MSI 2026 team power rankings: Best and worst teams at Mid-Season Invitational

Wasif Ahmed Published 27/06/2026

The Mid-Season Invitational 2026 starts on June 28. MSI 2026 is two weeks of constant action in Daejeon between the best teams in the world, with one or even two Bo5s a day. How do the attendees stack up? Here’s a power ranking of the MSI 2026 teams.

The MSI 2026 power rankings

Rank	Team	Region
1	Hanwha Life Esports	LCK #1
2	Bilibili Gaming	LPL #1
3	T1	LCK #2
4	G2 Esports	LEC #1
5	Top Esports	LPL #2
6	Karmine Corp	LEC #2
7	LYON	LCS #1
8	Team Secret Whales	LCP #1
9	Team Liquid	LCS #2
10	Deep Cross Gaming	LCP #2
11	FURIA	CBLOL #1

1. Hanwha Life Esports, the best team at MSI

HLE finished ahead in the LCK as the only team to break ahead in the top four. Then, they made quick work of T1 to land at MSI. Now, they’re making this entire MSI power rankings less certain than the past two years.

Gen.G is no longer at MSI as the undisputed best team in the world. Instead, HLE is the leader of the LCK, yet they have no international title to show for it.

Hanwha Life Esports is the most LPL-like team in the LCK. All their games devolve into chaos as they’ll never turn down an opportunity to fight. In fact, they almost never obtain a dragon soul.

With the number of star players on the line-up, they do make it work. Choi “Zeus” Woo-je and Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong are Worlds winners for a reason, and Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo has been the best mid laner in the LCK this split.

As for Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok, he’s a big part of the reason why the team is so chaotic, and why it works. Therefore, they are the favorites, even in League of Legends betting odds.

HLE is the best team in our MSI power rankings. Image credit: Riot Games

2. Bilibili Gaming, the First Stand champion

BLG won First Stand 2026 and is currently still in the running for a golden road. So far this year, the only team that managed to beat them in a best-of-five was ironically the LPL’s last-place Team WE.

Bilibili Gaming is filled with players with strong mechanics and who aren’t afraid to make use of them. BLG has excellent laners and an explosive playstyle, getting leads through the lanes and early skirmishes. At First Stand, they were able to beat BNK FearX and G2 Esports thanks to those. On the other hand, their teamfighting is lackluster for an LPL team.

Still, they have proven that they have what it takes to win, and they might be tied for first on the MSI power ranking. It’s also worth noting that the LPL historically wins MSI more often than the LCK.

3. T1, the best team of all time

T1 qualified to MSI by beating the back-to-back winner in Gen.G. With a new ADC and their old mid laner Lee “Easyhoon” Ji-hoon as a coach, the team has decidedly cut apart the top two from the LCK’s top 4.

T1 matches the playstyle of HLE in being very energetic for an LCK team. However, their version of it feels more erratic.

Many of T1’s games don’t make sense. This team falls behind in matchups they shouldn’t, throw leads that should have been set in stone, and just as frequently suddenly win games that they have no business winning. All in all, they’re a very good team with the clutch factor, but BLG and HLE could run them over.

4. G2 Esports, the pride of Europe

G2 has historically been the one European team to shock the world and uppercut giants without looking intimidated. The LEC’s 19-time champion repeated this feat once again at First Stand. When faith in Europe was at its lowest, they clean swept both LCK representatives back-to-back, giving Gen.G its first 0-3 in three years.

G2 plays a very action-packed early game. The entire team plays around Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan, with Lampros “Labrov” Papoutsakis always being around him. With the jungler being in top form and the rest of the team always having go buttons, they can pick fights anywhere.

How they will fare at MSI is fully unknown, though. G2 historically matches worse against the LPL as they’re better when they can shock slower teams. At MSI with two LPL and two LPL-like opponents, they’ll have to overcome this hurdle.

G2 can upset the top teams in the MSI power rankings. Image credit: Cesar Galeao / Riot Games

5. Top Esports, the LPL runner-up

Top Esports is one of the most inconsistent teams in the world. TES can shine regionally before systematically dropping the ball at the next international. In the LPL, they’ve done great against every team not named BLG, and are now perfectly set up for either redemption or yet another failure.

The entire team is just as capable of beating anyone as they are of causing their own demise. Whenever the stakes are high, it’s always the latter that takes place, but they should still be a major roadblock from anyone outside the East and G2.

6. Karmine Corp, the Blue Wall

KC is finally back on the international stage after finishing second at First Stand 2025. Constantly dominating the LEC until playoffs arrive, Karmine has the best teamfighting in the West.

With excellent side laners who will look to obtain a lead and a creative support, KC is one of the main threats in the LEC. As games go longer, they always have a chance to jump back into the lead through better teamfights. While they should lose to T1 in play-in, they’re the most likely team to upset them.

7. LYON, Inspired’s return

LYON won the LCS Spring Split in a very unsurprising fashion, bringing Kacper “Inspired” Słoma back to the big stage. As the slowest and most methodical team at the tournament, the LCS champion will avoid risky fights while accruing advantages bit by bit.

The Eastern teams will likely power through their strategy, especially considering their weaker laners. Against them, Inspired’s creativity will be LYON’s biggest hope.

Among MSI’s underdogs, LYON will aim for miracles. Image credit: Stefan Wisnoski / Riot Games

8. Team Secret Whales, in CFO’s footsteps

Far from achieving the heights that CTBC Flying Oyster reached last year so far, Team Secret Whales is still trying to live up to their legacy. TSW is yet another of the aggressive teams at this tournament, with a top laner with many counterpicks up his sleeve, and a marksman who will go for every outplay he spots.

Alongside them, TSW’s mid and jungle lead the charge in unison. Secret Whales will likely place below the four major regions, but they might upset the LEC or LCS.

9. Team Liquid, out of fourth place

TLAW is at this MSI but isn’t granted the rank of team with expectations. In order to progress past play-in, they will realistically have to beat both T1 and KC. Although they have two shots at it and might actually take down KC, they stand no chance against T1.

Team Liquid is an LCS representative, a region that has won a single BO5 against the East in Riot events. Besides, they lack the clutch factor that LYON presents.

10. FURIA, the dark horse

As the representative from the CBLOL, FURIA will get overlooked – and they are indeed a step below the competition. However, this team is great at coming up with a game plan and executing it, better than some others at MSI. On the other hand, they’re held down by regular individual mistakes that the competition here will not let slide.

FURIA ranks near the bottom of our MSI power rankings and will likely go 0-2. Image credit: Riot Games

11. Deep Cross Gaming, the last-place candidate

DCG is unfortunately locked in a group with three strong teams and little hope of beating them all. The LCP is a weaker region with its occasional surging star, but that star is TSW that went undefeated in the region. Sitting below them, there’s no chance for DCG to advance past the play-in.

Featured image credit: Riot Games

Wasif Ahmed

About Wasif Ahmed

Wasif Ahmed is the Lead Esports Editor for WIN.gg. He has been covering esports for nearly eight years, although his gaming journey started much earlier, when he was just four years old and was introduced to Road Rash on a dusty PC. Hit him up on X to talk about esports, why partnership models are the best fit for esports games, or if Halo 7 has finally been announced.

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