The first matches of the MSI 2023 Group Stage took place without too many surprises. There’s no denying that the “underdog” teams put in effort against the stronger names. However, their efforts were in vain, and the audience did not witness any shocking results in the four matchups that have unfolded.
One undeniable fact that anyone can easily see from the round 1 matches is: even though they are in the Major group, the skill level of LCK/LPL compared to LEC/LCS is too disparate. Teams from Europe and North America had almost no chance of winning. In fact, during the match against T1, MAD Lions had a gold lead of nearly 8k, but according to the commentators, the reigning LEC champions played as if they were the ones losing. The outcome was clear to everyone; MAD lost 0-3 to the LCK Spring 2023 runner-up.
According to many viewers and analysts, besides understanding strategies systematically, players from LPL/LCK also know how to create surprises from seemingly familiar picks and bans. One viewer provided an example: “Caps used Nautilus mid, but that champion was previously used by Doinb. And when Nautilus is in the hands of Knight or Faker, it’s a completely different caliber from Caps’ Nautilus.”
Moreover, there is an even bolder opinion: the suggestion for Riot to create a lower-tier tournament specifically for LEC/LCS and some teams from smaller regions. The argument is that LCK/LPL are too “out of league”. Situations like G2 at MSI and Worlds 2019 are now nearly impossible. If League of Legends is merely an alternating dominance between LCK and LPL, it would be incredibly boring and would diminish motivation for other regions. Therefore, establishing a lower-level tournament suitable for smaller regions and teams in LEC, LCS is necessary.
However, even in smaller regions, skill discrepancies still occur. Not to mention, LEC and LCS also significantly “outclass” many teams in the Minor and Wildcard groups. Riot previously revealed that there may be more tournaments for the League of Legends scene in the near future. But for now, it remains just a plan. As for MSI 2023, the League of Legends community might have to accept that this is solely a playground for LPL and LCK.