After winning the Vietnam Championship Series (VCS), GAM Esports will not be participating in the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions.
The Vietnamese team finished the Spring Split with a 13-1 record. Unfortunately, they will be unable to showcase the capabilities of their region on an international stage. GAM Esports were in Group A alongside LPL, LCL and LCO representatives. So 11 teams will now travel to Reykjavik, Iceland to compete at MSI, which begins on May 6.
MSI to go on as planned without VCS Team
In an official statement, Riot Games stated that they considered several solutions to allow the VCS team to participate in the MSI. While GAM Esports would not represent Vietnam at the MSI, they would still receive a full share of the prize pool. Riot made it clear that their reward would remain the same.
Furthermore, aside from the compensation, no other team or region will replace GAM Esports. The format of MSI will continue as planned. This means that there are now only three teams in Group A, instead of four. And, just like the other groups, only two teams will qualify for the next stage of the competition. So, while Group A will have fewer matches, there will be no changes to the number of qualifying teams. Groups B and C will remain the same.
The inability of VCS to participate in the first League international tournament of the year is a huge blow for the region. However, there is still the League of Legends World Championship to qualify for. Although it’s disappointing that GAM Esports will not be able to compete in MSI, Riot remains committed to putting on a safe and impressive experience for all involved.
