Riot reveals group stage draw for 2021 Mid-Season Invitational
The 2021 Mid-Season Invitational is right around the corner and with that, Riot has revealed what the three groups will look like at the event.
While no team has officially qualified for the 2021 MSI yet, Riot has already drawn the groups based on regional seeds. With only one team from each region, Riot was able to make the draw ahead of the regions’ playoff results. There will be a total of three groups with four teams in each and all of them are looking to be competitive.
Here are the 2021 MSI groups
The group draw was based on all 12 regions’ seeds going into the MSI tournament. The seeds were based on the results of the last two years of international tournaments, including the 2020 World Championship. The twelve regions were split into the following four tiers.
- China (LPL), Europe (LEC), and Korea (LCK)
- North America (LCS), Vietnam (VCS), and Southeast Asia (PCS)
- Turkey (TCL), CIS (LCL), and Latin America (LLA)
- Japan (LJL), Brazil (CBLOL), and Oceania (LCO)
With these seeds in mind, global director of operations Tom Martell conducted the draw through software that randomly assigned the teams into groups.
With these groups, there is no doubt that this year’s MSI will be competitive. Most notably will be group C, where the LCK and LCS will go up against each other. This gives the LCS a much-needed opportunity to prove itself on the international stage by going up against the defending championship region. Which the two teams will be is still unknown, but it looks like the defending world champions DWG KIA could be the ones to take on the representative from North America.
In groups A and B, it looks like the LPL and LEC should be able to dominate. Both regions have performed well internationally in recent years and will be sending a strong representative no matter what. Besides those two major regions, the tournament structure enables smaller regions to get a chance in the spotlight.
MSI champion will get an additional team spot at Worlds 2021
As a bonus for this year’s MSI, the winning region will get an additional team spot at the 2021 World Championship. After the 2021 MSI event concludes, the final global power rankings of 2021 will be calculated. The highest-ranked region will also get an additional slot at Worlds. If the highest-ranked region wins MSI, then this spot will pass down to the second-highest ranked region.
The 2021 Mid-Season Invitational kicks off on May 6 and will conclude on May 23. A more accurate schedule will follow after all teams have qualified for the tournament.
Read Also
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
League of Legends
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More
Hannan Mundia
2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...
League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version?
Hannan Mundia
League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode
Hannan Mundia
League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...
Valorant
OBS Game Capture isn’t working on Valorant and League of Legends? Here’s why and how to fix it
Khizar Mundia
Several reports suggest that OBS Game Capture is broken, with Valorant and League of Legends streamers only being able to broadcast a black screen. OBS has responded to the issue, confirming that it exists and also provided a way to fix it. Valorant and League of Legends are two of Riot Games’ most popular titles, and they are being streamed on streaming platforms by creators regularly. On July 21, 2026, ...
League of Legends
Dplus sweeps Karmine Corp to win the 2026 LoL EWC grand final
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 grand final just concluded, where Dplus absolutely swept Karmine Corp to win it all. The League of Legends Esports World Cup may only have been taking place since 2024, but it has already become a key international event for fans and professional players. With a large prize pool and consecutive matches with little delay, fans have a blast seeing their favorite teams ...
