Riot Games has announced the return of MSI 2021 that will take place in Reykjavík, Iceland from May 6 to 23. This is the first time that a Riot Games esports event will take place in the country.
MSI 2021 will return to LAN and League of Legends fans can expect to see their favorite players in action. The tournament will take place in Reykjavík, Iceland.
“We are thrilled to showcase high-level Riot esports competition to a country as stunning and unique as Iceland, underscoring that passion for our esports can be found in every corner of the globe”
MSI 2021 - A LAN Event in Iceland
The MSI 2021 Invitational will take place from May 6-23, 2021. Riot Games had to cancel the event last year due to various travel restrictions across the globe. With a singular focus on getting the best League of Legends teams together on LAN, Riot Games has now announced the location for MSI 2021 that will take place in the Laugardalshöll indoor sporting arena in Reykjavík, Iceland.
What is the Format for MSI 2021?
MSI 2021 will feature twelve teams; one each from the LPL, LCK, LCS, LEC, PCS, VCS, CBLOL, LJL, LCL, LLA, TCL and LCO. All twelve teams will start in the first, group stage. The teams form three groups of four each and play best-of-one round-robin matches. The top two teams from each group advance to the next stage. These six teams will play best-of-one double-robin and the top four teams will move to the knockout phases.
The MSI 2021 Format Explained
- Introducing: No more Play-Ins! All teams from all regions will now start off in the same stage of MSI. There will be three stages total.
- Stage 1: Groups - All 12 teams start here and they will split into three groups of four teams. Each of these groups will play a best-of-one, double round-robin. The top two teams per group will advance to the next stage.
- Stage 2: Rumble - The six remaining teams will play another best-of-one, double-round robin. The top four teams will advance to a playoff bracket.
- Stage 3: Knockout - The top four teams will advance to a single-elimination, best-of-five playoff bracket, consisting of the Semifinals followed by the Finals.
Why did Riot Games Choose Iceland?
The developer factored in case counts and covid safety protocols to zero down on a few possible candidates. Iceland’s government has been supportive of Riot Games’ health protocol requirements, which is higher than those recommended by CDC, said Naz Aletaha, Head of Global Esports Partnerships & Business Development for Riot Games. Besides the obvious safety protocols and the official support, Iceland also provides excellent views and some amazing landscapes for the game’s content creators.
The announcement saw a positive and excited response from the community.