Four days of Play-Ins wiped out three regions before the real tournament even began. Riot’s MSI 2026 blueprint promised carnage, and Daejeon delivered it on schedule. Here is the full picture of what Riot built and why it bites so hard.
MSI 2026: All 11 Teams, the Reworked Play-In Gauntlet, and Broken Covenant Jhin
Riot has confirmed the complete structure for the eleventh Mid-Season Invitational, running June 28 to July 12 at the Daejeon Convention Center II in South Korea. The tournament carries a two million dollar base prize pool and the slogan “Call Your Shot.”
The 11 teams
Five regions send two representatives each. The LCK brings Hanwha Life Esports and T1. The LPL sends Bilibili Gaming and Top Esports. G2 Esports and Karmine Corp fly the LEC flag, while LYON and Team Liquid Alienware carry the LCS. The LCP contributes Team Secret Whales and Deep Cross Gaming. FURIA arrives as Brazil’s sole entrant, marking the return of the CBLOL and LCS to MSI for the first time since 2024 following the collapse of the LTA.
The glaring absence: Gen.G, two-time reigning champion, eliminated by T1 in the LCK Road to MSI qualifier.
The Play-In stage is now a meat grinder
This is the one real change from MSI 2025. Four teams, the second seeds from the LCK, LCP, LCS and LEC, entered a double-elimination bracket where every series was a best-of-five. Exactly one survived. T1 emerged, and now joins a Bracket Stage that had seven teams waiting comfortably.
Bilibili Gaming’s First Stand victory earned the LPL an extra direct slot, meaning both Chinese teams skipped the gauntlet entirely. Fearless Draft governs the whole event, and First Selection replaces the old side pick, letting winners choose between blue side or first pick in draft rather than taking both.
Broken Covenant Jhin and the rewards
Broken Covenant Jhin is the official MSI 2026 revenue-share skin, with proceeds shared among competing teams. Perfect Pick’Ems predictions unlock the skin and the champion. Crystal Ball makes its MSI debut, handing out a “Doesn’t Look Good” emote to fans who called the meta correctly before June 28.
The Bracket Stage runs through the Upper Final on July 9 and the Lower Final on July 11, closing with the Grand Final on July 12. The winner locks a Worlds 2026 berth, provided they reach their regional Split 3 playoffs, and the runner-up region unlocks a fourth Worlds seed.
Full brackets and live streams are available on the official LoL Esports site. For rolling coverage of the Daejeon Bracket Stage, follow our League of Legends esports news.
