This past week, China played host to one of, if not the most successful group stages ever played at an international tournament; safe to say it was successful both in terms of entertainment and level of play. The rarity of this combo in recent League of Legends competition exemplifies the quality of this group stage. Indeed, the enthralling display of unpredictability and perhaps underestimated skill from many of the teams have set up an incredible scenario as we prepare for the semi-finals.

First and foremost, kudos must go to Riot Games for improving the format to a double round-robin, as well as extending the tournament duration. The changes have been huge, complementing the seemingly endless supply of talent that has entertained us over the last seven days. Not only did they improve the entertainment aspect of the tournament, but they have also improved the legitimacy of the tournament.

For example, given their score after the first round, it was feasible that under the old system SKT would have been knocked out. However, we saw what the double round-robin is intended to do -- it is intended to allow a good team to recuperate from mistakes early in the tournament, and help each team finish closer to their ‘true’ placing. In this instance, we saw G2 struggle for the entire tournament while CLG proved they are a legitimately world class team without any doubt, which for most pundits, is a first in the League of Legends scene.

Please note that these ratings are relative, and are based on performance and form at the tournament keeping in consideration their home region and average level of play, as well as the realistic expectations placed on each team.

Royal Never Give Up (8 wins, 2 losses)

Rating 8.5/10

Echoes from last year come to mind with China once again producing a dominant team for MSI. SKT, the supposed favourite for the tournament, don’t just look vulnerable -- at times they look awful. RNG have capitalised well on this and have convincingly dominated the group stage, though that isn’t to say they’re lacking competition. Flash Wolves and Counter Logic Gaming both are a threat to the Chinese team, and after losing four games in a row after day three, SKT are proving to be a threat once again, having found some form with a score of 3-1 in the last two days, including a victory over RNG.

If the aforementioned match was any indicator, we can look forward to an incredible semi-final that probably deserves to be a final. At least for now, China seem to have the upper hand in their fierce rivalry with Korea, as this new iteration of Royal seeks to make their mark on the international scene.

Counter Logic Gaming (7 wins, 3 losses)

Rating 9/10

Few would claim to possess the foresight necessary to predict how dominant CLG would be in the group stage. The champions of North America are arguably the favourite heading into their semi-final vs. Flash Wolves, whom they defeated in both of their group stage clashes.

It’s a rare sight to see North American teams escaping the group stages of an international tournament, with constant promise of improvement always resulting in disappointment and embarrassment. This, however, would appear to be the redemption of North America -- and for the good of League of Legends, it would appear they’ve finally arrived.

The team itself is a superb example of experience nurturing young talent, which is something that few western teams have succeeded in. Reviewing the team dynamic and how it functions shows not only an excellent player roster, but also an improved infrastructure and mentality behind the players. With a taste of international success and best-of-three, a significantly improved format, waiting right around the corner, CLG is at the forefront of North American teams waiting to prove themselves -- and they finally have their opportunity.

Flash Wolves (6 wins, 4 losses)

Rating 7.5/10

Unlike their North American opponents, the Wolves have already proven themselves in international play. We have become accustomed to witnessing the talents of the best Taiwanese teams competing at an international level, and this tournament has been no different. In some regards, this tournament has been par for the course with a third place in the group stage, some impressive play and some questionable antics on the Rift. On the other hand, their high points have been phenomenal, SwordArt has once again proven he is one of the best supports in the world, and their play was emphasized by a two-nil clean victory over SKT.

In fact, they have won a game against every opponent except for CLG and RNG. It then stands to reason that the representatives of Taiwan face their biggest hurdle thus far, though the reward should be motivation enough: they’re one series away from another final berth for their region. However, this new, dominant CLG is not to be taken lightly. Flash Wolves will need to take advantage of CLG’s lack of experience playing in a series format, and adapt in order to survive.

Despite the growing power of SKT to the end of the group stage and the apparent strength of RNG and CLG, the Wolves have the ideal opponent. If anyone can fall prey to this hungry pack, it’s CLG.

SK Telecom T1 (6 wins, 4 losses)

Rating 5.5/10

At times, SKT played the poorest League of Legends that they have ever displayed on the Rift. For reasons unknown, their initial games were a disaster, culminating in four losses in a row -- something that hasn’t happened to the World Champions in years.

While they had an appalling first half of the group phase, they collected themselves extremely well and fought with gusto, scraping together wins in order to qualify for the semi-finals. The second half of their group stage was truly a performance worthy of champions. Their wins were by no means convincing, leaving a large question mark hovering over the team. Given how well we expected them to perform, their tournament thus far can only be surmised as a disappointment.

Although they managed to stay in the tournament and they still pose a threat, their rating is hampered by their messy wins and the awful first leg of the tournament. Hopefully they play up to their usual standard, because witnessing an SKT at their best would be the perfect treat to end the tournament.

G2 Esports (2 wins, 8 losses)

Rating 2.5/10

This tournament for G2 has been an absolute disaster. In fact, it wouldn’t be out of place calling them the disappointment of the tournament. Their form in the EU LCS finals was spectacular, and many had hoped to see that same high level of play from another European team on the international stage, as we had come to expect. It would seem the roles of NA and EU have reversed for this tournament, with G2 taking North America’s place as the joke of the tournament, receiving a large amount of ridicule for their pre-tournament vacation and subsequent lack of preparation.

Whether just or not, G2 responded to the claims with a written explanation and have shown to be distracted throughout the tournament. Not many organisations would concern themselves with public opinion whilst participating in a tournament. Regardless, G2’s journey is over and what’s done is done. Time will tell if the European faithful forgive their representatives when domestic play returns, but G2 probably don’t have much to worry about. We’ve seen time and again that LCS fanbases collectively have a short and selective memory when witnessing a team of theirs playing well.

SuperMassive eSports (1 win, 9 losses)

Rating 4/10

Though most Wildcard teams enter a tournament optimistic, few actually produce a result. Not only did SuperMassive produce a result, they won against CLG, the champion of North America and one of the most dominant teams so far at this tournament. In fact, it was SuperMassive’s victory over CLG that denied them a shot at first place in the group stage.

Despite being so outclassed by all of their opponents, it’s worth noting that relative to other Wildcard representatives in the past they actually had a good tournament. They were playing to learn and through the freedom of expectation, even picked up a memorable win. Hopefully, SuperMassive improves through this experience and will earn the right to represent Turkey again. For all of the Wildcard representatives we’ve had, SuperMassive seemed the most like they belonged there.

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