RNG are 2021 Mid-Season Invitational champions, taking down DWG KIA in five games

The 2021 Mid-Season Invitational is finally over, and after three weeks of great competition, memorable moments and unbelievable upsets, the League of Legends competitive scene has a new MSI champion, in the form of the LPL champions, Royal Never Give Up.

Both teams came to the ultimate instance after a dominant performance in both the Group and Rumble Stages, being the Top 2 squads in this year’s edition and the favourites to take it all prior to the tournament in Iceland.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Besides, their advance to the finals was nothing but challenging as RNG struggled to take out PSG Talon in a very impressive and equal battle, while DWG KIA was on the verge of elimination after MAD Lions put them against the ropes in a five-game series.

So, with the stakes at the max and after an emotional intro, the first game of the day started on a high note with both regional champions fighting back and forth for 39 minutes, where the result came clear after the good control on objectives and structures from the LPL champions, highlighting the massive presence of GALA’s Kai’Sa which would be a constant in the series.

(Picture: Riot Games)

The Worlds 2020 champions bounced back for the second match even after a nice early game from RNG, as DK started getting kills thanks to their good engages while taking drakes and the Baron buff, and with a powerful Tristana from Ghost making a Quadra Kill for the LCK squad, the match would end after 29 minutes having a nearly 10K gold difference.

The next duel was more even than ever, as the early was remarked with a barely moved score with both teams having a virtual tie in gold and kills, but with DK getting a better result in objectives. The breaking point came after the 29th minute, when a team fight around the Baron pit put the scale in RNG’s favour, thanks to an ace and a Triple Kill for GALA. After this, it was just a matter of time for RNG to take down DK’s nexus and put them in a matchpoint.

DWG KIA would not remain silent as they managed to overtake the Chinese team once again, neutralizing all their offensive with good rotations and strategies, along with the presence of their AD Carry Ghost, who again with his Tristana, showed up a dominant execution crowned with the first-ever Pentakill in MSI Finals’ history.

With the fourth game being taken by DK after a 29-minute stomp, the game entered unexplored waters since 2015, with a fifth definitive battle to decide it all. Just starting, RNG didn’t show any mercy against the world champions, as they got four kills against zero and the first top lane turret before the 10th minute.

The course of the game continued like that, with RNG always getting the initiative to start the fight, taking some kills along the way and a big advantage from many of the errors by DK.

By the start of the mid-game, the difference between both was so big, the inevitable started to be seen at the horizon as the LCK champions couldn’t stop the RNG pressure from being smashed in every single way possible, and after 27 minutes, the Chinese powerhouse took everything down, getting the last laugh and rising as the MSI 2021 champions.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Thanks to this victory, RNG makes history by tying T1 as the most accolated teams in the MSI winning this tournament twice (first in 2018), while the LPL teams can also celebrate as with this win, the Chinese league will have four guaranteed seeds at Worlds 2021, along with the LCK after being the second best-positioned league in the Power Rankings.

Congratulations to all the LPL and Royal Never Give Up, the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational champions.