MSI is coming to Vietnam and Taiwan
The 2019 Mid-Season Invitational is heading to Vietnam and Chinese Taipei for the first time in its history.
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi will be home to the play-in stage and group stage. Taipei will host the semifinals and finals. The move was made to acknowledge the region’s growing interest in League of Legends and esports in general.
Vietnam was announced as a new competitive region for League of Legends this time last year, guaranteeing a play-in slot for international competitions such as the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship. According to Riot’s official announcement, that decision was made as a result of Vietnamese teams dominating the last four splits of Southeast Asia’s Garena Premier League. The country also performed better than the majority of other regions that competed in 2017’s Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship.
Before this decision, the Vietnamese league had to compete with other leagues in the Southeast Asia region to win a spot in Riot’s international events. The area’s remaining regions, which include the Philippines and Thailand, will continue to compete for a place in the Garena Premier League.
Taipei has a more established history in the League of Legends scene, starting in 2012 when the region’s Taipei Assassins took home the Summoner’s Cup at Worlds. A disappointing performance for LMS teams at the most recent World Championship and an ensuing exodus of talent to China has raised questions about the region’s future, making this announcement a welcome reprieve for fans in the region.
The 2019 Mid-Season Invitational will see 13 regions fighting for the title of MSI Champion, with each region sending its spring split champions into battle.
MSI begins on May 1, with the finals will take place on May 19. Tickets will be available starting in March. No specific venues have yet been announced.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
View full profile
Read Also
Esports Betting
NA has a winning head-to-head against EU at MSI for the first time since 2018
Wasif Ahmed
LYON just beat G2 Esports 3-0 at the LoL 2026 Mid-Season Invitational. Right off the high of beating the six-time World champion T1, the LEC representative quickly came back to Earth as NA cut their run short. Now, North America is ahead of Europe in the head-to-head for the first time since 2018. After G2’s victories against Top Esports and T1, the predictions were split. Part of the community rationally ...
League of Legends
Hanwha Life Esports vs LYON: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 MSI lower bracket final will see Hanwha Life Esports take on LYON. Here’s our complete betting analysis and betting picks. After T1’s upset loss at the ongoing MSI tournament, G2 Esports was the next team to fall before reaching the lower bracket final. LYON looked extremely good against the LEC team, but does it have what it takes to take down arguably the strongest LCK team currently? Tournament: ...
League of Legends
G2 Esports proves that T1 has an over-reliance problem
Hannan Mundia
The MSI match between G2 Esports and T1 proved that the LCK powerhouse needs to take a good look at its strategy. For years now, the LCK has been a dominant force in the competitive League of Legends space. While the LCP has occasionally come close to the number one spot, that hasn’t been the case for long. In particular, T1 is easily the biggest name in the scene, especially ...
Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule
Hannan Mundia
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Esports Betting
Team Secret Whales stun Top Esports as LCP finally breaks the East’s Bo5 wall
Wasif Ahmed
In the first massive upset of the tournament, Team Secret Whales beat Top Esports to kick them out of the lower bracket of MSI 2026. This is Asia-Pacific’s first ever Bo5 win against the East since the creation of the leagues in 2013. Now, only Bilibili Gaming is left for the LPL and the power rankings are all mixed up. TSW didn’t just beat TES, they completely outclassed them. Kicking ...
Esports Betting
Karmine Corp is the third LEC team to go winless against major regions at MSI
Wasif Ahmed
With their 0-3 defeat against Team Liquid, Karmine Corp is now the third LEC team to bomb out of the Mid-Season Invitational without taking a single game off of the top four regions. Before them were MAD Lions in 2023 and G2 Esports’ infamous debut run in 2016. NA, on the other hand, has only once gone winless against major regions. Karmine Corp's MSI 2026 run included taking down the ...
Esports Betting
G2 Esports reverse sweeps Top Esports at MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
It starts with success, and Fnatic is now avenged. G2 Esports started the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational by beating Top Esports 3-2. After starting the series 0-2, they managed to pull off the first reverse sweep in main stage MSI history. The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational started with seven back-to-back 3-0 series. G2 finally broke that streak by beating TES in five games. In doing so, they also broke a much longer-standing ...
