What To Watch This Week - Grand Finals Galore | GosuGamers

We’re just mere weeks away from the Mid-Season Invitational.

As it stands, six teams have confirmed its spots to the upcoming Mid-Season Invitational in Chengdu, China next month. And it is only Team Liquid so far that has a slot in the Bracket Stage of MSI after they defeated FlyQuest in the LCS Spring Split grand finals. Seeing as two teams from every major region will qualify to MSI, FQ are in the Play-In Stage alongside four other teams.

This includes Estral Esports from the LLA, PSG Talon from the PCS, and GAM Esports from the VCS, who recently went through a match-fixing scandal that saw multiple players and staff from various teams get temporarily suspended. G2 Esports is also part of the list but they have a chance to move up to the Bracket Stage instead if they are able to win the LEC Spring Split as well.

G2 are already in the grand finals in search of its second LEC title this season after winning the Winter Split, which gave them a direct spot to the Play-In Stage of MSI. They are currently awaiting the winner between Fnatic and Team BDS in the lower bracket final with the winner also earning a spot to MSI.

Aside from G2, Gen.G Esports are also in the grand finals of the LCK Spring Split, which means that even if they were to lose, they will still be a part of MSI but in the Play-In Stage as opposed to the Bracket Stage. Gen.G are also currently waiting for the winner of the LCK lower bracket final, which is a rematch between T1 and Hanwha Life Esports.

While both the LEC and LCK have just three teams left in its Spring Split playoffs, the LPL still have four teams alive in the tournament with both Bilibili Gaming and Top Esports just one best-of-five series away from getting a spot to MSI. There is also Ninjas in Pyjamas as well as JD Gaming in the lower bracket semifinal that are still within arm’s reach of getting to MSI, provided the winner between the two can defeat the loser between BLG and Top.

After a great 2023 season, Bilibili Gaming have been in unstoppable form and are looking likely to make it two straight MSI appearances in a row. Having made its debut last season, BLG almost came close to lifting the MSI trophy but lost out to fellow LPL heavyweight, JD Gaming in the grand finals. However, if Top Esports were to somehow beat BLG, this would be the first-ever MSI that the org has qualified for since it joined the LPL in 2018.

The same can be said for Ninjas in Pyjamas, who are in the lower bracket semifinal against JDG. NiP have never qualified to an international LoL event before and this would be it’s first, provided they can defeat JDG and then the loser between BLG and Top. It will an uphill for both JDG and NiP, who have an additional best-of-five to play before making it to the grand finals and MSI.

Lower Bracket Semifinal, April 10

Ninjas In PyjamasvsJD Gaming – 6:00 p.m. GMT+8

Upper Bracket Finals, April 11

Bilibili GamingvsTop Esports – 6:00 p.m. GMT+8

With just three teams left in contention, there is only one more spot left to MSI and it’s solely between T1 and Hanwha Life Esports. And after a humbling 3-0 defeat at the hands of HLE in the upper bracket semifinals, T1 have managed to claw themselves back in contention to qualify for MSI once again. The reigning world champions have not had the best of times so far during the LCK Spring Split as the org has been under constant DDoS attacks that has made it difficult for the players to train and practice.

This was evident in T1’s loss against HLE, something they will look to avenge in the lower bracket finals in just a few days time. Speaking of HLE, if they are able to defeat T1 once more, this will be its first-ever MSI event and only its second LoL international event in the org’s history. HLE has been able to grow leaps and bounds this year by being the third-best team during the group stage with its highly-experienced, star-studded line-up.

Lower Bracket Final, April 13

Hanwha Life EsportsvsT1 – 3:00 p.m. KST

Grand final, April 14

Gen.G vs T1/Hanwha Life Esports – 3:00 p.m. KST

G2 Esports has been the most dominant team in the LEC by far this season, winning the Winter Split in style and already has one hand on the Spring Split trophy. They will be looking to claim its second LEC title already in the first few months of the 2024 season as G2 are already in the grand finals and on its way to MSI. But the real battle is in the lower bracket finals between Fnatic and Team BDS.

Fnatic have had to make a longer climb in the lower bracket after getting dropped by G2 earlier on in the playoffs. The same can be said for BDS, who recently loss to G2 in the upper bracket final. Both teams will be looking to get revenge on G2 but will have to go through each other to get to them. The last both teams played one another in a best-of-five was last year’s LEC Season Finals, which Fnatic won 3-2.

Lower Bracket Final, April 13

Team BDSvsFnatic – 5:00 p.m. CET