The upcoming Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) will mark a significant change in League of Legends esports history. For the first time, the MSI 2023 Play-In stage, the primary stage of the tournament, will consist of best-of-three matches, a departure from the best-of-one format used in previous years.
Here’s the new MSI format explained in detail.
This year’s MSI will feature eight teams from different parts of the world, all competing in one venue in London, United Kingdom. The teams are divided into two brackets, Group A featuring Bilibili Gaming, Movistar R7, Golden Guardians, and GAM Esports, and Group B featuring G2 Esports, LOUD, PSG Talon, and DetonatioN FocusMe.
Only the top two teams from each group and the winner of the LCQ match will advance to the bracket stage, where the competition will intensify. With this new format, who will rise to the challenge and emerge victorious?
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MSI 2023 Play-In stage schedule, standing, and results
Play-In Stage standings
| GROUP A | GROUP B |
| Bilibili Gaming (2-0) | PSG Talon (1-0) |
| Golden Guardians (1-1) | G2 Esports (1-0) |
| GAM Esports (0-1) | LOUD (0-1) |
| Movistar R7 (0-1) | DetonatioN FocusMe (0-1) |
Play-In Stage schedule and results
The MSI 2023 Play-In stage will take place from May 2 to May 7.
Matches start at 5 a.m. PST | 12 p.m. GMT | 8 p.m. GMT+8 during weekdays and an hour earlier at 4 a.m. PST | 11 a.m. GMT | 7 p.m. GMT+8 on weekend dates.
May 2
| TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
| DetonatioN FocusMe | 0 — 2 | PSG Talon |
| LOUD | 0 — 2 | G2 Esports |
May 3
| TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
| Movistar R7 | 0 — 2 | Bilibili Gaming |
| GAM Esports | 0 — 2 | Golden Guardians |
May 4
| TEAM | RESULTS | TEAM |
| Bilibili Gaming | 2 — 1 | Golden Guardians |
| G2 Esports | 1 — 0 | PSG Talon |
Bilibili Gaming qualifies for the MSI 2023 bracket stage.
May 5
| TEAM | SCHEDULE | TEAM |
| Movistar R7 | 5 a.m. PST | 12 p.m. GMT | 8 p.m. GMT+8 | GAM Esports |
| LOUD | 8 a.m. PST | 3 p.m. GMT | 11 p.m. GMT+8 | DetonatioN FocusMe |
May 6
| TEAM | SCHEDULE | TEAM |
| TBA | 4 a.m. PST | 11 a.m. GMT | 7 p.m. GMT+8 | TBA |
| TBA | 7 a.m. PST | 2 p.m. GMT | 10 p.m. GMT+8 | TBA |
May 7
| TEAM | SCHEDULE | TEAM |
| TBA | 4 a.m. PST | 11 a.m. GMT | 7 p.m. GMT+8 |
League of Legends fans can catch all MSI 2023 matches live on Riot Games’ official channels on Twitch and YouTube.
READ MORE: MSI 2023: Schedule, results, standings, format, teams, where to watch
