The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2023 was Riot Games' first international event of the year, held from May 2 to May 21 in London, UK. Thirteen teams worldwide battled through the Play-In stage to the Grand Finals hosted at the Copper Box Arena, where 7,500 spectators watched JD Gaming defeat Bilibili Gaming 3-1 to claim the trophy. For Zhuo "knight" Ding and his teammates, this victory vindicated their domestic dominance in the LPL, inciting talk of the elusive Golden Road. JDG looked unstoppable.

New format and overview

For the 2023 edition, Riot completely overhauled the format, scrapping the single-group format that previously included all participating teams and introducing an eight-team Play-In stage. Most importantly, for the first time, two teams were invited from each region. The Play-Ins phase was played in two double-elimination brackets in a best-of-three format, with a best-of-five Last Chance Qualifier to determine the final spot. In total, three teams advanced from the Play-Ins to the Bracket Stage.

The Bracket Stage featured eight teams in total — five directly qualified and three coming from the Play-Ins — competing in a full best-of-five double-elimination bracket. Notably, both Yuumi and Milio were disabled for the entire event.

All first seeds from the four major regions were directly qualified for the Bracket Stage: Gen.G from the LCK, JD Gaming from the LPL, MAD Lions from the LEC, and Cloud9 from the LCS. Additionally, T1 also started in the main stage as the LCK’s second seed, a slot secured thanks to DRX’s victory at Worlds 2022. With Turkey and the CIS absorbed into the EMEA region in the offseason, neither region was eligible to send a representative to MSI. The OPL, representing the Oceanic region, was integrated into the PCS playoffs, meaning the region could no longer directly qualify for the tournament.

For the Play-In stage, Bilibili Gaming (BLG), G2 Esports, and Golden Guardians (GG) were the second seeds from the major regions. Joining them were PSG Talon representing the Pacific, GAM Esports from Vietnam, DetonatioN FocusMe (DFM) from Japan, LOUD from Brazil, and Movistar R7 for Latin America.

Expectations and stakes

At the start of MSI, two teams stood out as clear favorites: JDG and Gen.G. Both had dominated their respective domestic leagues. The LPL champions finished first in the Spring Split regular season and cruised through the playoffs, crushing Bilibili Gaming in the upper bracket semifinal, sweeping EDward Gaming in the upper bracket final, and defeating BLG once again in the grand final. The roster featured Bai "369" Jia-Hao in the toplane, Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok in the jungle, Zhuo "knight" Ding in mid, with Korean superstar Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk as the AD carry supported by Lou "MISSING" Yun-Feng.

Gen.G came into the playoffs slightly under the radar. They had finished second in the regular season, well behind T1 — who they lost to in the Upper Bracket Finals. But after bouncing back with a win over KT Rolster in the Lower Bracket, they returned to face T1 in the grand final and delivered a remarkable best-of-five, winning 3-1 to claim their second consecutive LCK title.

The roster was still seen as a strong contender for the championship, led by Choi "Doran" Hyeon-joon in the toplane and Han "Peanut" Wang-ho in the jungle. Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon held down the midlane, while rookie Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan continued to impress as the team’s ADC, supported by Yoo "Delight" Hwan-joong.

An Expected Play-In Outcome

The Play-In phase started on May 2, and nearly all the games went as expected. BLG made quick work of both R7 and GG, while G2 took down LOUD before defeating PSG to qualify for the Bracket Stage. The Last Chance Qualifier was played between GG and PSG, a BO5 convincingly won by the LCS's second seed. Kim "Gori" Tae-woo was named MVP of the series. With that, the eight teams for the Main Stage of MSI 2023 were set: GEN and T1, JDG and BLG, G2 and MAD, C9 and GG.

Several players who stood out during the Play-In stage deserve honorable mentions: Despite their team falling short, both Yu "JunJia" Chun-Chia and Tsou "Wako" Wei-Yang delivered solid performances; Eric "Licorice" Ritchie and Kim "River" Dong-woo played a key role in securing the team’s spot in the Main Stage; LOUD’s AD Carry, Moon "Route" Geom-su, also left a strong impression with his individual level of play. That said, it's time for the main event to begin.

A first round to set the tone

The opening round of the Main Event set the tone immediately, as the four Asian teams faced off against their Western counterparts, and the outcome was one-sided. The scoreboard read 12-1 in favor of the East, with only G2 managing to steal a single game from Gen.G. Despite dropping that game, Chovy and his teammates closed out the series 3-1, winning Game 2 in under 20 minutes — before Baron Nashor had even spawned.

The rest of the matches were even more brutal. T1 made short work of MAD, sweeping the European champions with ease. Game 3 of that series is still remembered for its duration — just 16 minutes and 47 seconds — offering a chilling reminder of the gap between the two regions. Meanwhile, BLG quietly began their campaign with a clean sweep over C9. Chen "Bin" Ze-Bin — a name that would come up often throughout the tournament — earned MVP honors for the series. Lastly, tournament favorites JDG dismantled GG 3-0 as well, with Kanavi putting on a standout performance that earned him the spotlight.

Following the initial clashes, the first elimination BO5s were already on the schedule. The opening series was a rematch of the LEC Winter Split Final—identical in both rosters and result. G2 delivered a cold, clinical 3-0 sweep of MAD, eliminating their regional rivals without dropping a beat. None of the games lasted more than 30 minutes, and Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik stood out in particular. With the Fearless Draft not yet implemented, the toplaner pulled out Yasuo in Game 1, followed by back-to-back Cassiopeia picks—a pocket pick that proved extremely effective throughout the series.

The second Lower Bracket Round 1 series was a rematch of the LCS Spring 2023 Final and ended with the exact same outcome: a 3-1 win for C9. With those results, both GG and MAD became the first teams eliminated from the Main Stage after back-to-back BO5 losses.

The real tournament begins

The matchups everyone had been waiting for finally arrived: the Upper Bracket Semifinals. And what better way to kick things off than a clash between Chovy and Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok? T1 came out swinging, taking the first two games with confidence. They looked stronger and better prepared; T1 were clearly determined to avenge their Spring Final loss to GEN in the LCK.

As Game 3 reached its climax, with all of Gen.G's players eliminated except for their midlaner, Choi "Zeus" Woo-je and Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun were at the base, ready to close out the series. But Chovy had other plans. In a moment of brilliance that even casters missed live, while being chased back to his fountain with just a sliver of health, he made a split-second decision to purchase a Stopwatch. The move bought him just enough time to turn the fight around, keeping his team alive and even winning the game in what was already shaping up to be one of the highest-level BO5s of the tournament.

Gen.G managed to claw back a second win, tying the series in what was quickly becoming a classic. With everything on the line in Game 5, T1 made a key adjustment in their draft approach, moving away from AP midlane picks and placing Faker on K'Sante instead. The Unkillable Demon King made full use of the champion’s overwhelming strength at the time, outmaneuvering Gen.G at every turn. Despite their opponents' efforts, T1 held their ground and narrowly escaped Gen.G's trap, securing their place in the Upper Bracket Final.

They were joined by JD Gaming, who reminded the entire League of Legends world why they were the tournament favorites. In a dominant 3-0 sweep over BLG, JDG displayed flawless control and execution. Despite Bin doing everything in his power to turn things around, BLG simply had no answer for JDG’s macro, mechanics, and decisiveness.

Only the LCK and LPL survive

The Lower Bracket Quarterfinals felt like a mere formality, an obstacle that BLG and Gen.G needed to clear before meeting the other powerhouses. And indeed, neither team stumbled. BLG dropped just a single game against G2 Esports, showing their superior strength throughout the series. Zhao "Elk" Jia-Hao’s performance stood out, as he played Aphelios three times with relentless aggression, constantly punishing G2.

As expected, they were joined by Gen.G, who had an even easier time against C9. No game went past 27 minutes, with solo kills and Peanut putting on an immaculate display. With the series firmly in their hands, Gen.G secured their spot in the Lower Bracket Semifinals, where they would face BLG.

The four best teams in the world

At this stage, only four teams remained standing — all from Korea and China. It was in the Lower Bracket that BLG faced off against Gen.G, a BO5 many had expected to go the way of the LCK champions. But the result was anything but that. BLG obliterated them with a 3-0 sweep, making it clear that the all-Chinese roster was on another level. Every movement, every ability seemed perfectly timed.

Elk’s firepower continued to shine, Bin was dominant on top, and Luo "ON" Wen-Jun proved himself to be one of the best supports in the world. In Game 1, he healed on Lulu; in Game 2, he peeled on Braum; and in Game 3, he found some incredible engages on Blitzcrank. ON was everywhere, doing everything, earning the title of MVP for the series. With this performance, BLG sent Chovy and Gen.G home, leaving the Korean star still waiting for his first international crown.

In the Upper Bracket Final, T1 and JD Gaming clashed in what was arguably the best best-of-five of the entire tournament. Game 1 went JDG’s way, a near-flawless performance in which they conceded only three deaths and executed clinical teamfights, allowing Ruler's Jinx to clean up with resets. T1 answered in Game 2 with a much slower-paced match — only 18 kills in total — but a perfectly timed fight around the 24-minute mark from Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong turned the tide, tying up the series. Throughout the series , Faker drafted three Nautilus games, one K’Sante, and a Tristana, all indicative of a meta that was entirely shaped around enabling the ADC.

Game 3 saw T1 take control early and never let go, ending it in just 23 minutes thanks to another standout Jinx performance from Gumayusi, putting JDG on the back foot for the first time all year. But cometh the hour, cometh the man— Knight stepped up. On a perfectly piloted Annie, backed by Kanavi, the left-handed midlaner pushed his team to a Game 5, with Silver Scrapes ringing through the Copper Box Arena. At that point, it didn’t matter who would win—these were probably the ten best players in the world, playing at the absolute peak of competition. JDG built up a 3,000 gold lead by the 24th minute, but T1, led once again by Gumayusi, pulled off a miraculous teamfight and turned the game on its head, snowballing to a 5,000 gold advantage. But League of Legends changes fast.

T1 got overconfident, and a mistimed hook from Faker’s Nautilus opened the door for JDG. Seizing the opportunity, they turned the fight, claimed Baron Nashor, and moments later, closed out the game and the series in a final midlane clash. T1 were sent to the Lower Bracket to face off against BLG, and JDG secured their spot in the Grand Final.

The title is sure to go to China

In the Lower Bracket Final, T1 had to face BLG, who had taken down Gen.G in the previous round, and it seemed like it just wasn’t Korea’s year at MSI once again. The series was high-level, with a clear mind game between the two coaching staffs happening in every draft, particularly around Bin’s infamous Jax, known to be a dangerous pick. It particularly showed during the fourth game. The second draft phase began with tension building — Jax had made it through all ten bans and was still available. With T1 on red side and first to pick, they lock him only for Bin to instantly counter with Fiora, showing full confidence in his ability to outplay Zeus on a champion he knows down to the second.

Unsurprisingly, this game appeared to be the last of the series. It was Bin, Elk, and the BLGs who stood out once again, with a strong Zeri performance well supported by ON’s Lulu, sealing the series for BLG. With that win, they secured an all-Chinese final and sent T1 packing.

Finals are usually a bit less spectacular than the rest of the tournament—the stakes and pressure are so high that players tend to take fewer risks, with the trophy looming right beside them. The first game followed a classic snowball pattern from JDG. Knight, on Jayce, pulled off a slick escape right under the noses of his opponents, even turning back to secure a kill on Bin’s Jax, with perfect backup from his teammates arriving in time to assist him.

BLG managed to equalize by taking Game 2, but just like during the LPL spring split, it was clear JDG was simply a class above. Game 3 ended in 23 minutes with a 12-3 scoreline, with Knight once again flawless on Jayce. And finally, the last game — a clean 11-1 stomp — was the perfect way to close out the tournament. JDG completely dominated, and even though Bin pulled off a Drake steal, it wasn’t enough to stop JDG’s flawless snowball. Knight even solo-killed both Peng "Xun" Li-Xun and Zeng "Yagao" Qi in one play. Disappointment was written all over Yagao’s face, while joy lit up Knight’s as he knew this trophy was his.

With this victory, JD Gaming once again proved that the MSI is a tournament where China thrives, securing the third consecutive MSI title for the LPL after the two won by Royal Never Give Up in 2021 and 2022. JDG went on to dominate the Summer Split as well, further fueling discussions about a potential golden road for what many already considered—and still consider—one of the greatest rosters to ever play League of Legends.