The Mid-Season Invitational, better known as MSI, is one of the most anticipated international League of Legends tournaments of the year. It serves as a crucial mid-year milestone in the global League of Legends esports calendar. MSI 2025 is shaping up to be a thrilling event, bringing together top-performing teams from various regions right between the spring and summer splits. If you’re trying to follow the action or planning to attend in person, this guide breaks down everything you need to know—from the format and venue to confirmed teams and how to watch the event live.
MSI 2025 will take place in Vancouver, Canada, from June 27 to July 12, 2025. Riot Games has officially confirmed both the location and the full event structure. As one of the key events of the year, the MSI brings with it not just prestige and global recognition but also significant implications for the Worlds 2025 qualification. The top two performing teams at MSI 2025 will secure a direct slot at Worlds, while the two highest-performing regions will earn an extra qualification spot for the year’s biggest tournament.
MSI 2025: Event Structure and Format
The tournament will begin with a Play-In Stage featuring four teams, each being the second-place seed from four of the five major regions—excluding the LCK, which has two seeds directly advancing. The Play-In matches will follow a GSL-style best-of-five format, with only two teams making it through to the next phase.
Following this is the Bracket Stage, which includes the two teams that make it out of Play-Ins and six teams that receive direct entry. These six are the first-place seeds from each major region, plus the LCK’s second-place seed as they won First Stand earlier in the year. The Bracket Stage operates on a double-elimination system, with each match being a best-of-five series. This stage will ultimately decide the MSI 2025 champion and the recipient of the $2 million prize.
MSI 2025: Venue and Ticket Sales
This year’s MSI will be hosted at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, a 90,000 square foot venue known for its history of top-tier events, including the 2010 Winter Olympics and Riot’s own 2017 Spring Finals. Riot Games praised the venue’s legacy and suitability for esports in their official announcement.
Tickets are already available via TicketLeader, with general ticket sales starting on May 29, 2025. Mastercard holders will enjoy early access on May 28, offering fans an extra chance to secure seats for this prestigious event.
MSI 2025 (image via Getty)MSI 2025: Teams Competing
As of now, no teams have been officially confirmed, but the tournament will include ten total teams. Six of these will advance directly to the Bracket Stage:
- LCK 1st place seed: TBD
- LCK 2nd place seed: TBD
- LPL 1st place seed: TBD
- LEC 1st place seed: TBD
- LCP 1st place seed: TBD
- LTA 1st place seed: TBD
Four additional teams will battle through the Play-In Stage:
- LPL 2nd place seed: TBD
- LEC 2nd place seed: TBD
- LCP 2nd place seed: TBD
- LTA 2nd place seed: TBD
As the Spring Splits across each region wrap up, this page will be updated with the final list of participating teams. You can also stay updated through the official League of Legends esports calendar.
MSI 2025: Fearless Draft Format
Making its return after a successful debut earlier this year, the Fearless Draft format will be used in MSI 2025. Under this system, champions picked in previous games of a best-of series become unavailable for the remainder of the series. This approach forces teams to adapt their strategies and draft creatively, moving away from repetitive meta-dependent picks. Fearless Draft was initially introduced during First Stand and Split 1 and has since become a popular format among both pros and fans for its ability to add strategic diversity.
MSI 2025 (image via Getty)MSI 2025: How to Watch Online
If you’re not attending in person, Riot Games makes it incredibly easy to follow the action from home. Every match of MSI 2025 will be streamed live with pre- and post-game analysis across the official LoL Esports Twitch and YouTube channels. For those who miss the live broadcasts, VODs will be uploaded shortly after each match, allowing you to catch up on key games and moments.
MSI 2024 Recap: Previous Winners
Looking back at MSI 2024, Gen.G from Korea emerged victorious, finally claiming their first international title with a 3-1 win in the finals. Bilibili Gaming finished as the runners-up, followed by T1 in third. G2 Esports was the highest-placing Western team, finishing in fourth place, while Cloud9 and Team Liquid also made appearances but were ultimately outclassed by Eastern squads.
With such a dramatic 2024 tournament behind us, anticipation for MSI 2025 is higher than ever. Stay tuned for more updates as regional leagues conclude and teams punch their tickets to Vancouver.
