LoL MSI 2022 COUNTDOWN: Start Time, Format, Schedule & How to Watch


Professional League of Legends is at its halfway mark which means that all of the top teams of each respective region get to duke it out at the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) in order to crown themselves the best in the world.

That's why we've created a nifty little guide on the tournament's start time, its format, schedule, and how to watch.

LoL MSI 2022 Start Time

Held in Busan, South Korea, MSI 2022 is set to start on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at 4 am EST and will end on Sunday, May 29, 2022.

The tournament will kick off with the VCS' Saigon Buffalo taking on the LCK's T1 as its opening match.

To make sure you don't miss it, follow along with our countdown below!

MSI 2022 Start Time

LoL MSI 2022 Format

MSI 2022 will mirror the format used last year, separating the tournament into three different stages: the Group Stage, the Rumble Stage, and the Knockout Stage.

The Group Stage has two groups of four play in a best-of-one double round-robin, and a group of three play in a quadruple best-of-one round-robin. The top two teams from each group advance.

Taking the winners of the previous stage, the Rumble Stage has the final six remaining teams play in a best-of-one double round-robin, leaving the top four teams to qualify for the final stage.

Lastly, in the Knockout Stage, those four remaining teams play best-of-five matches in the semifinals of the tournament with the two winners qualifying for the finals. Once in the finals, the last two remaining teams battle it out in order to title themselves the best team in the world.

MSI 2022 Groups

Group A

  • DetonatioN FocusMe (LJL)
  • Saigon Buffalo (VCS)
  • T1 (LCK)
  • Team Aze (LLA)

Group B

  • Istanbul Wildcats (TCL)
  • PSG Talon (PCS)
  • Red Canids (CBLOL)
  • Royal Never Give Up (LPL)

Group C

  • Evil Geniuses (LCS)
  • G2 Esports (LEC)
  • ORDER (OCE)

LoL MSI 2022 Schedule

With three total stages for teams to go through, MSI 2022 will span nearly a month of League of Legends play.

Here's what the schedule looks like.

Group Stage

The Group Stage will begin on Tuesday, May 10, and end on Sunday, May 15.

Day 1 - May 10 (Tuesday)

Group
Match
Time (ET)
Group A
Saigon Buffalo vs T1
4:00 am
Group A
DetonatioN FocusMe vs Aze
5:00 am
Group C
ORDER vs G2 Esports
6:00 am
Group C
Evil Geniuses vs G2 Esports
7:00 am
Group B
Istanbul Wildcats vs RNG
8:00 am
Group B
RED Canids vs PSG Talon
9:00 am

Day 2 - May 11 (Wednesday)

Group
Match
Time (ET)
Group C
Evil Geniuses vs G2 Esports
4:00 am
Group C
ORDER vs Evil Geniuses
5:00 am
Group A
DetonatioN FocusMe vs Saigon Buffalo
6:00 am
Group A
Aze vs T1
7:00 am
Group B
RED Canids vs Istanbul Wildcats
8:00 am
Group B
PSG Talon vs RNG
9:00 am

Day 3 - May 12 (Thursday)

Group
Match
Time (ET)
Group C
ORDER vs Evil Geniuses
4:00 am
Group C
ORDER vs G2 Esports
5:00 am
Group B
Istanbul Wildcats vs PSG Talon
6:00 am
Group B
RED Canids vs RNG
7:00 am
Group A
Aze vs Saigon Buffalo
8:00 am
Group A
DetonatioN FocusMe vs T1
9:00 am

Day 4 - May 13 (Friday)

Group
Match
Time (ET)
Group B
RED Canids vs PSG Talon
4:00 am
Group B
Istanbul Wildcats vs RNG
5:00 am
Group B
Istanbul Wildcats vs PSG Talon
6:00 am
Group B
RED Canids vs RNG
7:00 am
Group B
RED Canids vs Istanbul Wildcats
8:00 am
Group B
PSG Talon vs RNG
9:00 am

Day 5 - May 14 (Saturday)

Group
Match
Time (ET)
Group C
Evil Geniuses vs G2 Esports
4:00 am
Group C
ORDER vs Evil Geniuses
5:00 am
Group C
ORDER vs G2 Esports
6:00 am
Group C
Evil Geniuses vs G2 Esports
7:00 am
Group C
ORDER vs Evil Geniuses
8:00 am
Group C
ORDER vs G2 Esports
9:00 am

Day 6 - May 15 (Sunday)

Group
Match
Time (ET)
Group A
Aze vs Saigon Buffalo
4:00 am
Group A
DetonatioN FocusMe vs T1
5:00 am
Group A
DetonatioN FocusMe vs Saigon Buffalo
6:00 am
Group A
Aze vs T1
7:00 am
Group A
DetonatioN FocusMe vs Aze
8:00 am
Group A
Saigon Buffalo vs T1
9:00 am

Rumble and Knockout Stages

The Rumble Stage begins on Friday, May 20, and ends on Tuesday, May 24 while the Knockout Stage starts on Friday, May 27, and the tournament ends with the Finals on Sunday, May 29.

The schedule for both of these Stages is TBD.

How to Watch MSI 2022

League of Legends fans across the world will be able to watch MSI 2022 on the official lolesports website, as well the official Twitch and YouTube channels live as the games happen.

With international play on the menu, expect to see plenty of representation for all of the competition's regions and some fun banter in the chat along the way.

For more articles like this, take a look at our League Of Legends and More page.