Asian Powerhouses lock in extra slots
MSI Results Mean Fourth Worlds Slot for LPL, LCK
By securing the top 2 slots in the Mid-Season Invitational, the LPL and LCK have guaranteed themselves a fourth slot at the Worlds 2022 Play-In.
The Mid-Season Invitational has just ended and you might be forgiven if you focused mostly on the contested final series that saw Royal Never Give Up defend their title and win their first Best of Five series against the legendary T1. However, there was more at stake at the MSI than just the prize pool or - admittedly important - bragging rights. In between the talk about EU vs NA and East vs West, the LPL and LCK retained a key preference for Worlds they had since last year - an extra slot for their fourth summer season seed.
As per the 2021 rules update from Riot Games, there are two slots in the Worlds Play-ins that can be granted to different regions depending on their performance. One of these slots is awarded to the region whose representatives won the Mid-Season Invitational receives an extra slot at Worlds, giving them the right to send a fourth team if they are a major region. Among the other regions, the one that has had the most consistent performance in recent years gets another slot. With T1 reaching the final and RNG taking the trophy, both the LCK and LPL guaranteed themselves an extra slot.
Last year, this resulted in the fourth seeds from their spring playoffs - LNG Esports from China and South Korea's Hanwha Life Esports - to attend Worlds. Both teams unsurprisingly made it through the play-in groups. LNG ended up eliminated after ending in a four-way tie for first place in the main event group and losing the tiebreaker to MAD Lions. Hanwha, meanwhile, took second place after a tiebreaker of their own against RNG which sent it on a collision course with T1 in the quarterfinals and a quick 0-3.
Read More:
- MSI Recap: RNG Defend MSI Championship in 3:2 Battle with T1
- Everything You Need to Know For MSI 2022
- MSI Recap: RNG and T1 Sweep Their Way to the Finals
Professional League tournaments continue on June 7th with the start of the LPL Summer Split. In the meantime, follow us for more League of Legends news and analysis!