League of Legends: What the 2020 MSI Field Would Have Looked Like
By s. samek
![Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - May 5: --- during the 2019 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Play-In Stage at GG Stadium on May 5, 2019 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (Photo by David Lee/Riot Games) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - May 5: --- during the 2019 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Play-In Stage at GG Stadium on May 5, 2019 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (Photo by David Lee/Riot Games)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c908dd485185efb18cca2c2084fb9588961b6e67d72c12e1c126162122de8d42.jpg)
With the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational cancelled, we take a look at what might have been for MSI 2020.
League of Legends fans got some bad news with the recent cancellation of MSI. This makes it so only one international tournament, the League of Legends World Championship, can stil be held in 2020. For a moment, though, let’s pretend that MSI is still an event and introduce you to the teams that would be competing.
North America
The first up is the LCS champion from both the regular season and playoffs in Cloud9. Cloud9 dominated the LCS during both regular season play and the playoffs, losing just two games during the split. Although the competition level in North America as the subject of criticism, it will be interesting to see how Cloud9 fares against the best in the world.
Europe
More from International Tournaments
- 2023 League of Legends Worlds Finals Preview
- 2023 League of Legends Worlds Quarterfinals Bilibili Gaming vs Gen.G
- 2023 League of Legends Worlds Quarterfinals Weibo vs. NRG Recap
- Worlds 2023 Swiss Round Three Preview
- League of Legends 2023 World Championships Storylines to Watch
Representing the LEC is champion of both regular season and playoffs, as well as the defending champions of MSI, G2. A repeat does look like a possibility after a strong spilt and playoffs, though they were challenged a little bit more than in years past, losing a playoff match and dropping into the loser’s bracket, yet rebounded to sweep Fnatic in the finals. We will have to wait a bit longer to see if one of the best teams in international play over the past couple of years can continue to place highly at international tournaments.
Korea
Out of the LCK it’s a new name, but the same success, T1, formerly SKT. Faker and company continue to win in the LCK playoffs no matter what spot they are on the ladder as they took out DragonX and Gen.G to win the spilt. It’s hard to argue that T1 isn’t a threat anytime they take to the rift during international tournaments, as they have won MSI twice, and were the only team to win MSI in back to back years. Plus after last year’s MSI and Worlds, where G2 knocked them out of both events, it would be fun to see that rivalry continue at this tournament.
China
The LPL would have sent JD Gaming, who was the second-place team during the regular spilt and had a bye into the semi-finals. They swept FPX to earn a spot in the finals, before downing Top Esports 3-2. This is a team that has had some success in the past couple of years after a second-place playoff finish last spring and a third place in last seasons LPL Regional Finals. This would be their first time at MSI, or any international event, so I’m sure they would want to represent the LPL well with a strong showing.