RESULTS: League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Day 1 Matches

The first day of the Group Stage of the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational has concluded, and we’ve seen some teams rise to the expectations of their fans, while others have had a rough start to the event. Here’s a brief breakdown of the games.

Fnatic – Royal Never Give Up

The first match of the main event did not kick off with a bang surprisingly, as both teams played a very safe early game to avoid giving anything away. RNG got on the board first after taking down the first tower and Dragon, though it was FNC who picked up first blood at the same time. It took a while for RNG to really get going, but once they did there was no stopping them, holding on to the gold lead throughout the match despite the best efforts of FNC. In the end, though the K/D was tied for both teams, the final team fight victory for RNG sealed the deal as China handed Europe their first loss of the tournament.

EVOS Esports – Flash Wolves

Both of the teams to survive the Play-In stage of MSI squared off for the second match of the day, though it would not be as close a match as some had predicted. FW took an early lead after picking up three quick kills in the early game, before extending their lead with excellent map and objective control. EVS could barely get a look in during this match, as FW dominated the map so completely in their quest for victory. In the end, FW claimed a fairly easy win for themselves while putting the rest of the tournament on notice.

Kingzone DragonX – Team Liquid

The first appearance by the representatives of the NA LCS did not go as well as they would have liked. Though TL was able to pick up first blood and an early Rift Herald, they were quickly overwhelmed by the map control of KZ. The Korean powerhouse team proceeded to make their presence felt across the map, leaving little for TL to do in retaliation. By the end of the match it was clear that TL were outclassed in this showdown, as KZ claimed their first win of the event.

Flash Wolves – Fnatic

A very back and forth match between these two teams as FNC looked to redeem their earlier loss, while FW looked to establish a winning record. Both teams traded the lead during this match, as the skirmishes and objectives came thick and fast. In the end it came down to two key team fights that saw FW dominate FNC as they claimed their second victory of the tournament.

Team Liquid – EVOS Esports

An incredibly bloody showdown between these two teams, as both looked to redeem themselves of the earlier losses they had suffered. Early objectives followed by early kills piled on quickly as both teams played very aggressive styles while looking for any advantage possible. Though TL had built something of a lead in the mid-game, EVS was quick to turn it around after winning repeated team fights. By the end of the match, EVS had pulled ahead by 10 kills and 6.6k gold to claim their first win of the event.

Royal Never Give Up – Kingzone DragonX

The final match of the day and one of the most hotly anticipated showdowns of the event saw China’s RNG taking on Korea’s KZ in the ultimate battle for supremacy. Unfortunately for fans, it was not the epic slugfest many had been expecting, with KZ taking the lead early on and never giving RNG a chance to contest anything. RNG was able to pick up some kills towards the end of the match, though by that stage it was too little too late, with KZ dominating the major team fights and proving their map control to be the winning factor as they cruised to a 2-0 record on day one.

With the first day now in the record books, the teams that fell short will be seeking revenge, while the teams that claimed victory will want to build on their success. For more on when the games will be played next, check out the Official Schedule page, here, and for more on which match in particular to check out, see our match to watch for day two, here.