Mid Season Invitational, commonly referred to as MSI, is the annual tournament organized by Riot Games during the mid-season break, featuring teams that are the spring split champions from major regions around the world. Therefore, MSI is the international tournament of utmost importance, second only to Worlds, with the current MSI champion being G2 Esports, who just won the LEC Spring 2020.
However, there is unfortunate news for G2 Esports and champions from other regions, as rumors are emerging that MSI 2020 may be canceled. This information was shared by freelance journalist Travis Gafford during his latest stream alongside analyst MarkZ and Cloud 9’s mid laner – Nisqy, from the team that just won the LCS North America.
Analyst MarkZ: “Honestly, the last season was quite crazy due to the impact of Corona.”
Reporter Travis Gafford: “Alright, I’ll share a rumor that might not surprise everyone too much. This rumor, which I’m quite confident will happen, is that there will be no MSI held this year. So Nisqy, what do you think about this as the LCS champion?”
Cloud 9’s Nisqy: “I’m pretty shocked and feel this is really unfortunate; our plan was to win the LCS, go to MSI, and learn a lot there. However, if it gets canceled, as disappointing as it is, we just have to accept it and try even harder in the summer split and find a ticket to Worlds.”
This is quite sad news for many as a major tournament like MSI 2020 is likely to be canceled due to the well-known pandemic. The saddest part, as Nisqy mentioned, is that teams that have and will win the spring split have very few opportunities to compete on the global stage in a year. If MSI is canceled, following Rift Rivals, fans will have to wait until Worlds to see competitive play.
League of Legends fans are also not pleased with this news; MSI has always been a prestigious tournament that delivers top-notch performances to the audience. Losing this tournament means losing a highly anticipated event of the year, and fans of League of Legends may have to wait a very long time to witness high-level matches again.
However, as reporter Travis Gafford mentioned, he is only conveying a rumor; perhaps he himself hopes that the information he shares does not become a reality.
