The tournament that was filled with surprises and a variety of drama, the 2019 MSI, has come to an end. The world champion team that went almost undefeated in the group stage, Invictus Gaming, was defeated by Team Liquid in the semifinals. And on the other side of the bracket, SKT who were known as 'titans of Bo5' were eliminated by G2 Esports. Then at the end, the western Finals that everyone had dreamt of ended in a one-sided fashion.



Although many LCK fans were disappointed that SKT had lost to G2, they are hopeful that their region's defeat will bring a lot of change to the LCK. Europe's unique picks & bans and exciting playstyle - things that are rarely seen in the LCK - left a big impression on the Korean fans.



Another interesting thing about the 2019 MSI is that the champions, G2, were never able to take a game off of IG and PVB. Due to that, a lot of fans are joking that PVB are the actual, unofficial champions. The VCS team had little to no expectations at the 2019 MSI, but despite being the least favored at the tournament, they caused a storm when they took down G2 twice and made IG struggle. They made it certain that the 'weaker' regions can't be underestimated.



The picks & bans made throughout the 2019 MSI were diverse, and many different strategies were showcased on stage. The tournament was also solid proof that there no longer exists a 'gap' between regions.



Summer is approaching. I can't wait to see the countless teams who were motivated by MSI to find new, more diverse strategy for the next international event.