic leagues across the globe now comprising three splits (or seasons), it's not quite in the middle – but MSI is still the last major stop before the World Championship later this year.
As plenty of changes have hit the competitive scene and domestic leagues across the world, such as the LTA (League of Legends Championship of The Americas) forming, this year's MSI has also evolved. This time around, 10 teams from across the world will be competing in the festivities, with two teams representing each region, as follows:
- Two teams from Korea
- Two teams from China
- Two teams from EMEA
- Two teams from Americas
- Two teams from Asia-Pacific
Four teams will be participating in Stage 1, the Play-In stage, of which the top two teams will advance to Stage 2. Stage 1 consists of a double elimination bracket, with best-of-five matches.
Eight teams in total will compete in Stage 2, the Bracket stage, six of which have prequalified based on domestic performance, as well as the top two teams from Stage 1. Stage 2 will also be a double elimination bracket, with best-of-five matches throughout.
The overall winner will walk away with a hefty chunk of the prize pot, the MSI trophy, and will also qualify for the 2025 World Championship – as long as the winning team reaches Split 3 or Summer Playoffs in their domestic league. The second best region in the final standings will also unlock a fourth seed for their domestic league for Worlds 2025.
02
Who's competing at the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational?
Teams from all five top-flight regions will be aiming for glory and a ticket to this year's Worlds. Here's a breakdown.
Qualified for Bracket Stage:
Region: Korea
- Seed #1: Gen.G
- Seed #2: T1
Region: China
- Seed #1: Anyone's Legend
Region: EMEA
- Seed #1: Movistar KOI
Region: Americas
- Seed #1: FlyQuest
Region: Asia-Pacific
- Seed #1: CTBC Flying Oyster
Qualified for Play-In Stage:
Region: China
- Seed #2: Bilibili Gaming
Region: EMEA
- Seed #2: G2 Esports
Region: Asia-Pacific
- Seed #2: GAM Esports
Region: Americas
- Seed #2: Furia
03
Meet the teams to watch
Competitive League of Legends is now in its 15th year of top-flight competition. And throughout its decade and a half of existence, international rivalries have been ignited, newcomers have aimed for the top, and teams from each region have shown just what their domestic leagues are capable of. With MSI right around the corner, let's take a look at some of the world's best teams aiming for the top spot.
1. T1
Faker shows no signs of slowing down
© Baptiste Fauchille/Red Bull Content Pool
Region: Korea
Line-up:
- Top Lane: Choi 'Doran' Hyeon-joon
- Jungle: Mun 'Oner' Hyeon-jun
- Mid Lane: Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok
- Bot Lane: Lee 'Gumayusi' Min-hyeong
- Bot Lane: Sin 'Smash' Geum-jae
- Support: Ryu 'Keria' Min-seok
T1 hardly need an introduction. The reigning World Champions, led by the indomitable spirit of Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok – who many would consider the GOAT of competitive League of Legends – are still one of the hottest teams in the world. Despite being unable to blunt Gen.G's flawless season so far, who've gone 18 weeks unbeaten in the regular season, T1 are still an international powerhouse and will be looking to show their strength on the world stage.
They enter as the LCK's number-two seed, but will be looking to take advantage of being placed straight into the Bracket Stage – and show the strength of the back-to-back world champions.
2. G2 Esports
Caps is looking for MSI glory
© Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Region: EMEA
Line-up:
- Top Lane: Sergen 'BrokenBlade' Çelik
- Jungle: Rudy 'SkewMond' Semaan
- Mid Lane: Rasmus 'Caps' Winther
- Bot Lane: Steven 'Hans Sama' Liv
- Support: Labros 'Labrov' Papoutsakis
As the most decorated team in Europe, G2 Esports will no doubt be looking for another trophy for their cabinet. With veteran Rasmus 'Caps' Winther having already taken home MSI gold before, he'll be looking to prove once again that EMEA can compete with the rest of the world, especially with a refined line-up surrounding him.
G2 enter MSI as the 2nd seed from EMEA after a runner-up finish during the LEC 2025 Spring Playoffs – and as a result, Caps and co will aim to bounce back and run through the play-in stage, and show their strength on the world stage. With the odds stacked slightly against them, G2 will only relish the challenge – and it'll be exciting to watch.
3. Anyone's Legend
Region: China
Line-up:
- Top Lane: Li 'Flandre' Xuan-Jun
- Jungle: Lee 'Tarzan' Seung-yong
- Mid Lane: Cui 'Shanks' Xiao-Jun
- Bot Lane: Wang 'Hope' Jie
- Support: Kim 'Kael' Jin-hong
Anyone's Legend have shaken things up this year in China's LPL (League of Legends Pro League). You might expect the domestic league to be dominated by the usual top suspects, such as Bilibili Gaming, Weibo Gaming, Top Esports, or even past giants like RNG or FunPlus Phoenix, but this split so far has belonged to Anyone's Legend.
Despite previously failing to even make it above the bottom of the table in recent years, AL have had a remarkable turnaround and look every bit the formidable foe, even stomping Billibilli Gaming in back-to-back games during the play-offs. Watching a team make such a stark turnaround is no doubt exciting – but can they go all the way?
4. Furia
Region: Americas
Line-up:
- Top Lane: Guilherme 'Guigo' Ruiz
- Jungle: Pedro 'Tatu' Seixas
- Mid Lane: Arthur 'Tutsz' Machado
- Bot Lane: Andrey 'Ayu' Saraiva
- Support: Gabriel 'JoJo' Dzelme
League of Legends Championship of The Americas South (LTA South) Split 2 Play-offs winners Furia head into the Play-In stage of this year's MSI and will be looking to prove they can compete with the world's best. The Brazilian roster have proven themselves as one of the top teams of the region and emerged from the play-offs as champions following lower-bracket redemption over paiN Gaming.
Past representatives from the region have historically held an underdog status on the international stage, and Furia will be looking to shake off that mythos this year. With a stacked Play-In stage that only two teams can emerge from, Furia have it all to play for.
