Although i Mid-Season Invitational In less than three weeks, teams all over the world are busy with their spring break. Some leagues have been crowned champions while others are still finishing their matches, as four teams are yet to be confirmed.
This past week, Top Sports has secured its spot, leaving BiliBili Gaming, Anyone’s Legend, and Team WE fighting for second place. G2 Sports they came out on top again, defeating Karmine Corp in the final LEC Versus tournament. FURIA proved that Brazil can fight with its talent.
In North America, LYON ruled Cloud9, which has big question marks about its true potential. Dplus Kia’s release raises many questions, both inside and outside the Rift.
Here are some of the most exciting stories leading up to MSI
Are Team WE’s Playoff Hopes Over? Things Get Bad
At the beginning of the breakup, no one thought Team WE will eventually fight for a place in MSI, however the team has done the unthinkable. Unfortunately, that hope is fading now after the loss of Top Esports, which also shut down international appearances.
TES’s 3-0 victory not only ended OUR momentum but also exposed our weaknesses. The latter had shown their ability to drag their opponents out of their comfort zone, relying on chaotic drawing.
Top Esports understood that and did the exact opposite, using their strong foundations to fight on their own terms, with jungler Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang dictating the tempo of the game.
With the loss, Team WE’s situation is getting tougher. BiliBili Gaming seems to have recovered from the upset and looks strong, with all their players in good form, especially support Luo “ON” Wen-Jun.
“There is no player in the world playing like ON right now, who is truly fearless in the way he approaches every game – and BLG is better for it,” said colorist Alex “Nymaera” Hapgood. A possible rematch is expected to favor BLG, unless Monki pulls off another miracle.
G2 Beat Karmine Corp, and SkewMond Take Another Step
G2 Esports winning Europe is almost routine at this point. Karmine Corp’s 3-2 victory gave the organization its 19th LEC title and will send G2 straight to MSI’s Bracket Stage. KC, after coming close to the title, will start in the Play-Ins.
While it wasn’t a clean sweep, G2’s win was led by a giant. Rudy “SkewMond” Semaanwho did not die in the team’s three victories. The forest, which deservedly received the MVP award, even took out the forest of Nasus, “piercing” its enemies.
His performance and his importance within the team raises the question that begins to follow him: Is SkewMond the best European player to emerge from the Caps?
Even if the claim is still very young, he is still on his way to being that guy. The level of dominance since his debut last year, coupled with a strong G2 international record, elevates him to that status. He will need more time to build his CV, but trends suggest that everything is going well for the French player.
For EU fans, G2 and KC were the best teams to ship based on what they showed in the Spring. The French team will be the one to watch, especially since they will have to face the LCK #2 seed for a place in the top eight. Although it may be short-lived, it will be an important one, especially considering that KC is expected to be among the EU representatives at Worlds 2026.
Dplus KIA Needs Repair Inside and Out Rift
Dplus Kia is not going to MSI. Their run ended after losing against KT Rolster in a very bad way. Despite leading in both Game 4 and Game 5, the team dropped both games in intense team battles.
Outside of the game, however, most of DK’s attention was outside of the game. At the end of the series, the head coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho he was also caught in the crosshairs after making inappropriate comments during a post-match interview, prompting the organization to set higher standards for media relations.
This is the latest controversy surrounding DK’s coach, following earlier criticism of his harsh coaching style. While the potential is there, as clearly demonstrated by the team throughout the first half of the LCK season, DK needs to create a healthy environment, away from drama.
While MSI’s absence is understandable given the presence of powerhouses like T1, Hanwha Life Esports, and Gen.G, Dplus Kia will need to make the top four if they want a shot at Worlds.
Cloud9 Has One Last Chance To Avoid Another Sad End
Cloud9’s 0-3 loss to LYON in the LCS Spring Playoffs gave fans deja vu from last year, when the team failed to win the Mid-Season Invitational. It’s not just a loss: the team looked lost against LYON, they couldn’t match their team fight.
A Reddit user described C9’s form well: “They were the underdogs, a clutch team that could punch above their weight… Now they are regular season leaders against the clutch and find new and innovative ways to squeeze every time it matters.”
C9 repeatedly showed consistency throughout the regular season but failed to step up when it mattered most. The sweep will put a lot of pressure on C9, who will now face Team Liquid for second place at MSI.
Mid laner Lim “Quid” Hyeon-seung has stepped up recently, taking on more of a role in the team, as he did when he played for 100Thieves last year. The middle jungle will probably be the key to the game.
FURIA’s offense could change the way Brazil builds teams
FURIA earned back-to-back appearances at MSI following a strong showing during the second split.
The victory, however, seems to have once again changed the perception of the CBLOL teams. The fact that FURIA won with a full Brazilian team proved that Brazil can rely on its talents to win at home and win international titles.
This seems to lead to many organizations following the same path, as many teams want to replace the players they buy from other countries.
LOUD is reportedly looking to replace jungler Ko “YoungJae” Yeong-jae and ADC Song “Bull” Seon-gyu with Brazilian players Enzo “Sinatra” Candido Ferreira and Yudi Leonardo “NinjaKiwi” Miyashiro. V
ivo Keyd Stars will not only have a new head coach in Ludvig Erik Hugo “Smiley” Granquist but will also see the departure of Korean laner Choi “Wizer” Eui-seok and support Ling “Kaiwing” Kai Wing, who was supposed to propel VKS to greater heights.
Brazil is moving towards more homegrown talent again: “Invest in LATAM,” said a Reddit user. “Stop looking to Korea where there is evidence that local talent can at least keep up with NA.”
While imports can quickly raise a team’s ceiling through strong fundamentals, Brazil’s greatest run has been built on a combination of local talent, unpredictable playing styles and strategies.
Last year, FURIA came close to upsetting G2 Esports in the playoffs. Having made it directly to the bracket stage, the Brazilian team will have a great opportunity to show the power of CBLOL to the world.
