LOL: I love sharp reviews and have become a professional expert

The qualifying stage will be fiercely contested, with the three teams that emerge victorious advancing to the group stage.

It is worth noting that only three teams do not need to participate in the play-in stage: EDG from the LPL region, SKT from the LCK region, and G2 from the EU region.

This means that even the champions of this year's North American LCS Spring Split, or the Flash Wolves who have appeared on the world stage multiple times, must compete in the Play-In Stage.

EDG pays particular attention to these teams with a glorious past.

Although the number of participating teams in the MSI tournament is limited, those that make it into the competition are all top teams from their respective regions.

While the championship title of this tournament is not as prestigious as the World Championship, the entry requirements are higher, since only one team from each region can qualify.

The EDG team stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for a total of four days.

Only after the play-in stage was over did the entire EDG team head to their temporary base in Hanoi to begin their intensive pre-match training.

Overall, EDG has a relatively ample schedule. The Play-In Group Stage concludes on May 4th, the Play-In Knockout Stage begins on May 7th, and the first day of the Group Stage is on May 10th.

According to the schedule, EDG will play on the first day of the group stage.

Their opponent will be one of the three teams that successfully advanced from the qualifying rounds.

So far, two teams have successfully emerged from the play-in stage: Flash Wolves and Team Liquid.

The Flash Wolves team has maintained a stable performance in the competition and is often able to easily win against slightly weaker opponents.

Team Liquid (TL) also performed exceptionally well, proving their strength should not be underestimated.

Su Mu believes that the Vietnamese PVB team has a good chance of winning the match in the knockout stage.

As Su Mu predicted, the Vietnamese PVB team performed exceptionally well in the B05 match, easily defeating their opponents with a score of 3-0 and advancing smoothly into the group stage.

In the group stage, there was no grouping. Each participating team had to play against every other team twice, which means that each team had to play 10 best-of-one matches.

……

Finally, amidst the eager anticipation of countless people, May 10th arrived quietly!

The location is Hanoi, Vietnam, at the renowned National Convention Center.

This place holds memories of numerous major events in the political, cultural, and scientific fields, and has witnessed countless important moments.

At 10 a.m., the area around this giant arena was already packed with countless spectators who came to watch the league games, creating a scene of immense crowds.

The dense crowd, like a tidal wave, packed the area around the venue, with everyone's face beaming with anticipation and excitement.

Time slowly passed, and it was 11 a.m.

As the venue opened ahead of schedule, spectators carrying various carefully crafted support items began to enter in an orderly fashion, like a tide rushing through a sluice gate.

At the same time, online live streaming channels for each competition area were also launched, instantly drawing the attention of countless viewers.

In the official live stream room, the barrage of comments on the public screen instantly became dense, falling like snowflakes.

"Here we go! Here we go!"

"Is there an EDG match today? Is there an EDG match today?!"

"Upstairs, I know you're anxious, but don't rush, the first match today is EDG."

Just as the live chat was flooded with comments, the EDG players, who had already finished their makeup, were sitting in their respective seats in the backstage lounge of the venue.

"Tsk tsk, the first game is us against G2, the official knows how to generate traffic," Flandre casually remarked, lounging comfortably in his chair with his legs crossed.

His expression seemed to convey both a sense of joking about the match and a relaxed confidence.

On the sofa next to them, Jiejie curled her lip and said dismissively, "It's already good enough that they didn't let us play against SKT directly."

If we're talking about explosive viewership, then it's definitely about starting with the most talked-about matchup, like playing a royal flush. Letting them play G2 now, at best, they're just getting four twos, right?

It seems that the organizers not only know how to create buzz and trending topics, but also seem to have a strategic approach to scheduling the matches.

As the team members chatted casually, time slipped away silently.

Before we knew it, it was 11:30 a.m.!

thump -- thump -- thump --

Accompanied by a burst of strong and rhythmic drumbeats, the sound reverberated throughout the entire venue.

In the main arena, a Vietnamese host in a sharp suit strode confidently onto the stage and shouted in the local language with great enthusiasm: "Welcome to Vietnam!! Welcome to all the audience members here!!"

"Ohhhhhhh!!"

Offstage, many spectators were already impatient and shouted excitedly, their expressions as if their long-suppressed enthusiasm had been ignited in an instant.

These audience members came from all over the world and spoke different languages, but that did not stop them from excitedly screaming together.

After all, what you want from watching a game live is that kind of enthusiastic and passionate atmosphere, that feeling of spectators from different places getting excited over the same event – ​​it's wonderful.

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the LPL official commentary booth.

"Hello everyone! The group stage of the 2019 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational is about to begin! We are at the National Convention Center in Vietnam!"

"I'm Guan Zeyuan, your commentator for this match!"

"I'm the commentator, remember?"

"Hello everyone, I'm a new commentator, Tongxi~"

The three of them smiled and waved warmly at the camera, looking energetic and in excellent condition.

Especially Tong Xi, perhaps because it was her first time on such a world-class stage, as a newcomer, her expression still carried an uncontrollable excitement.

It's important to know that while MSI may be slightly less influential than the World Championship, it is still a world-class tournament that attracts global attention!

For a new commentator, it's perfectly understandable to be excited to be able to step onto such a stage.

time flies.

The three chatted and laughed in a relaxed and pleasant manner, and only a few minutes passed quietly.

At this moment, Guan Zeyuan subconsciously reached out and touched his headset, then suddenly raised his head, his expression becoming serious and solemn, and said in an impassioned tone: "Okay, then let's join together to welcome the grand arrival of this year's MSI!"

Before anyone knew it, the host had quietly left the stage without making a sound.

At the same time, the lights in the venue gradually went out, as if slowly dimmed by an invisible hand, and the originally bright venue was gradually shrouded in darkness.

Finally, only the golden, hazy spotlights remained, shining like beams of hope on the main stage, illuminating the entire space.

On the big screen, a huge number—60—appeared prominently before the audience.

Then, the numbers started jumping: 59, 58, 57... Clearly, this was the countdown to the opening ceremony!

At the same time, the background music that was playing in the venue suddenly stopped, and the entire venue fell silent instantly. Everything seemed so quiet, like the suffocating calm before a storm, making everyone present feel an invisible tension and anticipation.

at last.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, the number slowly reached 0!