League of Legends Esports Fans Welcome Unpredictability of MSI
Esports fans who enjoy upsets and surprises have a lot to love about the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). With a condensed team list and schedule, anything can happen each day at this tournament. The 2019 event was no different.
In the beginning, KINGZONE seemed like the best team, but then Flash Wolves claimed that spot. However, by the end of the group stage, Royal Never Give Up (RNG) emerged as the first seed.
Now, with the group stage over and the tournament moving into the bracket stage, let’s take a look at the five biggest takeaways so far.
1) KINGZONE’s Inconsistency Raises Concerns
We were impressed with KINGZONE prior to MSI because of their dominating performance in the LCK 2018 Spring Split. They were not only the best team in Korea but also made other teams look silly. However, at MSI, they have shown a frustrating lack of consistency. Their champ select and playstyle have changed, and Peanut’s jungling has been subpar. KINGZONE and their fans have every right to be worried.
For the past five years, Korean teams, mainly SK Telecom T1 (SKT), have dominated international events. However, KINGZONE has shown that they are not as battle-tested as SKT. If they can learn to capitalize on their strengths and win fights like SKT did, they might be able to establish their own legacy.
2) Flash Wolves Thrive Without Karsa
It was uncertain what form Flash Wolves would take since the LMS region hasn’t performed well in international events recently. No LMS team has made it past the group stage at Worlds in the past two seasons, and Flash Wolves’ previous appearances at MSI were also disappointing.
However, this year, with two rookies on the team, Flash Wolves have been impressive, especially led by their star mid laner, Maple. Even without their former jungler, Karsa, who now plays for RNG, Flash Wolves have proven themselves capable of achieving glory.
Maple’s control of the river perfectly aligns with Flash Wolves’ preferred playstyle of prioritizing the bot side. Their rotations and use of global spells are sharp, which gives them an advantage heading into the semifinals against KINGZONE.
3) Uzi Shines as Royal’s ADC
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Royal’s ADC, Uzi, has been dominating the scene for years.
Throughout the LPL playoffs and at MSI, Royal has focused heavily on Uzi’s lane presence. The meta favors ADCs who can win their lanes and rotate, and Uzi excels in that aspect. His performance has been outstanding.
4) Fnatic Relies on Multiple Carries
Uzi has faced several star ADCs at MSI, but the one who has given him the most trouble is Fnatic’s Rekkles. Rekkles struggled during the tournament, which is unusual for a Fnatic team that used to rely heavily on their ADC.
However, Fnatic has found another carry in their mid laner, Caps. Despite occasionally making mistakes, Caps has demonstrated his skill in lane control and teamfighting, proving that he can compete with the best mid laners in the tournament. His performance will be crucial if Fnatic wants to defeat RNG in the semifinals.
5) Mental Toughness is Key
In comparison to Worlds, MSI is chaotic. Teams no longer have much time for preparation between group stage games. It is a frenzied race to the finish.
Surviving the group stage requires strong mentalities. The pace of the action is so fast that even a slight tilt can lead to a snowball effect of losses. Teams like Team Liquid struggled early on and never recovered, while Royal faced adversity but managed to stay composed and finish on top.
It remains to be seen if this mentality will carry Royal to their first major international championship. They will face Fnatic in the first semifinal on May 18th at 5am CT.