The MSI 2021 Group Stage has officially concluded, and the four teams advancing to the semifinals have been determined. DWG KIA, Royal Never Give Up, PSG Talon, and MAD Lions are the teams moving forward in this year’s tournament. Meanwhile, Cloud9 and Pentanet.GG have officially exited in this second round of group play.
The fifth and final day of the Group Stage featured two main highlights. One was the clash between DK and RNG, and the other was the race for the semifinal spots among the remaining three teams, including PSG, MAD, and C9.
On the previous fourth day of competition, C9 unexpectedly defeated RNG, igniting hopes for a remarkable “great leap forward,” but they quickly doused fans’ hopes by losing to PGG – the weakest team in the group.
C9’s chances of reaching the semifinals officially ended as they continued to lose to PSG Talon on the fifth day of competition, while MAD also surprisingly secured a victory over RNG. This left C9’s win in the “Western derby” against MAD with only honor at stake. The North American representative has officially been eliminated from the Group Stage.
As for the rest of the tournament, DK suffered another defeat against RNG in the return match. However, RNG did not perform much better, as they showed inconsistent form and lost to MAD Lions in the subsequent match. This meant that even though DK lost to RNG both times, they still topped the group and earned the right to choose their opponent in the semifinals, boasting a record of 8-2, while RNG lost three matches against MAD, C9, and PSG.
In the semifinals, DWG KIA has chosen MAD Lions as their opponent, while Royal Never Give Up will face PSG Talon. This series will take place on the 20th and 21st of May.