MSI rumble stage: Who stays undefeated, who moves on and more

by Nerd Street

The group stage at the Mid-Season Invitational is over, and the rumble stage is next, starting May 20 at 4 a.m. ET and running through May 24. With a double round robin format, T1, Royal Never Give Up, G2, Evil Geniuses, PSG Talon and Saigon Buffalo will play two games a day for a total of 10 games. Who will move on? Will T1, RNG or G2 remain undefeated? We answer these questions and more to get you ready for what to expect in the rumble stage.

Which of the undefeated group stage teams (G2, T1 and Royal Never Up) is most likely to stay undefeated in the rumble stage?

Photo credit: Riot Games

Xander Torres: T1 is arguably the favorite to go undefeated and win the whole tournament, but Royal Never Give Up feels like the team most likely to finish the rumble stage without a single loss. “Chinese aggression” and teamfighting are often used to label League of Legends Pro League (LPL) teams, but their vision game and objective control are on point in this tournament -- largely thanks to mid laner Li “Xiaohu” Yuan-Hao and his crisp wave management.

Sage Datuin: The current T1 lineup has shades of the old 2015 lineup that dominated League of Legends from summer split onward and is one of the strongest lineups in LCK history. Stacked from top to bottom where each player is capable of taking over a game, as evident by four players receiving All-Pro selections, MSI is T1’s tournament to lose

Brian Bencomo: I’m going to say Royal Never Give Up. Based on their coach’s comments after Riot announced they would have to replay three of their matches because of ping discrepancies, I think the team feels slighted. I think they feel like it’s them against the world and will channel those feelings into extra motivation to beat their opponents. They’re good enough to go undefeated, and they’ll have an extra edge to do so.

Which rumble stage matchup(s) are you most looking forward to?

Photo credit: Riot Games

Torres: I always look forward to matchups between the Vietnamese Championship Series (VCS) and Pacific Championship Series (PCS) so PSG Talon and Saigon Buffalo’s games will be the matchups I anticipate most. The PCS traditionally has the edge at international tournaments, but with Vietnamese talent continuing to improve and PCS talent continually being shipped off to larger premier regions like the League of Legends Pro League (LPL), it’s only a matter of time until the roles are reversed.

Datuin: I am looking most forward to Saigon Buffalo against Evil Geniuses and PSG Talon. Aside from personal Southeast Asian pride, there is a lot of fun in knowing that certain games can dictate which team moves on to the knockout stage while the other is out in the rumble stage. I believe that there is a sizable gap between Saigon Buffalo and the team they replaced, GAM. That being said, Saigon Buffalo is that perfect combination of aggressive and daring that makes me excited for their ceiling to make it to the knockout stage.

Bencomo: The schedule-makers knew what they were doing when they scheduled T1 vs. G2 as the first matchup of the rumble stage. T1 are going to be extra motivated and will have the crowd behind them as they try to exact some revenge on G2 for ending their MSI and Worlds runs in 2019. Back in March, Faker told Korizon Esports, “I want 2019 G2 players to come to MSI.” Luka "Perkz" Perković, Martin "Wunder" Nordahl Hansen and Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle are gone from G2, but Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski and Rasmus "caPs" Borregaard Winther are still around. Get your popcorn ready.

Evil Geniuses won all their games against ORDER and lost all their games against G2. Do you see them beating G2 in the rumble stage? And how will they fare against the likes of T1, RNG, PSG Talon and Saigon Buffalo?

Photo credit: Riot Games

Torres: Anything is possible in single game matches and Evil Geniuses certainly has the talent to back it up. I’m concerned about the team’s mental fortitude in the face of a diverse field of talent and strategies from some of the world’s best. I think Evil Geniuses will be able to take at least one match off G2 Esports after reviewing their previous four games, but I don’t see a world where Evil Geniuses reliably beats T1 or Royal Never Give Up in the rumble stage. PSG Talon and Saigon Buffalo are the lighter weight matchups and they’re certainly favored, but victory is far from guaranteed.

Datuin: I believe Evil Geniuses will bounce back in the tournament. As we saw from their performance in LCS 2022 spring, Evil Geniuses are slow starters. In the LCS regular season, they finished in fourth place with a 9-9 record before they became NA’s best team by the end of playoffs. I see the group stages in this same exact format where Evil Geniuses needed some time to adjust before they put forth incredible underdog victories against some of the top teams, including G2.

Bencomo: I agree with Xander; I think EG will win one game against G2, but it’s hard for me to see them beating T1 or RNG. I think their games against Saigon Buffalo and PSG Talon will be some of the most competitive of the rumble stage, and they could easily split against both teams.

Which four teams do you see moving on to the playoffs?

Photo credit: Riot Games

Torres: T1 and Royal Never Give Up will certainly advance to the playoffs. Their talent is a cut above the rest and they have the macro game to support it. I think the race for the final two playoff spots will be closer than expected, but I favor G2 Esports and Evil Geniuses at the end of the day.

Datuin: T1, G2, RNG, EG

Bencomo: T1, RNG and G2 are practically shoo-ins to make the playoffs, which leaves one more spot. As an NA fan I want to see EG be the fourth, and while I think that’s possible, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Despite their hiccup in losing to Red Canids, I think PSG Talon have what it takes to take a couple games from RNG, T1 and G2. With a 4-6 record, PSG will edge out EG (3-7) and Saigon Buffalo (2-8) for that fourth spot.

Lead photo credit: Riot Games

Upcoming Events

Discord Logo

Nerd Street Discord

Discord is our online chatroom and meeting place. Join up to ask admins any questions you have, or just play games with us!

Join Our Discord