MSI and Worlds Will Be More Challenging This Year
Recently, Riot Games officially announced the format for MSI 2025 and World Championship (Worlds) 2025. Along with the information about the new format related to the First Stand 2025 and MSI 2025, which had previously been hinted at (the First Stand will bring an additional slot for the region), the format for Worlds 2025 is significantly different.
Specifically, although the fourth-seed teams from the two largest regions in League of Legends (LCK, LPL) have historically made it to MSI, this year’s Worlds will be more challenging for them, especially since teams from these two regions are expected to compete directly for the MSI slot. According to Riot’s regulations, regions with teams qualifying for MSI and those with the best overall performance will receive additional slots. However, the fourth-seed teams from both regions will have to win an extra match before entering the Swiss Stage. Meanwhile, the traditional Play-in stage has been removed.
This means that even if both LPL and LCK teams qualify for MSI (as they have done since 2020), there will still be one representative from these two regions “flying colors” before starting the important Swiss Stage. This could lead to many controversies. In the last three Worlds tournaments, there has always been at least one fourth-seed team participating in the finals (DRX 2022, WBG 2023, and T1 2024).
Meanwhile, after merging into the APAC region, VCS teams will have to compete fiercely with PCS, LJL, etc., to secure a slot for Worlds. If we look at the new LCP 2025, the chances of only one VCS team qualifying for Worlds 2025 are very high. The worst-case scenario is that VCS will be completely absent when Worlds 2025 begins.
Key Factors That Could Lead to No Appearances from MSI or Worlds
Although many points have been raised, Riot has not mentioned the implementation of Fearless Draft at MSI 2025 or Worlds 2025, which could lead to some confusion among fans. However, this is understandable. Only in 2025, Riot plans to introduce this system into several major tournaments. Therefore, the publisher needs more time to evaluate its effectiveness.
Furthermore, several regions like LCK or APAC have undergone significant changes. Forcing teams to adapt to too many changes can lead to a decline in the quality of matches. Moreover, if Fearless Draft is applied in situations where there is a significant disparity in strength among regions or the current meta is not yet stable, matches like HLE vs. Gen.G at the LCK Cup 2025 could be relatively boring and might have to be re-evaluated in the future.
