Some teams have exceeded expectations whilst others weren't able to live up to it.
As the dust settles on the Mid-Season Invitational group stage, there are clear signs of who the frontrunners are and who will struggle during the Rumble stage. The likes of T1, Royal Never Give Up, and G2 Esports have emerged as the clear favourites to make it through to the Knockout stage. All three teams also ended their group stage runs undefeated, which makes for a compelling read to see who would be the first to drop a game.
RNG also has had to put up with having to replay their first three matches due to a ping disparity. However, this didn't hinder RNG one bit as they managed to win all of their rematches without much trouble. PSG Talon managed to scrape past Group B alongside RNG but it Aside from the usual suspects, there was some surprises during MSI, especially from the Asian region with Saigon Buffalo putting up an impressive showing whilst Detonation FocusMe seemed out of their depth.
MSI 2022 - Rumble Stage
The MSI Rumble Stage formula remains the same with each team playing one another in another group stage to determine the top four squads heading into the Knockout Stage with the bottom two getting eliminated. The final six teams that have qualified for the Rumble Stage are as follows:
- Evil Geniuses
- G2 Esports
- PSG Talon
- Royal Never Give Up
- Saigon Buffalo
- T1
With only PSG and RNG having prior experience with the Rumble Stage (which was introduced last year), it will be interesting to see how the rest of the qualified teams deal with having to play two games a day while also playing each team twice. RNG finished second while PSG took third last year so they will be looking to make it into the top four once again.
Of course, all eyes will not only be on RNG but also on T1 and G2 Esports with both teams having a rich history in international competitions. Both teams currently share unbeaten streaks that stretch 20 matches or more as well. With a best-of-two to come, we can expect fireworks from both teams as they look to put their trash talking to the ultimate test.
However, you cannot count out the likes of Saigon Buffalo, PSG Talon, and Evil Geniuses as they are heading into the Rumble Stage as underdogs. Saigon Buffalo in particular could look to upset some of the other big teams like RNG and G2. Their only two losses during the tournament have come at the hands of T1 so they could be looking for revenge.
But as things stand, T1 will be coming into the tournament as the proverbial favourites with the crowd on their side as well. They have yet to drop a single series this whole 2022 season after coming from the LCK Spring Split as the undefeated champions. T1 has gone 26 games unbeaten and will be hoping to extend that record in a few days.
With T1, RNG, and G2 coming in as the clear favourites, there's likely only one more spot left for the Knockout Stage for either one of Saigon Buffalo, PSG Talon, and Evil Geniuses. All three teams should be looking to claim some key victories to try and spoil the party leading up to the Knockout Stage. They are certainly capable of pulling out something spectacular on the Summoner's Rift. Their only concern would be consistency and being able to build on each performance.
MSI 2022 - As things stand
The MSI 2022 Rumble Stage goes from May 20 - 24 with a total of six matches being played each day. Unfortunately, the schedule for the Rumble Stage has yet to be released. It will be an interesting next few days as we count down to the start of the next portion of MSI.
