Buzz
From 2024, MSI might no longer be LPL's exclusive battleground.
As known for quite some time, MSI - the second-largest international tournament in the League of Legends community, has always been perceived as 'LPL's private playground' and not given much regard by some other major regions. This perception arises from two factors: the nature of the tournament and the performance of LPL teams. MSI has historically been seen as a secondary international event, standing beside the main event, Worlds. The short duration of the tournament and its 'fast-paced' format make MSI somewhat less attractive than Worlds. Additionally, LPL consistently performs well in this competition. Meanwhile, G2 Esports is the only team outside of LCK - LPL to have clinched the tournament title.
However, stepping into 2024, this might come to a permanent end. According to Riot's recent announcement, MSI 2024 will witness some crucial changes: 'For the first time, the MSI champion will undoubtedly secure a spot in Worlds, adding an extra slot for their region. The region with the second-best performance in MSI will earn an additional seed.' Taking MSI 2023 as an example, JD Gaming emerged victorious, granting LPL four slots, including one directly to Worlds. However, since Bilibili Gaming (MSI 2023 runner-up) is also from LPL, LCK becomes the region with the second-best performance, also securing four slots.
Nevertheless, Riot introduces an additional rule: The MSI 2024 champion will still have to put in effort to at least reach the playoffs of their regional tournament (excluding LEC). So, any slip-ups leading to missing out on playoffs will immediately cancel the qualification to Worlds 2024, reverting the region's slots back to the initial number. Riot announces that starting from 2024, the four Major regions will only have three slots for Worlds. Meanwhile, the slots for the Minor regions (VCS, PCS) and wildcard regions (LLA, CBLOL) will remain unchanged, with two and one slot, respectively.
According to some predictions, with Riot's changes, the competitive intensity at MSI will noticeably increase. And undoubtedly, LCK teams will not find it easy to 'let go' of this tournament. Not to mention, the 'gentlemen' from LEC or LCS are ready to challenge LPL. As for LPL, they can no longer view this as their 'exclusive playground,' especially since the MSI championship has a direct and significant impact on Worlds.
The impact of Riot's changes remains uncertain. However, one thing is sure: the allure of MSI 2024 is set to increase significantly with the upcoming modifications.
