Korea and China Clash at League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational
Today, JD Gaming secured a spot in the grand finals of the 2023 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational by defeating T1 in a thrilling 3-2 series. This marked the first-ever battle between Korea and China at the tournament, treating fans to a display of exceptional mechanical skills and macro play.
Gumayusi and Ruler, the star AD carries for T1 and JDG respectively, dominated the five-game series. Both teams relied heavily on their carries, building team compositions around them to protect and complement their playstyle in teamfights.
The final teamfight in game 5! #MSI2023 pic.twitter.com/3mgUOSnDOJ
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) May 18, 2023
In addition to the standout performances of Gumayusi and Ruler, JDG’s mid laner, Knight, and jungler, Kanavi, showcased their exceptional synergy throughout the series. Their coordinated engages set up Ruler for success on champions like Jinx and Aphelios. Ruler finished the series with an impressive 28 kills and 17 assists, while Knight earned Player of the Series honors with 15 kills and 45 assists.
Related: LCS, LEC Finish MSI 2023 with Poor Record against LCK, LPL teams
JDG demonstrated a more balanced team performance, particularly in the fourth game where each player contributed evenly to the team’s damage. Meanwhile, T1 heavily relied on Gumayusi’s ability to navigate teamfights and position himself effectively. In the final game, T1 had a chance to secure victory, but a mistake by Faker shifted the game and ultimately, the series, in favor of JDG.
Fans of the LCK may be critical of Faker’s performance on Nautilus, as his engagement with JDG’s entire team in a four-vs-five situation proved costly. Throughout the series and MSI as a whole, Nautilus hasn’t lived up to T1’s expectations, with Faker only securing one victory with the champion out of four games.
Related: MSI 2023: Scores, Standings, and Results
T1 now finds themselves in the lower bracket of the tournament, where they will face either Bilibili Gaming or Gen.G. They will need to rethink their strategies and perform at their best to make a comeback. The MSI action continues tomorrow at 7am CT.