A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home. Jordan Woodruff Gen.G Esports dropped the first map before storming to a 3-1 win over G2 Esports as the bracket stage of the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational got underway on Tuesday in Vancouver.
The $2 million event began with two teams from each League of Legends region: China, Korea, Pacific, the Americas and Europe-Middle East-Africa.
Gen.G Esports, T1, Anyone’s Legend, CTBC Flying Oyster, FlyQuest and KOI were seeded directly into the bracket stage. The other four teams — Bilibili Gaming, FURIA, G2 Esports and GAM Esports — battled in the play-in stage for the final two bracket-stage berths that went to Bilibili and G2.
All matches in the play-in and the double-elimination bracket stage are best-of-five. The winner of the grand final next Saturday, July 12, will earn $500,000 and a spot in the $5 million League of Legends World Championship, to be played this fall in China.
On Tuesday, G2 opened with a 32-minute win on red. Gen.G responded with a 32-minute victory on blue, a 27-minute triumph on red and a 31-minute win on blue.
South Korea’s Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk recorded a 26/8/17 kill-death-assist ratio for Gen.G Esports. Germany’s Sergen “BrokenBlade” Celik finished at 12/9/22 for G2 Esports.
Next up for Gen.G will be a matchup against the winner of Wednesday’s contest between Anyone’s Legend and FlyQuest.
The final two opening-round matches are scheduled Thursday, with CTBC Flying Oyster set to oppose T1 and KOI ready to face Bilibili Gaming.
League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational prize pool:
1. $500,000, berth in League of Legends World Championship
2. $300,000
3. $240,000
4. $200,000
5-6. $160,000
7-8. $130,000
9. $100,000
10. $80,000
–Field Level Media
