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MSI 2024 Tier List: All Teams Attending Edition
The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) is about the begin. Starting from the 1st of May, the tournament is set to run until the 19th of the same month. With that said, a total of 12 teams will be in attendance, competing for the title of the first international League of Legends tournament of the year.
Read More: [UPDATED] League of Legends MSI 2024: Format, Schedule, and More
As mentioned in our original article, MSI this year will take place in Chengdu, China. Without further ado, let us jump into the team tier list for MSI 2024.
B Tier
- LOUD
- PSG Talon
- GAM Esports
- Estral Esports
Starting at the bottom, we have Estral Esports. Representing the LLA, not much is known about this team other than their fierce tenacity. Boasting some OG talents in the form of Brandon “Josedeodo” Joel Villegas most notably, this roster on paper could do some damage – if only they weren’t facing T1 in the first round.
GAM re-enters the international stage at a tumultuous time for their league. Amidst the scandal and ongoing investigation into the alleged widespread match fixing within their league, GAM continues to strive on the world stage. GAM has always had fairly decent performances, bolstered significantly by their individuals. However, their teamfighting sometimes leaves something to be desired.
PSG Talon returns to another international tournament. After a fairly quiet Worlds run last year, they once again return to the international stage to vie with the best teams in the world. They have a strong reliance on their individuals, however, seem to lack in experience against stronger competitors. That said, their read on the meta has been fairly stable and in line with the teams in the major regions.
At the top of B Tier, we have the CBLOL representative – LOUD. Formidable challengers, LOUD exhibited consistent performances in their own region. However, historically, when playing internationally, they have struggled. Despite that, they have the individual prowess to potentially contest some games, if only they can find the similar cohesion to match it.
A Tier
- FlyQuest
- Fnatic
- Team Liquid
Coming in last in A Tier, we have Team Liquid. Whilst they may have finished first in the LCS, much of their success comes from their solidity rather than their peak. By that, we mean that they have an incredible foundation of players, stemming from the infallible Jeong “Impact” Eon-young in the top lane to Eain “APA” Stearns in the mid lane on his solid mage picks that just always find value. We don’t see Liquid winning any major trophies, but this roster should never fall that short of expectations.
Fnatic sits clearly in A Tier, being a fairly strong LEC team with high highs but also some low lows. Fnatic’s growth this year has been admirable, however, in terms of experience, they still have talents for whom this MSI will only be their 2nd international tournament. Moreover, Fnatic has shown some crucial hesitation in the mid-game, leading them to garner a reputation for not always being able to close out games.
At the top of the A-Tier class, we have FlyQuest. A team that has dominated the LCS with intense speed and skill, their loss to Liquid in the finals of the LCS playoffs came as a shock and seen more as an underperformance by the squad. Their collection of players stems some of the most experienced in the LCS, marking them as a potential dark horse coming into this event.
S Tier
- Top Esports
- T1
- G2
Starting out the S Tier lineup of teams, we have G2 Esports. The first adopter of the new lane swap meta amongst the Western teams, G2 has defined their playstyle as truly free. They are fearless in adopting new champions, tactics, and strategies, making them one of the most unpredictable teams to face. Moreover, G2 come into MSI 2024 as a 5-time winner of the LEC, albeit not in a row. Mid laner Rasmus “Caps” Winther has solidified himself as not only the best and most accomplished player/mid laner in the West, but he is also widely considered the West’s best chance against Eastern teams, putting G2 higher in contention for this MSI list.
Next up, T1 sit comfortably in S Tier. They may not be in Worlds winning form quite yet, but their second place run in the LCK Playoffs, along with their fairly steady regular season form, puts them in strong contention for a high finish. The main holdout comes twofold. Firstly, T1 have been struggling to implement practice, due to a series of DDoS attacks that rendered the players unable to stream, play, or scrim. The effect could be felt through the players lesser cohesion and more visible frustrations. Moreover, the players have been struggling to re-find their form from last year’s Worlds, especially top laner Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, who has not been comfortable in the current tank meta in Spring and heading into MSI.
Lastly, and most importantly, at the top of the S Tier teams, we have Top Esports. Strong, dominant, powerful performances in the LPL. Top Esports lineup brings back their iconic player Bai “369” Jia-Hao after a successful stint on JDG, culminating in the latter being widely recognized as one of the best top laners in the world. Moreover, their overall lineup is incredibly star-studded with veterans in nearly every role, making them a deadly opponent for any team.
S+ Tier
- Bilibili Gaming (Favorite to Win it All)
- Gen.G
Coming into MSI 2024, these two teams are indisputably the most in-form teams in attendance. Having won their respective domestic league finals, they only represent the pinnacle of modern League of Legends in 2024.
Gen.G’s adaptability in lane and ferocious array of talented players proved too much even for the defending Worlds champions T1 to handle. Their most notable standouts this split have to be jungler Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu and top laner Kim “Kiin” Gi-in. Both players are currently undergoing a renaissance in terms of their individual skills, pushing Gen.G to the incredible limits of excellence. This is all before speaking on their star mid laner, Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon who has risen to expectations in recent years as the absolute best Mid Laner the LCK has ever seen (mechanically). Gen.G’s 4th Championship in the LCK speaks volumes on their domestic success and prowess, promising a rousing success internationally.
Despite all that, Gen.G’s notable history of underperforming internationally, coupled with the accomplishments of the team to come, suggests that in the end, BLG will be the final boss of this tournament.
Bilibili Gaming’s (BLG) current form coming into MSI 2024 is incredible to witness. Since swapping out Zeng “Yagao” Qi for highly proclaimed mid laner Zhuo “knight” Ding, BLG has looked nigh unstoppable. Even more so than Gen.G. After winning the Demacia Cup back in 2023 against JDG, their rivals, in the finals, BLG went on to dominate the LPL with a 15-1 record in series, boasting a 94% series winrate across 35 games played. The next highest competitor was Top Esports, whom they defeated in the finals 3-1. Across the board, BLG looked excellent with no weak links.
As the tournament progresses and the knockout stage looms large on the horizon, each team will have the opportunity to showcase their mettle and etch their names into the annals of MSI history. With fierce competition and stakes running high, only time will reveal which team shall emerge triumphant and seize the illustrious mantle of MSI champions.
Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
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