MSI 2024: All qualified League of Legends teams
by Brian Bencomo
Updated April 22
League of Legends regional competitions around the globe have wrapped up this spring and the field of 12 teams qualified for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is set. MSI 2024 will take place in Chengdu, China, this year, and kicks off May 1 and continues through May 19. China’s JD Gaming are not among the field to defend their title, but a couple of former JDG players will be vying to go back-to-back as will a handful of other former champions. Of course, dozens more players and teams will be looking to lift the MSI trophy for the first time. To get you ready for one of the most important League of Legends tournaments of the year, here’s a primer on the 12 teams qualified for MSI 2024.
Team Liquid
LCS - North America
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games
Team Liquid really leveled up this spring after finishing the split in fourth place with a 7-7 record. Not many picked them to overtake FlyQuest, 100 Thieves and Cloud9 in the playoffs, especially after losing to FlyQuest in the opening round. After that loss though, they went on a lower bracket run, beating Dignitas, and those three teams above them in the spring split standings to claim their first LCS championship since winning Lock In 2022.
This will be TL’s first trip to MSI since 2019 when the team still had Doublelift and made a surprise run to the final. There’s only one player who has remained on the roster since then, CoreJJ, but TL brought back old reliable Impact to be their top laner again. Amid these two veterans, TL has stayed committed to young NA talent in APA (mid lane) and Yeon (AD carry), and imported overlooked Korean talent UmTi to be their jungler.
FlyQuest
LCS - North America
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games
FlyQuest tied for first in last year’s LCS spring split but failed to qualify for MSI. They did the same this year, but finished the job in reaching the LCS spring final and qualifying for their first-ever MSI. After a dismal summer split, FlyQuest rebuilt in the offseason around overlooked European talent in the top lane and jungle in Bwipo and Inspired and youngsters in the bot lane in Massu and Busio. Anchoring the team in the mid lane is perennial North American champion and Worlds qualifier Jensen. They will go to Chengdu as NA’s No. 2 seed.
G2 Esports
LEC - Europe
Photo credit: Michal Konkol / Riot Games
G2’s dominance in the LEC has continued this year. After winning the LEC winter split, the team qualified for their fifth straight international tournament including both MSI and Worlds each of the past two years. They didn’t have to win the LEC spring split to reach MSI, but they did to capture a record 14th LEC title and will avoid having to go through the play-in stage. The spring final was yet another entry in the classic G2-Fnatic rivalry. G2 beat Fnatic in the inaugural LEC Finals last year, but this was the first time since summer 2020 that the two rivals met in a split playoffs final. After a strong 2023, G2 didn’t make any roster moves and are running it back this year with the roster of Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik, Martin "Yike" Sundelin, Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther, Steven "Hans Sama" Liv and Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle.
Fnatic
LEC - Europe
Photo credit: Michal Konkol / Riot Games
Fnatic are no strangers to international competition. They have been to Worlds seven straight years, but this will be Fnatic’s first trip to MSI since 2018. Interestingly, two of their players from that roster will be at MSI this year. Caps, of course, has been G2’s franchise player since 2019 and will be at MSI with the European champions, and Bwipo, who is now FlyQuest’s top laner also will be at MSI. As for Fnatic, they will be at MSI with mostly the same roster that made Worlds last year, including Oscarin, Razork, Humanoid and Noah. They have a new support this year though in Yoon "Jun" Se-jun. Fnatic have looked great this spring in the LEC, beating pretty much everyone except G2. They lost twice to G2 during the spring playoffs, including 3-1 in the final.
Gen.G
LCK - Korea
Photo credit: Riot Games
Gen.G have put together another impressive split, going 17-1 this spring in the LCK, one of the top LoL leagues in the world. This team has been at the top of the LCK since 2022. They just won their fourth straight LCK title -- all of them over T1. The question is, can this team carry over their domestic success to the international stage? Last year at MSI, Gen.G finished fourth, and they placed in the top eight but missed out on a top four finish at Worlds. In the offseason, Gen.G shook things up, keeping only their star mid laner Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon and emerging star AD carry Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan. Surrounding them on the rift this year are Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu (jungle), Kim "Kiin" Gi-in (top lane) and Son "Lehends" Si-woo (support).
T1
LCK - Korea
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games
Was there ever a doubt the reigning world champions wouldn’t qualify for MSI? Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok & Co. lost 3-0 to Hanwha Life Esports in the playoffs, but of course they beat HLE 3-1 later in the playoffs to qualify for MSI. Of course, they then lost to Gen.G in the final, as has been the case for four straight LCK finals now. That certainly won’t stop T1 from making it out of the MSI play-ins and making a deep run in the tournament. Last spring, T1 beat Gen.G at MSI and reached the semifinals before losing to Bilibili Gaming. T1 haven’t won MSI since 2017, but before last year they hadn’t won Worlds since 2016. T1 won’t have the same pressure to win as they had playing Worlds in Korea last year with a lengthy international title drought. Will this be the year League’s greatest organization and greatest player finally add another MSI title to their trophy cases?
Bilibili Gaming
LPL - China
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games
BLG have been knocking on the door of greatness since the start of last year. They emerged as one of the best teams in China and the world in 2023, but fell short of capturing a title. BLG played in the shadow of JD Gaming last year, finishing second to them in the LPL spring final and at MSI. They again finished behind JDG in the summer, and like JDG, BLG fell in the Worlds semis. In the offseason, they signed away one of JDG’s best players in mid laner Zhuo "knight" Ding. Bilibili went 15-1 this spring and won the LPL spring playoffs final over Top Esports. Chinese teams have won MSI each of the past three years. With MSI being held in China this year, this could be BLG’s moment to shine.
Top Esports
LPL - China
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games
Top Esports qualified for Worlds in 2020 and 2022, but 2024 will mark the first year this org is going to MSI. They beat last year’s Mid-Season Invitational champions, JD Gaming, to qualify for MSI. They had an ace in the hole -- er, in the top lane -- as they signed JDG’s star top laner 369 in the offseason. 369 was actually with Top Esports from 2019 through 2021 and has a chance to become a back-to-back MSI champion. TES signed another former MSI champion this offseason too. The team’s new support Meiko won the very first MSI in 2015 (as well as Worlds 2021) and joined the team after nearly a decade with EDward Gaming. The team’s other new addition this offseason was mid laner Creme, who has been with Oh My God the past three seasons and will be making his international debut. Like Bilibili Gaming, Top Esports will feel the love from fans as well as the pressure in competing at MSI in China.
PSG Talon
PCS - Southeast Asia
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games
Even with teams from Oceania and -- for the first time -- Japan competing in the PCS spring playoffs to earn a spot at MSI, PSG stood tall for the PCS region. They beat Japan’s SoftBank Hawks in the PCS spring final to claim a spot at MSI. The roster is largely the same as the one that qualified for MSI and Worlds last year, but with Lu "Betty" Yu-Hung now as their AD carry. This roster is a reunion for Betty with mid laner Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang. The two were part of the great Flash Wolves teams who performed well internationally in 2017 and 2018.
GAM Esports
VCS - Vietnam
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games
GAM Esports continue to dominate the Vietnamese region. GAM have won five straight VCS championships since spring 2022. They beat Vikings Esports (formerly Saigon Buffalo) in the VCS spring final. GAM actually underwent a roster overhaul in the offseason with only team veterans Trần "Kiaya" Duy Sang and Đỗ "Levi" Duy Khánh remaining on the roster. GAM went 0-2 last year at MSI, but were the only minor region team to make it out of the play-in stage at Worlds and then picked up a win over Team Liquid in the Swiss stage.
Estral Esports
LLA - Latin America
Photo credit: Ingrid Mühlenbrock / Riot Games
Estral Esports will finally make their international debut at MSI after beating Movistar R7 in the LLA opening playoffs final. Estral have consistently been one of the best teams in Latin America since 2021 but have just barely missed out on qualifying for MSI and Worlds. In fact, they had finished second in four of the last five LLA playoffs prior to this year. Cristóbal "Zothve" Arróspide and Brian Alejo "SNAKER" Distefano will be making their international debuts, but the rest of the team has experience competing at either MSI or Worlds. Brandon Joel "Josedeodo" Villegas is likely the most recognizable name globally. He went to Worlds with R7 in 2020 and then played in North America with FlyQuest from 2021 to 2022.
LOUD
CBLoL - Brazil
Photo credit: Bruno Alvares / Riot Games
LOUD have established somewhat of a dynasty in Brazil. They were the Brazilian champions again this spring for their fourth straight domestic title en route to their fourth straight international appearance. LOUD are headed to MSI with a roster that’s mostly the same as the team that went to Worlds and MSI last year. The only change was Ygor "RedBert" Freitas, who is the team’s new support. He’s a veteran of the scene who previously went to Worlds with Team oNe in 2017 and MSI 2019 and Worlds 2020 with INTZ. LOUD picked up wins over PSG and DFM during MSI play-ins last year.
Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff/ Riot Games