MSI 2021 officially kicked off with the first day of competition held on May 6, featuring the opening match between DWG KIA and Cloud9. Alongside this, 5 other matchups took place with a rather familiar and somewhat… boring script, as the top-rated teams all secured victories.
Meanwhile, the performances of the Wild-card representatives failed to satisfy fans. The matches involving these teams lacked high-level gameplay, and their encounters with major regions left no memorable impressions.
One of the most notable highlights of the MSI opening day was the first match between DWG KIA and Cloud9. Considering the names and caliber, this was also a clash between two of the top mid-laners in the tournament: ShowMaker and Perkz.
However, on a day lacking many highlights, both were overshadowed by another name: Khan. The top laner of DK was the one who “squeezed” C9 with his devastating performance.
Additionally, on this competition day, many new picks were brought out for experimentation by the teams, such as Lee Sin in the mid lane, Morgana, or Rumble in the jungle… Of course, not every experiment was successful.
Both top contenders for the championship, DWG KIA and Royal Never Give Up, didn’t hesitate to experiment with new “meta” picks in the jungle, with Morgana in Canyon’s hands and Rumble by Wei.
These picks left their mark, showcasing terrifying power in the hands of skilled players. While Canyon’s Morgana amassed an incredible amount of resources against C9, Wei’s Rumble also easily secured a win for RNG against PGG.
Another strong contender for the top of the table, MAD Lions, also achieved a devastating victory against PSG Talon. Easily defeating the strongest opponent in Group B, the European champions demonstrated they have the power to dominate this group from the lead position.
