MSI 2022’s Rumble Stage has finally concluded, and after several days of peak League of Legends, one team stands above the others – Royal Never Give Up. Having chalked up an impressive 8-2 record over this phase of the tournament, the LPL representative has first dibs on which team it would like to play in the semifinals. That team has now been decided.
According to an announcement made on the LoL Esports Twitter account, RNG has opted to face Evil Geniuses in a best-of-five for a shot at an all-important grand final spot. As per the MSI rulebook, the first place team is given the chance to pick either the third or fourth place team as their opponent in the semifinal.
From what we’ve seen in the Rumble Stage so far, Evil Geniuses has failed to get the upper-hand of RNG, making them the natural prey for a team on the hunt for its second consecutive MSI title. However, anything can happen in a best-of-five – take Team Liquid’s semifinals victory over Invictus Gaming at MSI 2019, for example.
With this news, second place T1 will naturally get a shot at G2 Esports. G2 and T1 have forged a remarkable rivalry over the years – especially in the final phases of international competition. In best-of-fives, G2 currently has one over on the LCK invincibles, having beaten them in the 2019 MSI and Worlds semifinals. Meanwhile, T1 topped the LEC’s finest back in 2017’s MSI grand final. The pair are currently 1-1 in games at MSI 2022, having traded blows in the Rumble Stage.
G2 5-5
NA vs China
G2 vs SKTScript writers getting lazy, can't wait to win MSI pic.twitter.com/9UX8ABHad7
— G2 Esports (@G2esports) May 24, 2022
With two incredibly hype matchups scheduled in, we can’t wait to see who will secure their place in the grand final when the semifinals kick off this Friday.