MSI Play-Ins day 1 ended with T1 and Karmine Corp both taking 3-0 wins at the Daejeon Convention Center on June 28, setting up a winners' bracket clash between two of the most popular teams in the tournament.
T1 beat Team Liquid Alienware in the opening best-of-five, while Karmine Corp followed with a sweep over Deep Cross Gaming. The results leave T1 vs KC as the headline match on June 29, with TLAW and DCG dropping into an elimination series where one team will leave the Play-In Stage.
MSI Play-Ins day 1 results and next matches
The Play-Ins Stage does not leave much room for recovery. Only one team makes it through to the main Bracket Stage, so June 29 already carries real weight. T1 and KC are fighting for control of the upper bracket, while DCG and TLAW meet with their tournament lives on the line.
| Match | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| T1 vs Team Liquid Alienware | T1 won 3-0 | T1 advance to the winners' bracket match against KC |
| Karmine Corp vs Deep Cross Gaming | KC won 3-0 | KC advance to the winners' bracket match against T1 |
| T1 vs Karmine Corp | June 29 | Winner moves one step from the Bracket Stage |
| Deep Cross Gaming vs Team Liquid Alienware | June 29 | Elimination match for both teams |
The official MSI Play-In bracket lists the stage as ongoing from June into July, while Riot's LoL Esports hub remains the best place to follow the live schedule and broadcast links. Fans tracking predictions can also use LoL Esports Pick'Ems during the event. Read also our Pick'ems guide for better chances at scoring 100% in your Pick'ems.
How T1 secured the victory over TLAW
T1's 3-0 scoreline looked clean, but the series was not simply a stomp from start to finish. T1 won because they repeatedly found better conversion from chaotic fights, trusted their carries in late skirmishes, and controlled enough objectives to force TLAW into uncomfortable engages.
Game 1 was the clearest T1 statement. After a cautious start, T1's bottom-side skirmishing gave them the first real tempo. Keria's Camille support and Peyz's carry pressure turned fights that looked playable for TLAW into trades that favored T1. Once T1 were ahead, their dive threat made every river and jungle contest dangerous.
Game 2 was TLAW's biggest missed opportunity. Team Liquid Alienware found a strong mid-game window, with Quid and CoreJJ helping punish T1's overextensions. TLAW won key fights and briefly looked ready to tie the series, but T1 stayed composed, secured Baron at a crucial moment and later won the decisive dragon fight through better target access and late-fight positioning.
Game 3 swung on early jungle-mid control and Peyz's Zeri. T1 opened with a level-one advantage, stacked dragons, survived the messy mid-game, and then baited Baron at 28 minutes. When TLAW committed, Oner's engage and Peyz's damage ended the contest in seconds.
The full match highlights show how often T1 survived fights that TLAW appeared to start well, especially in Games 2 and 3.
For more tournament coverage, the broader esports section and MSI hub will track the next Play-In results as the bracket narrows.
What went wrong for Team Liquid Alienware
TLAW did create openings, especially in Game 2, but their problem was conversion. They won fights without always turning them into enough map control, and they sometimes spent major cooldowns on T1 carries without finishing the kill.
The biggest issue was how often T1's carries lived through the first engage. When Peyz survived on Kalista or Zeri, TLAW's front-to-back plans fell apart. When Faker or Oner absorbed pressure and still bought time, Team Liquid Alienware were forced into extended fights against a team that looked more comfortable resetting around cooldowns.
TLAW also lost several objective setups despite contesting them. Josedeodo had moments where he challenged well, but Oner repeatedly secured key objectives, and T1's follow-up after those smites was stronger.
Faker reaches 100 MSI wins
Faker added another record to his international career during T1's sweep of Team Liquid Alienware, becoming the first player to reach 100 wins at MSI.
The milestone came in Game 2, which was also T1's hardest game of the series. TLAW had built real momentum through the mid game, but T1 held on long enough to win the final fight and move one game away from the sweep. For Faker, it was another reminder of how long he has remained relevant at the highest level of League of Legends.
The record also adds extra weight to T1's Play-In run. While the team is still trying to qualify for the main Bracket Stage, Faker's 100th MSI win gives their opener a historic note beyond the result itself.
How Karmine Corp beat DCG 3-0
Karmine Corp's sweep over Deep Cross Gaming was built on cleaner mid-game macro, stronger teamfight discipline and a huge carry series from Caliste. KC did not need every early game to be perfect. They needed DCG to give them one mistake near a major objective, and DCG repeatedly did.
Game 1 stayed close for nearly 20 minutes. DCG even found the first blood on Yike and kept the gold difference tight, but the series shifted when DCG started Baron at 24 minutes. KC punished the call immediately after DCG secured the objective, turning the play into a major gold swing and later closing through superior teamfighting.
Game 2 was KC's most dominant win. They punished Shaoyun early, used Yike's ganks to accelerate the map, and took control of both bot lane and neutral objectives. By 16 minutes, KC were far ahead in kills, dragons, Voidgrubs and Herald control. DCG's attempts to collapse on Caliste's Zeri failed, and KC closed the game without needing to force.
Game 3 was DCG's best start. Their Pyke pick helped create early action, and a bottom-lane skirmish briefly gave them control. The problem was that DCG could not hold the advantage. Canna's Renekton and Yike's Wukong took over the top side, KC split the map calmly, and Yike's engage at 24 minutes gave KC Baron and control of the final stretch.
KC's win was not just about mechanics. Their better side-lane pressure repeatedly forced DCG to answer waves before objectives, and their patience stopped DCG from turning scrappy starts into a real series.
The KC vs DCG highlights capture the turning points clearly, especially the Baron punishment in Game 1 and Yike's decisive Wukong engage in Game 3.
What went wrong for Deep Cross Gaming
DCG's main problem was not a lack of aggression. It was the timing and payoff of that aggression. They found early picks, started objective plays and even created a strong Game 3 window, but too many of those moments ended with KC getting the larger reward.
The Game 1 Baron call summed up the series. DCG identified a possible timing, but the exit plan was not clean enough. KC arrived, punished the setup and turned a DCG objective into a KC advantage.
In Game 2, DCG fell behind too quickly for their dives to matter. In Game 3, they finally created pressure, but lost from positions where they needed to slow the game and stack the next objective. Against TLAW, DCG will need cleaner resets after winning fights and more discipline around Baron and dragon entrances.
Who are the MSI Play-Ins teams?
T1 entered the Play-In Stage as South Korea’s LCK representative, with Faker once again at the center of attention. The roster showed what it usually relies on internationally: sharp skirmishing, calm late-game fights, and enough experience to punish even small mistakes. The 3-0 win over TLAW also gave Faker another landmark, as he reached 100 career MSI wins during the series.
Karmine Corp are the France-based LEC team with one of Europe's loudest fanbases. Their Play-In opener showed the same identity that made them dangerous domestically: strong lanes, confident teamfighting and a willingness to use side-lane pressure before forcing objectives.
Team Liquid Alienware represent North America and the Americas scene. Their roster showed enough fight against T1 to make the elimination match competitive, but the series also exposed how punishing international teams can be when TLAW fail to finish a carry or turn a won fight into control.
Deep Cross Gaming are a Taiwan-based LCP side that entered MSI through the regional qualification path. Their best moments against KC came when they played boldly around early skirmishes, but their next match will demand cleaner objective discipline.
T1 vs KC preview and prediction
T1 vs KC is now the biggest match of the MSI Play-Ins. Both teams swept their openers, but they did it in different ways. T1 leaned on clutch fight execution and carry survival through chaos, while KC looked more controlled across lanes and map movement.
The key matchup is likely around jungle tempo and bot-side damage. Oner had a major impact against TLAW, especially in Game 3, but Yike was just as important for KC against DCG. If Yike can attack early lanes and keep Caliste ahead, KC have a real path to pushing T1 deep into the series.
T1 still enter as slight favorites because their late-game decision-making under pressure looked sharper. Game 2 against TLAW was messy, but it also showed why T1 are difficult to put away: they can lose early exchanges, slow the game, and still win one decisive fight around dragon or Baron.
KC's best chance is to avoid giving T1 repeated reset windows. If KC convert early bot pressure into dragons and keep side lanes moving, they can force T1 into the kind of map decisions that made Game 2 against TLAW uncomfortable. A close T1 win looks like the safest call, but KC's sweep over DCG was convincing enough that a 3-1 or 3-2 either way would not be a shock.
DCG vs TLAW prediction
DCG vs TLAW is harder to call because both teams lost 3-0 while still showing playable strengths. TLAW looked better in sustained fights against T1 than the final score suggests, especially in Game 2. DCG showed sharper early initiative in parts of Games 1 and 3 against KC, but their objective decision-making was punished too often.
The likely deciding factor is whether TLAW can turn mid-game leads into actual map control. If Quid and CoreJJ can again create pick angles while Yeon stays safe, TLAW should have enough structure to beat DCG. If DCG force early chaos and TLAW repeat the same overcommitments that hurt them against T1, the series can swing quickly.
Our prediction is TLAW win 3-1 over DCG, with the warning that DCG's aggression makes at least one upset game very realistic. TLAW showed more resilience under pressure on day 1, while DCG's losses were more clearly tied to repeated macro errors around major objectives.
Photos by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Frequently asked questions about MSI Play-Ins day 1
Who won MSI Play-Ins day 1?
T1 beat Team Liquid Alienware 3-0, and Karmine Corp beat Deep Cross Gaming 3-0.
Who plays next in the MSI Play-Ins?
T1 face Karmine Corp in the winners' bracket on June 29. Deep Cross Gaming face Team Liquid Alienware in an elimination match the same day.
How did T1 beat Team Liquid Alienware?
T1 won through better objective control, stronger late-fight execution and decisive carry performances from Peyz, especially when TLAW failed to finish kills after committing major cooldowns.
How did Karmine Corp beat Deep Cross Gaming?
KC punished DCG's Baron and skirmish mistakes, controlled the mid game with cleaner macro, and used strong top-side pressure from Canna and Yike to close the series 3-0.
Who is favored in T1 vs KC?
T1 are slight favorites because of their experience and clutch teamfighting, but KC looked composed enough against DCG to make the series dangerous.
Who is favored in DCG vs TLAW?
TLAW are the safer pick after showing stronger mid-game resistance against T1, but DCG can win if they clean up objective calls and force early fights on their terms.
How many Play-Ins teams advance to the MSI Bracket Stage?
Only one Play-In team advances to the main Bracket Stage, which makes every best-of-five in the lower side of the bracket an elimination threat.
The Play-Ins race tightens on June 29
Day 1 gave the MSI Play-Ins a clear shape: T1 and KC are the early front-runners, while TLAW and DCG must fix their mid-game problems immediately. T1 vs KC should reveal which sweep was more convincing, and DCG vs TLAW will decide which team still has a path toward the Bracket Stage.
More updates, match takeaways and bracket movement will be covered through RiftDaily's news feed as MSI continues.
