Riot Games has today confirmed the host location for the 2022 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational. While Valorant Champions Tour Masters 1 may be returning to Iceland for another round of top-tier international competition, LoL Esports has this time opted to swap the glaciers of Reykjavík for the bustle of Busan.
From May 10 until May 29, the best team from each region will make its way to South Korea’s second-largest city. But they won’t be alone in the Busan Exhibition Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) hosting the event, as for the first time since Worlds 2019 players will be competing on the international stage in front of a live audience.
Unfortunately, due to the 2022 LCL Spring Split’s cancellation as a result of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, the CIS region will not be represented at MSI this year. As such, the opening Group Stage – which will take place between May 10 and May 15 – will see teams drawn into two groups of four and one group of three, as part of a best-of-one double round robin.
From there, the top two teams from each group will move onto the Rumble Stage, which again will feature all six teams fighting each other in a best-of-one double round robin format. This phase will take place between May 18 and May 22, before the top four teams will close out the competition in the Knockout Stage between May 27 and May 29. Here, we will see full-fledged best-of-five series in a single elimination round all the way to the final, where one team will take home the MSI trophy.
MSI 2022 is Heading to South Korea!
Read more here: https://t.co/LPZMunPNUU pic.twitter.com/nF95U0j9pF
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) March 30, 2022
“The mecca of esports” according to the city’s mayor, Park Heong-joon, Busan has hosted more than its fair share of esports tournaments over the years. In fact, BEXCO was the host venue for the LoL Worlds 2014 and 2018 Group Stages, as well as the Quarterfinals for the latter.
“South Korea has been a trailblazer in the esports industry for decades,” says global head of LoL Esports Naz Aletaha. “We’re thrilled to honor its rich history in esports, the passion of Korean fans, and the talent of the pro teams by bringing MSI to Korea for the first time. Busan was an incredible host to us during both Worlds 2014 and 2018, and we look forward to returning there to set the stage for the best League of Legends teams in the world to face off.”
With MSI finally bringing crowds back to international events, we can’t wait to hear them chanting again for the first time.