Bilibili Gaming of China’s LPL and G2 Esports of the EMEA’s LEC have secured spots in the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational bracket stage after finishing first and second, respectively, in the Play-In round at the Pacific Coliseum from June 28 to June 30.

Bilibili Gaming opened with a dominant 3-0 sweep of GAM Esports, controlling lanes through top laner Bin’s K’Sante and leveraging knight’s Taliyah terrain control to outpace GAM in kills and objectives. The Chinese side followed with another clean sweep against G2, rallying from a narrow Game 1 deficit to close out the series without conceding another map.

G2 bounced back to edge GAM Esports 3-2 in a full-length series to claim the final Play-In berth. After securing early leads in the first two games, G2 stumbled in Games 3 and 4 before clinching victory with a decisive mid-lane team fight in the fifth map.

The results highlight the narrowing gap between regions, as three of the five Play-In series extended to full five-game sets. GAM Esports pushed both G2 and Bilibili Gaming beyond expectations, while FURIA of Latin America also challenged the established powerhouses.

Bracket stage matchups pit LCK top seed Gen.G against G2 Esports at 9 a.m. KST on July 2. Gen.G holds a winning head-to-head record over G2, including a series win at the 2023 MSI. On July 4, LCK second seed T1 will meet Pacific region leader CTBC Flying Oyster. T1 enters off strong regional qualifier performances but will face a CFO squad seasoned by recent Worlds appearances and a Regional Kickoff title.

The double-elimination bracket opens July 2 and culminates in a July 13 grand final under the tournament’s Fearless Draft format, which prohibits champion repeats within a series. The $2 million prize pool—augmented by Spirit Blossom Hwei skin proceeds—marks an eightfold increase over 2024. The MSI champion will earn an automatic berth at the 2025 League of Legends World Championship, with regional results shaping additional Worlds seed allocations.