The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026 is set to begin on June 28, 2026, at the Daejeon Convention Center's second exhibition hall in South Korea.
The opening play-in match will feature T1 against Team Liquid.
>>> Real Madrid Finalizes Nico Paz Transfer to Como for €60 Million
According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Government, the tournament will run until July 12, 2026, bringing together 11 top teams from six global regions.
Officials expect over 80,000 international visitors, with an economic impact exceeding 100 billion won.
City's Vision for Global E-Sports Hub
A Daejeon city official highlighted the strategic importance of hosting the event to showcase the city's technological identity.
"This MSI 2026 is a good opportunity to announce that Daejeon is a global e-sports city and a city leading the high-tech cultural content industry," the official said.
The municipality is organizing a Fan Festa at Hanbit Square in Expo Science Park and plans to broadcast promotional videos of local scientific infrastructure during the tournament.
"We will do our best to prepare domestic and foreign visitors to Daejeon to experience the various charms of Daejeon," the official added.
>>> The New York Times Wordle Puzzles for June 26-27, 2026: ACUTE and SCOOP
The opening best-of-five series pits Korean powerhouse T1 against North America's Team Liquid.
T1 enters with a 72% map win rate, while Team Liquid holds a 63% map win rate and early-game advantages, including a 56.3% first blood rate and a 66.7% first tower rate.
Historical data from redbull.
com notes the tournament's prestige, despite the Korea e-Sports Association excluding its statistics from the 2026 Asian Games selection process.
Notable past moments include Counter Logic Gaming overcoming a 17,000 gold deficit against Royal Never Give Up in 2016.
>>> Argentina Beat Jordan Without Messi in World Cup Group Stage
In 2019, G2 Esports secured a historic international title for Europe with a swift 3-0 sweep against Team Liquid in 70 minutes and 41 seconds, a milestone ahead of the 2026 tournament cycle.
