Busan is good

The National Team to Compete in the 2025 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) Will Be Decided This Week in Busan!

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the final Rounds 3 to 5 of the “2025 League of Legends Champions Korea Mid-Season Invitational (LCK MSI)” representative qualifier will be held over three days, June 13–15, at Sajik Indoor Gymnasium in Busan.

○ This event is the official domestic selection tournament—called “Road to MSI”—to choose two Korean teams to compete in the 2025 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), one of the most prestigious international esports tournaments.

○ A total of five rounds are being held. Rounds 1 and 2 took place on June 7–8 at LoL Park in Seoul. The remaining three rounds will now be held in Busan to determine the final two representatives.

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The 2025 LCK MSI representative qualifier, held for the first time this year, features the top 6 teams from the regular season in a hybrid tournament format combining first-place matchups and King of the Hill playoff structure.

○ After the elimination of two teams in the first two rounds, four remaining teams will compete in Busan for the two coveted spots to represent Korea at MSI, drawing intense attention from esports fans.

*King of the Hill: A playoff format where the winning team advances step-by-step toward the final match.

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○ On June 13, the first and second seeds from the regular season—Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports—will face off. The winner will earn the #1 Korean seed for MSI.

○ On June 15, the winner of the June 14 match between T1 and KT Rolster will battle the loser from the June 13 match. The winner of that final match will secure the #2 Korean seed for the MSI in Vancouver, Canada.

○ All matches in the 2025 LCK MSI qualifier will be held in best-of-five format using the Fearless Draft system.

*Fearless Draft: A format where teams cannot reuse the same champions within a match series, encouraging diverse strategies and champion selections.

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The event’s promotional video features major tourist spots in Busan, and scenes from the city will be broadcast in the global livestream, maximizing the city’s brand promotion impact. In addition, the influx of domestic and international fans is expected to provide a significant boost to the local economy.

○ LCK games attract an average of 4 million daily viewers, with over half from overseas, solidifying its reputation as a global premium content platform. This event is expected to further elevate Busan’s standing as a premier esports destination.

○ During the qualifier period, around 15,000 fans are expected to visit. Outdoor promotional booths will be installed at Sajik Gymnasium’s plaza, and various esports experience and education programs will be offered to the public.

○ A “viewing event” will also be hosted at Busan Esports Arena, allowing fans to cheer together and fully immerse themselves in the esports experience.

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Mayor Park Heong-joon stated,

“I am thrilled that the final qualifiers for the globally anticipated Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) are being held in Busan, the heart of Korean esports,” and added,
“We will continue striving to attract global esports tournaments and strengthen Busan’s reputation as a global esports hub.”

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[Attachment: League of Legends (LoL) Game Overview]

• ●Game Title: League of Legends (LoL)

• ●Developer: Riot Games

• ●Release Date: October 27, 2009 (North America) / December 4, 2011 (Korea)

• ●Genre: MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), 5v5 structure-based team battle

• ●Rating: Ages 12+

• ●Players: Approx. 150 million globally (as of 2024)

• ●Regional Leagues: LCK (Korea), LEC (EMEA), LPL (China), LTA (Americas), LCP (Asia-Pacific)

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[Annual League Schedule – LCK & Global]

Period	Regional League	Global Events
Jan–Feb	LCK Split 1	First Stand Tournament
Apr–Jun	LCK Split 2	Mid-Season Invitational
Jul–Sep	LCK Split 3	World Championship (Oct–Nov)

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[Busan’s Achievements in Hosting LoL Global Events]

• ●2022 MSI: May 10–29 at Busan Esports Arena & BEXCO, 26,000 attendees

• ●2023 World Championship (Quarterfinals & Semifinals): Nov 2–12 at Sajik Gymnasium, 30,000 attendees