What you need to know about the upcoming LoL MSI 2023

League of Legends (LoL) is currently in its 13th Season and tournaments are right on schedule. Among its most highly anticipated major league competitions is the Mid-Season Invitationals (MSI) set in May 2023. It is an S-tier international tournament where the winner qualifies for the World Championship (Worlds).

Newcomers to the LoL esports scene can be quick to understand that Worlds is the most prestigious event. However, few can be confused about how the tournament works. This guide will give you all the details for the upcoming 2023 running including the MSI format and how to bet on its matches at Gamdom. 

Mid-Season Invitational basic details

MSI tournaments happen annually in the middle of the season, hence its name, and they serve as one of League of Legends’ most important events. The MSI 2023 is scheduled to start on 2nd May and end on the 21st of the month. It will be held in the Copper Box Arena in London, England hosting 13 of the best teams from the 9 participating regions. 

Swap for assets or skins at Gamdom Tradeup

Invited teams

The teams participating in the MSI LoL earn their invitation by winning their region’s major league. These tournaments follow a seeding position which is dependent on the region’s performance at the Worlds. Frequent top placers get to bring 2 teams to represent them at international events like MSI tournament LoL. The rest, on the other hand, only get to be represented by 1 team at a time. 

Here is the list of regional leagues with 2 seeds in MSI:

• China - League of Legends Pro League (LPL)
• Europe - League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC)
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Africa
• North America - League Championship Series (LCS)
  • Canada
  • United States
• South Korea - League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK)

Here is the list of regional leagues with only 1 seed for the MSI:

• Vietnam - Vietnam Championship Series (VCS)
• Brazil - Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL)
• Latin America - Liga Latinoamérica (LLA)
  • Latin America South
  • Latin America North
• Pacific Championship Series (PCS)
  • Taiwan
  • Hong Kong
  • Macau
  • Southeast Asia (except Vietnam)
  • Oceania
• Japan - League of Legends Japan League (LJL)

Regions can switch annually depending on changes Riot Games need to implement on its servers or upon local officials’ requests. This is the case with Vietnam which pulled out of the Southeast Asian (SEA) server to establish their own. Meanwhile, the rest of SEA competes for the same seed with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Oceania. 

Invited teams are not yet established as of March 2023 because most of the major tournaments have yet to conclude their respective series of games. You place bets on those games at Gamdom while waiting for them MSI. It’s a great way to scout the teams and see which ones are likely to win the first international event of the year in the League of Legends esports. 

Bet on esports at Gamdom and win real cash

How to qualify for play-in

The first stage, play-in, will only host 8 of the 13 teams participating in the MSI. They need to reach the following positions in their respective leagues to qualify for this stage:

• LEC - 2nd place
• LCS - 2nd place
• LPL - 2nd place
• CBLOL - winner
• LJL - winner
• LLA - winner
• VCS - winner
• PCS - winner
   

How to qualify for bracket stage

The second stage, bracket stage, consists of 3 teams from the play-in as well as other 5 teams that are seeded higher. Invited teams qualifying through their respective regional tournaments need to reach the following ranks:

• LEC - winner
• LCS - winner
• LPL - winner
• LCK - winner
• LCK - 2nd

The LCK gets both top 1 and 2 placers in their tournament to qualify straight to stage 2. This is because the 2022 Worlds winner was from this league, DragonX (DRX). 

Tournament format

MSI League of Legends is divided into two stages. The first begins on the opening day of the league on 2nd May and goes on for five days. After a few weeks break, the tournament resumes on 9th May for the bracket stage. The MSI LoL date is fixed and is unlikely to change now that the tournament is getting closer. Here are the details of the tournaments:

Stage 1: Play-in 

The play-in stage is an elimination tournament. All 8 teams are divided into two groups of four who will play against each other in a best of three (Bo3) matches. The winners from each group qualify for Stage 2 while 2nd placers from both sides play in the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). It’s a Bo5 elimination round where the winner joins the play-in winners at the lower bracket of the bracket stage. The rest of the teams are eliminated from the MSI 2023.

Stage 2: Brackets 

3 teams from play-in are seeded to the lower bracket with the LCK 2nd placer. The other 4 teams who prequalified through seeding in the top regional leagues in LoL are in the upper bracket. Stage 2 is a double-bracket elimination round where every game is a Bo5. All winners proceed to the next round but losers from the upper bracket are relegated to the lower one. It is there where they’ll play against the winner of the lower bracket from the previous round. Losers in this section are eliminated from the tournament. 

How to bet on MSI 2023 matches on Gamdom

Gambling at MSI esports matches at Gamdom is the best way to capitalise on your love for the League of Legends’ competitive scene. Place a bet using any of the supported cryptocurrencies and win real cash prizes. Gamdom has an easy registration process, allowing you to join at any time and begin betting on all kinds of games or esports matches. LoLesports MSI can be found at the esports betting page with fun markets and high odds awaiting you. 

Play online casino games using Bitcoin at Gamdom

Words: Clarence Clarke