MSI 2022 Semifinal Preview: T1 vs G2 Esports, RNG vs Evil Geniuses

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MSI 2022 semifinal matchups have been determined after the defending champion, Royal Never Give Up, picked Evil Geniuses as their opponent to escape from the most unpredictable team in the world, G2 Esports. T1, on the other hand, will have a chance to take their revenge on G2, as the European representative dismantled them at the 2019 MSI semifinals. It is clear that G2 are used to playing against Korean teams, and they can easily adapt their game plan based on scaling in the late stage of the matches. Both semifinal series promise many jaw-dropping moments as they have game maker players who can change the course of the game on their own. Royal Never Give Up will face off against Evil Geniuses on May 27, while T1 will take on G2 Esports on the following day.

T1 vs G2 Esports

There is a sweet animosity between T1 and G2 stemming from their clash at the 2019 MSI semifinals, where the EU champion took down SK Telecom 3-2 in an intense series. Since then, SKT rebranded as T1, and the legendary organization revamped its starting roster around Faker. Finally, the long-awaited championship has arrived, and T1 participated in an international tournament as the favorite after two years. The rumble stage did not start well for them, and losing to G2 and RNG put T1 behind in the standings. On the flip side, G2 kicked off the second phase with four consecutive wins, but their performance significantly decreased before the semifinals began. G2 lost five of their last seven games besides their leadership seat. Both teams could not find their best form at the end of the rumble stage.

T1 can be expected to be one step forward, considering G2’s recent performance. Keria will likely be the key player of the series because he is the only one who can find extras that bring numerous advantages to T1. However, G2 can always surprise T1 with their unique drafts and fast-paced mid-game strategy.

RNG vs Evil Geniuses

Fans might think this series will be one-sided, but Evil Geniuses has greatly increased their performance throughout the rumble stage. Besides that, RNG are not solid as they were in 2021 when Xiaohu was considered one of the best top laners in the world. The Chinese juggernaut added Bin to their starting roster while Xiaohu returned to his original position. Group stage matches were not a real exam for them. In the rumble stage, RNG made difference by not allowing any surprise against weaker teams. They defeated Evil Geniuses in both matches, but it does not mean the same scenario will happen again. Evil Geniuses will probably steal one or two-game from RNG in bo5 led by their veteran superstars, Impact and Vulcan.

Berat Ozkan
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