- MSI 2026 Overview
- Betting Odds
- How to Bet
- Regions Represented
- Tournament Structure
- Prize Money
- MSI Dates
- Previous MSI Champions
The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational returns in 2026 as the second global event of the LoL Esports calendar, bringing together the strongest teams from across the major regions just before the season hits its halfway point. MSI is always one of the most important betting events of the year because it gives punters their first proper cross-regional look at the title contenders outside domestic play.
In 2026, MSI heads to Daejeon, South Korea, where 11 teams will battle across nearly two weeks of international competition. Riot has kept the overall feel of the tournament familiar, but there is a key format change this year, with the Play-In reduced to a four-team bracket that sends only one team through to the main event.
The winner of MSI earns direct qualification to the League of Legends World Championship, while the runner-up region receives an extra domestic seed for Worlds. That makes the event about more than just the trophy, and it is one reason books tend to take MSI markets seriously once the field is locked in.
MSI 2026 at a glance
Host City
- Where: Daejeon, South Korea
- Venue: Daejeon Convention Center II
- Note: First LoL Esports event held in Daejeon
MSI leaves Vancouver behind and heads to Korea in 2026, giving Daejeon its first major Riot international event.
Dates
- Play-In: June 28-July 1
- Bracket: July 3-6 and July 8-12
- Final: July 12
MSI 2026 runs for just over two weeks, with a short break between the opening stage and the main bracket.
Teams
- Total: 11 teams
- Major Regions: Two teams each from LCK, LPL, LEC, LCS and LCP
- Brazil: One CBLOL team
The full lineup will be confirmed once the regional Split 2 and spring-style playoffs wrap up closer to the event.
Format
- Play-In: 4-team double elimination
- Bracket: 8-team double elimination
- Series: Best-of-five with Fearless Draft
The headline format tweak in 2026 is that only one team now advances out of Play-In instead of two.
Where will the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational be held in 2026?
The Mid-Season Invitational moves around the world much like the League of Legends World Championship, and in 2026 the event lands in Daejeon, South Korea. The tournament will be staged at the Daejeon Convention Center II, marking the first time the city has hosted a major LoL Esports international.
South Korea is already one of the spiritual homes of competitive League of Legends, so MSI returning there gives the event a huge stage and a fitting setting. Crowds should be strong across the full run of the tournament, especially once the Bracket Stage begins and the elite teams are left standing.
2026 Mid-Season Invitational teams
The MSI 2026 field has not yet been fully confirmed.
Qualification will be decided through each region’s second split or spring-style playoffs, with the final lineup set closer to the start of the event. Riot has confirmed that 11 teams will attend MSI 2026, including two teams each from the LCK, LPL, LEC, LCS and LCP, plus one team from CBLOL.
2026 Mid-Season Invitational odds
Betting odds for the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational are not yet available. EsportBet will update this page once the market opens closer to the event and the teams are locked in.
How to bet on MSI 2026
The Mid-Season Invitational is always one of the most interesting League of Legends tournaments to bet on because it brings the best domestic teams into direct cross-regional competition. Outright markets are popular early, but once the draw is set and the opening matchups are known, books usually expand into map betting, handicap lines, totals and live markets as well.
As with any major LoL event, it pays to compare a few sportsbooks rather than accepting the first set of odds you see. Some operators are much better than others when it comes to live pricing, map markets and early outrights, which is why the geo-targeted table below is useful.
Our top League of Legends betting sites are:
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Regions represented at MSI 2026
The Mid-Season Invitational continues to gather the strongest League of Legends teams from around the world, with the 2026 field built around five two-slot major regions plus a single Brazilian representative.
The regions represented at MSI 2026 are:
- League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) – 2 teams
- League of Legends Pro League (LPL) – 2 teams
- League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) – 2 teams
- League Championship Series (LCS) – 2 teams
- League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) – 2 teams
- Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends (CBLOL) – 1 team
MSI tournament structure
Qualification
- 11 teams qualify for MSI 2026
- Two teams each come from the LCK, LPL, LEC, LCS and LCP, with one team from CBLOL
- The First Stand-winning region earns a direct Bracket Stage bye for its second seed
- All other qualification places are decided through regional Split 2 or spring playoff results
Play-In
- Four teams compete in a double-elimination bracket
- All matches are best-of-five series using Fearless Draft
- Only one team advances into the Bracket Stage
Bracket Stage
- Eight teams play in a double-elimination bracket
- All matches are best-of-five series using Fearless Draft
- The MSI champion qualifies directly for Worlds, while the runner-up region earns an extra domestic seed for Worlds
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League of Legends MSI prize money
Riot has not yet publicly confirmed the full prize distribution for MSI 2026. What is already clear is that MSI remains one of the most important international LoL events of the season, with the biggest reward being competitive rather than purely financial: the champion goes straight to Worlds, and the second-place region picks up an additional domestic seed.
Once Riot confirms the official purse and placement breakdown, EsportBet will update this section with the complete 2026 prize pool details.
When is the LoL Mid-Season Invitational?
The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational runs from June 28 to July 12. The tournament is split into two stages: Play-In from June 28 to July 1, followed by the Bracket Stage from July 3 to July 6 and July 8 to July 12.
The final stretch of the event is scheduled as follows: the Upper Final on July 9, the Lower Final on July 11, and the Grand Final on July 12.
Previous MSI champions
| Year | Team | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | EDward Gaming | SK Telecom T1 |
| 2016 | SK Telecom T1 | Counter Logic Gaming |
| 2017 | SK Telecom T1 | G2 Esports |
| 2018 | Royal Never Give Up | Kingzone DragonX |
| 2019 | G2 Esports | Team Liquid |
| 2020 | Event Cancelled | |
| 2021 | Royal Never Give Up | DAMWON KIA |
| 2022 | Royal Never Give Up | T1 |
| 2023 | JD Gaming | Bilibili Gaming |
| 2024 | Gen.G | Bilibili Gaming |
| 2025 | Gen.G | T1 |
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Ciaran Jackman
Senior Esports Editor
Ciaran Jackman spent six years as a senior editor at EsportBet.com, publishing nearly 1,000 articles across CS2, VALORANT and League of Legends. A mad esports fan and one of the hardest working people in the organisation, Ciaran was a defining voice on the site from 2019 to 2025.