Six Teams Vie for MSI 2025 Title as Viewer Numbers Decline

Seoul, South Korea — Six teams remain in contention for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2025 title, with decisive matches scheduled for the final week. Although this year’s tournament is drawing attention, viewership numbers have noticeably dipped compared to last year’s record-breaking figures.

Last weekend, both League of Legends European Championship (LEC) teams were eliminated from the title race. Meanwhile, Last Korean Championship (LCK) representatives showed strength, with Gen.G achieving a hard-fought 3-2 win over Anyone’s Legend. Reigning world champions T1 swiftly defeated Bilibili Gaming 3-0, setting a new peak viewership milestone for the tournament at 1.8 million concurrent viewers.

Despite a steady increase in viewership throughout MSI 2025, overall engagement remains lower than MSI 2024. Average viewership numbers are down by 7 to 8%, while peak viewership has declined by 27%. This decrease is attributed to the absence of popular teams like Team Liquid and Fnatic, which traditionally draw large audiences.

The Spanish-language streams are the notable exception, experiencing growth due to KOI, which has a significant following among Spanish-speaking viewers. The rise is largely attributed to co-owner Ibai Llanos, a top streamer who covered KOI’s campaign extensively. It remains to be seen whether viewership trends will shift as the tournament progresses.

MSI 2025 resumes today with an elimination match featuring two teams, followed by another match on July 8 against North America’s last hope, FlyQuest. The highlight match is set for July 9, where T1 faces Gen.G, creating excitement as it pits reigning MSI champions against reigning Worlds champions. This matchup holds the potential to generate a viewership milestone, especially given the significant support both teams attract from fans.

T1’s performances in the tournament, particularly during high-stakes matches, continue to capture the attention of global audiences, which may influence future viewership numbers as MSI progresses.