RNG defeat T1 to win 2022 Mid-Season Invitational and third MSI title

A clash of titans was the only appropriate way to describe Royal Never Give Up and T1’s matchup in the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) final.

In a striking five-game set, Royal Never Give Up and T1 battled valiantly as both teams vied for their third MSI title, a feat that would set the victor apart as the winningest team since Riot Games first launched the tournament in 2015. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and T1 pushed Royal Never Give Up to the limit in hopes of claiming their first international tournament win since 2017, but the defending MSI champions edged out the South Korean side to become not only the 2022 MSI champion but also the new favorite to win the 2022 League of Legends World Championship later this year.

Xiaohu overcomes Faker and T1

Photo credit: Riot Games

Since the beginning of MSI 2022, T1 were anointed as overwhelming favorites to dominate the competition and tournament after a perfect domestic season in League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). Many championed this tournament as Faker’s chance to notch his first title win since MSI 2017 -- and it looked likely even after a shaky rumble stage -- but mid laner Li “Xiaohu” Yuan-Hao and Royal Never Give Up had other ideas.

RNG started the series strong with a one-sided victory that largely centered around star top laner Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin's 13-kill Gwen, but it wouldn’t have been as decisive without Xiaohu’s immaculate roam timing and teamfight control on The Colossus, Galio. That set the tone for the series as Xiaohu continued to control the mid lane alongside Royal Never Give Up’s star jungler Yan “Wei” Yang-Wei on The Ice Witch, Lissandra. Xiaohu has struggled against Faker in the past, but he matched the Unkillable Demon King blow for blow in a full five-game series, marking an important accomplishment for both him and his team.

“I believe that it was the first time that RNG were able to get the win against T1 in best-of-five so I believe that it is a very meaningful and historic moment,” Xiaohu said in a postmatch interview on broadcast.

Xiaohu was asked how he personally felt becoming one of the first players to win three MSI titles alongside Royal Never Give Up support Shi “Ming” Sen-Ming, but similar to his playstyle, his team came first.

Wei named series MVP after dominating opposition

Photo credit: Riot Games

As Royal Never Give Up seized control of the final game of the series, shoutcaster Isaac “Azael” Cummings-Bentley remarked how the biggest difference between the two teams was none other than Wei. T1 jungler Moon “Oner” Hyeon-joon performed well, but whenever it came down to the most crucial moments, Wei always made the difference in a way that seemingly only he could. With Xiaohu on the top of his game, that only made it easier for Wei to have one of the best series of his career.

Wei amassed an overall scoreline of 16/7/24, good for a strong KDA (kill, death, assist) ratio of 5.7 -- especially at the jungle position, where flinging yourself at the opponent to make space for your allies is fairly common. Most impressively, Wei really came down on T1 with Viego, notching himself eight kills en route to a 29-minute victory in Game 3. It’s uncommon for junglers to have high kill games at the highest level -- especially in a series as tense as this one -- but Wei showed no fear as he consistently marched into T1’s jungle and asserted his dominance as one of the best junglers in the world.

Royal Never Give Up are ready to rule the world

RNG won their first MSI title in 2018. Since then, Royal Never Give Up have continued to perform as one of the best teams in the world, now with back-to-back MSI titles in 2021 and ‘22. There have been, however, some bumps in the road. Whether it was G2 Esports knocking them out of the quarterfinals at the 2018 world championship or T1 knocking them out of the group stage at the 2019 world championship, it felt like the team would always come up a bit short, especially at Worlds.

On Sunday, though, RNG defeated their demons after winning their first-ever best-of-five against T1 -- who they were winless against in three prior best-of-fives, one of those being the MSI 2016 final. More importantly, their wins were dominant and showcased a level of teamwork that was exciting for any longtime LPL fan. Long gone are the days of “Chinese aggression;” Royal Never Give Up are a team all their own and look like they can beat anyone.

Royal Never Give Up’s macro game, starpower and superb mid-game teamfighting led them to their third MSI title, and they stand alone as the best team in MSI history. Following their performance, many will point to Royal Never Give Up as favorites to win the LPL summer split and subsequently Worlds. Until then, though, they’re the champions of the world and will enjoy what little rest they can get before embarking on another championship run.

Lead photo credit: Riot Games