LoL - MSI: Gen.G qualifies for the MSI final and sends T1 to the Lower Bracket

Victory for Gen.G over T1 in the Upper Bracket Final of this Mid-Season Invitational, in a BO5 that lived up to all expectations and ended in five games in favor of the reigning MSI champions. Gen.G are now through to the grand final and extend their winning streak to 22 consecutive BOs. As for T1, they held strong but ultimately fell short. They’ll drop to the Lower Bracket to face the winner of the Anyone's Legend vs Bilibili Gaming series on July 10 at 5 PM PST.

Several key moments stood out in this series. First, Kalista and Renata Glasc lost yet again, keeping their win rate at 0% for this MSI — ten games played for Kalista without a single win. Twisted Fate, despite being the most highly prioritized pick of the tournament and often permanently banned against Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, was completely ignored in the drafts by both teams. During T1’s victory in Game 2, Faker reached a historic milestone by securing his 1000th kill in international competitions — a living legend of the League.

In the LCK, Gen.G and T1 never had the chance to face each other during the Road to MSI as both qualified separately, and no grand final was played. This made their MSI clash one of the most anticipated series of the year, seen by many as the LCK final the public never got. Game 1 kicked off with Gen.G dictating the tempo, despite a solid draft from T1. Both teams came in well-prepared, making no major mistakes in the draft phase. Ultimately, Gen.G’s botlane made the difference. Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk’s Jhin was clinical, landing devastating ultimates that gave Gen.G the edge.

T1 struck back in Game 2, with Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong stepping up and Faker nearly flawless on Taliyah. The midlane legend finished with 29 kill participations out of T1’s 30, leading his team to an equalizer. Game 3, however, was a grind. Neither team looked to take early risks, and first blood wasn’t drawn until the 21st minute. With Senna and Viktor locked in for Gen.G and T1 respectively, the focus was on scaling, and Gen.G eventually took the win. But for viewers in Europe, staying up for such a slow-paced game was no easy task.

In Game 4, Gen.G rolled the dice with Kalista and Renata — two champions still winless at this MSI. Despite a strong showing from Ruler and Joo "Duro" Min-kyu, T1’s Corki-led scaling comp overturned a 5,000 gold deficit. Gumayusi dealt over 65,000 damage and sent the series to Silver Scrapes for the seventh time this MSI. In the decisive Game 5, T1’s early-game draft gave them a strong lead, but it wasn’t enough. Once Jinx and Aurora came online past the 20-minute mark, Gen.G steamrolled their way through the base and into the grand final.

The next match will take place on July 10 at 5 PM PST — a rematch of the LPL final between AL and BLG that will determine who faces T1 in the Lower Bracket Final the following day. The grand final is set for July 12 at the same time as the previous BOs, where Gen.G will defend their title against one of these three teams. At the end of MSI, teams will have only a few days to travel to Riyadh for the Esports World Cup, which runs from July 16 to 20, before jumping straight into LCK Round 3–5, scheduled to begin on the 23rd. It's a packed schedule for teams that consistently make deep runs, like Gen.G is doing once again.