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Bin from Bilibili Gaming and Broken Blade from G2 Esports.

Both BLG and G2 are moving to the Bracket Stage (Images: Riot Games).

LoL

4 weeks ago

Bilibili Gaming, G2 Esports survive the Play-ins at the League of Legends MSI 2025

Meanwhile, GAM Esports and FURIA are eliminated from the competition. 

The League of Legends (LoL) Mid-Season Invitational 2025 finally kicked off over the weekend, with four teams going head-to-head at the Play-In Stage. It seems like the Fearless Draft is working its magic with the excitement and intensity already pumping up the first stage of the tournament.

After three rounds of intense best-of-five matches, it was Bilibili Gaming (BLG) and G2 Esports that survived it all, with BLG sweeping their way through all three rounds against GAM Esports and G2. Meanwhile, G2 had pushed FURIA Esports over the edge 3-2 in the first round, dropped to the lower bracket in the second round after being swept by BLG, and then once again battled GAM in another silver-scrapes battle where they won 3-2.

Here’s how the Play-ins went:

Round 1: BLG sweep through GAM and G2 struggle against FURIA

In the first round, Bilibili Gaming’s series against GAM Esports was a one-sided affair, with BLG stomping their enemies in a 3-0 sweep.

Chen “bin” Ze-Bin showed up early in the first game, with a dominant Ambessa setting the tone for the series. Despite GAM trying to find ways to finally break free and outplay their opponents, BLG kept their lead and eventually destroyed GAM's Nexus after a 29-minute encounter. 

 Zhuo “Knight” Ding and Beichuan also dictated the pace throughout the second game, combining lane control with clean objective setups. Early aggression from Duy Khánh “Levi” Đỗ showed promise for GAM, but Beichuan’s smart pathing quickly shut it down, with BLG closing Game 2 in 31 minutes.

Game 3 was no different. BLG once again denied GAM every map objective and ended the game in just 25 minutes to secure their Upper Bracket Round 2 spot.

G2, on the other hand, were pushed to the brink in their first best-of-five, narrowly edging out FURIA in a tense 3–2 series.

The Brazilian side shocked fans by taking Game 1 in just 28 minutes, turning an expected G2 win into a chaotic brawl from the start. But G2 bounced back in Game 2, with Sergen “BrokenBlade” Çelik’s 8/4/8 Jax and Rasmus “Caps” Winther’s Corki leading clean teamfights to even the score.

Game 3 nearly slipped away after a rare quadra-kill from FURIA top laner Guilherme “Guigo” Ruiz’s Sion, but G2 managed to close it out in 36 minutes. FURIA answered back in Game 4, punishing G2’s overconfidence with sharp engages and solid macro, forcing a decisive Game 5.

Silver Scrapes played in the fifth game, and G2 finally showed up. Caps’ Yone ended 7/0/8, while Steven “hans sama” Liv’s Senna obliterated their opponents. FURIA were held to just three kills as G2 closed out the final game in 30 minutes and advanced to Round 2 of the upper bracket to face Bilibili Gaming.

Round 2: BLG qualify for the Bracket Stage, FURIA eliminated by GAM Esports

G2 then faced BLG in round 2, where BLG kept their momentum, proving they are a force to be reckoned with, sweeping the LEC team to qualify for the Main Stage.

Bilibili Gaming finished the Play-ins at MSI 2025 undefeated.

G2 Esports pushed Bilibili Gaming to the brink in Game 1, nearly pulling off a comeback with a late teamfight that brought them within reach of the Nexus. But a 23-minute Atakhan win and Baron three minutes later gave knight and his squad the edge, closing the opener in 35 minutes.

From there, BLG took full control. Game 2 was one-sided, with the Chinese side dominating lanes, securing Ocean Soul by 23 minutes, and wrapping up the match in 30.

Despite a solid early game in Game 3, G2 collapsed after BrokenBlade was picked off. BLG snowballed the lead and ended the series in 33 minutes, behind knight’s impressive performance with  21 kills, 6 deaths, and 21 assists and Zhao “Elk” Jia-Hao who were able to manage 15 kills, 17 assists, and only 5 deaths.

Meanwhile, another five-game series ensued, where both FURIA and GAM Esports battle for survival, where GAM emerged victorious, after outplaying FURIA 3-2.

GAM Esports took Game 1 after a tense back-and-forth, despite trailing in objectives early. FURIA claimed Atakhan at 23 minutes while down over 2,000 gold, and Tutsz even stole Baron at 38 minutes to keep hopes alive. But a decisive Elder Dragon fight at 44 minutes gave GAM the edge and the win.

FURIA struck back in Game 2, with Guigo posting a dominant Jax to even the series. In Game 3, GAM’s early 4k gold lead was overturned after two critical fights around Atakhan and Mountain Drake, allowing FURIA to claim Baron and go up 2–1. GAM then steadied in Game 4, controlling the pace and dragging the game out to 35 minutes to force a decider.

Game 5 was a statement. Despite FURIA finding early leads, the Vietnamese side seized full control by the 14-minute mark and never looked back. Levi dominated the jungle, while teamfights went decisively in GAM’s favour across the map. With a final 19–6 kill lead, GAM closed out the series in 36 minutes: a brutal end to FURIA’s resilient run.

Round 3: G2 survive GAM’s reverse sweep attempt

It was a long, arduous road for G2 who survive the MSI 2025 Play-ins.

G2 Esports booked the final slot in the Bracket Stage after fending off a fierce comeback from GAM Esports in yet another five-game showdown.

Game 1 was close throughout, with both teams trading kills and objectives across the map. But in the late game, G2 began to snowball their gold lead, and a decisive teamfight swung the match in their favour. After 28 minutes and a 14–10 kill score, the European side destroyed GAM’s Nexus to take the lead.

Game 2 followed a similar script. The early game remained tight, but a mid-game push from G2 opened an 8,000-gold gap. A clean fight around the Baron pit allowed G2 to cement their control, and after 31 minutes, they closed out the game to go up 2–0.

Facing elimination, GAM Esports responded in Game 3 with aggressive plays across the map. With a strong gold lead and better skirmish coordination, they took over the tempo and ended the game in 32 minutes to get on the board.

Momentum stayed with the Vietnamese side in Game 4. G2 were caught off-guard repeatedly as GAM secured objectives and dictated the pace. With complete control of the map, GAM tied the series after another 32-minute win — setting the stage for a tense decider.

Game 5 saw G2 Esports steady themselves under pressure. Rather than forcing fights, they played patiently, denied GAM openings, and gradually built a lead. After a hard-fought 35-minute battle, the LEC representatives broke through and destroyed the Nexus to take the series 3–2.

With the win, G2 Esports join Bilibili Gaming in advancing to the Bracket Stage, where they will face off against the top-seeded teams from the LCP, LTA, LEC, LCK, and LPL.

Meanwhile, GAM Esports and FURIA bow out of the competition in 9th to 10th place, respectively, with GAM taking home US $100,000 in consolation, and FURIA taking home US$80,000 in consolation.