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Will G2 Make it Out? MSI 2025 Play-In Stage Preview and Predictions
The stage is set. MSI 2025 is ready to kick off when teams take to the stage to launch the Play-In Stage on Friday, June 27th. There, the four lowest seeded teams at the tournament will fight tooth and nail for a spot in the Bracket Stage, where they will look to take on the very best teams in the world.
Will G2 Esports and Bilibili Gaming dominate the first stage of competition? Or can FURIA and GAM Esports make their regions proud and find an upset?
Opening Matchups: Who Starts Ahead?
Our opening matches of MSI 2025 will decide which two teams will go on to face off for the first and all-important spot in the Bracket Stage. Let's take a look at the matches.
G2 Esports vs FURIA [Friday, June 27th - 12 pm PT / 9 pm CET]
It's no secret at G2 Esports are not quite the G2 of old. After losing back-to-back LEC splits for the first time since 2021, G2 comes into MSI looking a little shakier than usual. That said, there is no denying the incredible amounts of talent on this roster.
Over on the other side of this match we have FURIA. The Brazilian squad put on a remarkable run through the Lower Bracket of Split 2 in the LTA South, going on a 7-1 run to qualify for MSI. Will the confidence granted by their run of form be enough to upset the LEC giants of G2 Esports?
In truth, the European squad is the better side here, and should look to use this match to gain back their confidence, and form, ahead of tougher matchups. Make no mistake, FURIA are no slouches, but they simply come from a weaker region and are just not used to competing against teams of G2's caliber.
Expect FURIA to come out with a surprise or two in their games, especially when it comes to a Bo5 with Fearless Draft. This may cause G2 to stumble, but the LEC squad should be able to comfortably close out the series when all is said and done.
Bilibili Gaming vs GAM Esports [Friday, June 27th - 5 pm PT / 2 am CET]
Much like G2, this Bilibili Gaming team look little like the BLG squad that once dominated the LPL. After their drop in form early in the year, BLG brought in replacement jungler Yang "Beichuan" Ling to breathe some life back into the team. And though the roster change did help, it simply wasn't enough.
Meanwhile, despite putting on a respectable fight in the Grand Finals of the LCP ahead of MSI, GAM fell to the surging CTBC Flying Oyster, which sent the team to the Play-Ins. With veterans of the game like Đỗ "Levi" Duy Khánh at the helm, one can never count GAM out entirely. Against BLG, though, the task sure looks tall.
For all of BLG's recent inconsistencies, the team is still packed with top-level stars, all of which are able to take over a game at a moments notice. Against GAM, BLG should look to leverage their firepower to make quick work of their rivals and get one step closer to the Bracket Stage.
Final Predictions: Who Makes It Out?
When it comes to individual prowess and the strength of their respective leagues, there is little doubt that G2 Esports and Bilibili Gaming are one step ahead of their Play-Ins rivals. This makes the two squads the overwhelming favorites to make it into the Bracket Stage for a shot at the MSI 2025 trophy.
Unfortunately for G2, though, there is one little hiccup ahead. In any scenario in which BLG make it out of Play-Ins, G2 would be forced to face off against Gen.G to kick off their journey through the Bracket Stage. A Gen.G squad that, it's worth pointing out, look like the sharpest team in the world at the moment.
For G2 to avoid going up against the LCK titans, BLG would need to fall eliminated from the tournament during the Play-In Stage. Assuming both of G2 and BLG win their opening matches, the two teams would go on to face off on Saturday, June 28th, to decide who the first team to move on to the next step of competition will be.
Despite their potential eagerness to knock BLG out of their way, G2 should have a rough time against the once-Kings of the LPL. While G2's topside are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with their counterparts in BLG, the problem lies in the bot lane.
For G2, Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis is taking longer than ideal to adjust to playing for such a big team. The Greek support player's lack of synergy with Steven "Hans Sama" Liv in the bot lane, and with Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan when it comes to map movement, is proving problematic. Against a team of BLG's experience and pedigree, this could well prove to be G2's undoing in a match that could see BLG become first team to qualify for the Bracket Stage.
If G2 want to make a miracle run for the MSI 2025 trophy, then this will need to be a tale of growth and redemption.
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Featured image credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
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