MSI Rumble Stage is over and it’s now time for the Semifinals! RNG and EG will face off in the first series.
Can EG force an upset? – We break it all down.
Following the end of the Rumble Stage, the top 4 teams at MSI have been finalized. On Friday, the LPL representative RNG will go up against the LCS team Evil Geniuses to see who will advance to the finals. Let’s start up by going over both teams and their current event form.
Royal Never Give Up has dominated the majority of the Rumble Stage, only losing their first battle with G2 Esports. Aside from that, they have shown great adaptability and overall insane consistency. Whatever role you’re looking at, RNG can rely on top-tier players, making them the potential favorites for the tournament.
GALA and Ming have proved themselves as the best bot lane, especially considering T1’s Gumayusi slump. Xiaohu might not be the best mechanical player, but his leadership and experience are what make him unique. Wei and Bin are also playing well, despite having some ups and downs during certain games.
RNG have found their own playstyle within the meta of the Rumble Stage and it seems like other teams have been copying them. Carry top and jng, with utility bot and an assassin in the mid lane. China has always been known for having great mechanical top laners so it isn’t a surprise to see them at the number 1 spot with the current patch. We’ll see whether they can bring out new stuff, but I don’t think it will be necessary against EG.
Speaking of EG, their performance has been around the expectations but still on the positive side. Their identity also fits within the current meta, thanks to Inspired covering a crucial role within the team. Impact has impressed, too: for someone who has always been known to be a weakside player, his performance hasn’t been bad on carry champions.
With that being said, EG is still a tier below other teams, especially when it comes to macro execution. You can clearly see that during their games. What’s great about this, though, is that they have the potential to learn a lot from the best teams in the world and there were improvements already in the Rumble Stage. It might not be enough, but this is a golden chance to think out of the box and risk stuff, both in-game and during the draft.
What’s another upset?
Unfortunately for EG, I don’t see them ever winning against such a dominating RNG. Whether it’s from the individual players or the macro, the Chinese team is a tier above them. I hope that the NA team can resist and fight back as much as possible, but there’s a big chance for a quick 3-0. Nonetheless, I expect the first game, which usually drives momentum, to be slightly longer in terms of game time. After those, games will get faster (consider going under with game duration). Below, as usual, you can find the best odds for the series:
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