MSI 2022: RNG eliminates PSG Talon, to face Evil Geniuses in semifinals
After competing for five days in the Rumble Stage, the Mid-Season Invitational 2022 will enter the Knockout Stage where four teams are set to compete for two spots in the final. The four teams that made it through Rumble Stage are Royal Never Give Up, Evil Geniuses, T1, and G2 Esports.
PSG Talon, the underdog squad that managed to put an end to G2’s flawless run on the third day of the Rumble Stage, was eliminated on the final day by RNG. Talon is joined by Saigon Buffalo on the bottom part of the standings, who experienced difficulties in hitting another win. Talon lost the match against RNG 3-7, while Buffalo had a 2-8 win-loss record.
Eliminating Talon
RNG was a top-performing team in the Rumble Stage. The team is leading the stage’s standings ahead of T1 and G2. The Chinese professional squad is guaranteed to proceed to the semifinals without having to claim victory over Talon on the last day.
RNG’s lineup comprises top laner Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin, jungler Yan “Wei” Yang-Wei, mid laner Li “Xiaohu” Yuan-Hao, bot laner Chen “GALA” Wei, and support Shi “Ming” Sen-Ming.
The team only sustained two defeats in the Rumble Stage. They conceded the first defeat from G2 on Day 1 and managed to return the favor to the Spanish professional squad later on Day 3. RNG’s second and last defeat was from No. 2 T1 on Day 5.
Despite sustaining defeat from T1, there were zero changes in the stage’s standings for RNG and T1. RNG stayed as the No. 1 with T1 failing to take over the position. Likewise, G2 and EG stayed with their Day 4 position. Both teams picked another one point on each win and loss, making their final Rumble Stage record 4-4.
While RNG had a silky and smooth run in the Rumble Stage heading to the semifinals, Buffalo’s 2-8 record was in no way able to lift the team for a spot in the Knockout Stage. That being said, Buffalo successfully pulled out a win from Talon on Day 4 and another one from G2 on the last day. The Vietnamese squad’s hard labor was admirable, to say the least.
The relatively new all-Asian lineup squad Talon has so much to learn after their run in the MSI this year. The team, which was founded in 2018, stepped into the professional esports scene in 2019. Compared to their Chinese professional counterpart RNG, which was founded in 2015, managed to win LPL Spring Playoffs in the following year. The experience gap between RNG and Talon was one of the determining factors behind RNG’s success and Talon’s misfortune.
Four teams in Knockout Stage
RNG will join EG, T1, and G2 in the best-of-five semifinals. The Chinese pro squad is scheduled to take on EG, the best team seeded from North America. On the other side of the bracket, T1 will play G2.
Playing EG should be like walking in the park for RNG. The former was unable to win a single game from RNG in the previous stage. T1 on the other is on equal footing with G2. The South Korean squad won a single game out of their two total encounters.
