With the first part of the 2023 League of Legends season reaching its end, fans can now look forward to the first international tournament of the year, the Mid-Season Invitational. Before the tournament kicks off though, there’s the small matter of the draw show.
Compared to previous years, MSI will have a new format for play-ins and playoffs. In the first phase, the eight teams will be drawn into two double-elimination brackets. With the five representatives from wild card regions, as well as the second seeds from LPL, LEC, and LCS, the draws will be crucial for all teams.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 MSI Draw Show.
MSI 2023 – How are the teams going to be seeded?
The newest format will have the eight teams from play-ins seeded into two groups of four, as they will have to play in double-elimination brackets. That being said, unlike at Worlds, there won’t be any pools, meaning that any team can be drawn with anyone. The eight teams in the play-ins stage are:
- LPL #2 seed: BiliBili Gaming
- LEC #2 seed: G2 Esports
- LCS #2 seed: Golden Guardians
- PCS #1 seed: PSG Talon
- VCS #1 seed: GAM Esports
- LJL #1 seed: DetonatioN FocusMe
- LLA #1 seed: Movistar R7
- CBLOL #1 seed: LOUD
In the new format, three teams will advance to the play-off stage: the winners from each group, as well as the winners from the Last Chance Qualifier, which will be played between the second seeds of the two groups.
When and where is the MSI 2023 Draw Show
On April 19, Riot announced that the MSI 2023 Draw Show will be made following the end of the LEC Spring Finals, which will determine which team, aside from G2, will represent the European region at the international tournament.
The LEC Spring Finals will be on Sunday, April 23, starting from 11 am CT. The draw show is likely going to be held at LEC studios in Berlin because the European region will be the last one to lock in their MSI participants.
Considering it’s a best-of-five series, the draw show will depend on how long the match lasts. With at least a total of three matches, it will certainly start after 2 pm CT, but there is a chance it can also be around 4 pm CT.
