After over two weeks of intense matches and unexpected clutches, the 2025 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) came to a conclusion with a clash between two long-time rivals: defending MSI champion Gen.G and back-to-back World Champions T1.
A clash between rivals
These MSI Grand Finals weren’t the first time Gen.G and T1 faced off. The two teams are long-standing rivals from the LCK, and among the best League of Legends teams in the world.
Since acquiring mid-laner Chovy in 2023, Gen.G has dominated the LCK, cruising through domestic competition and claiming the MSI 2024 title. T1, meanwhile, is home to one of the greatest players in League of Legends history: Faker. The team made history by winning back-to-back World Championships in 2023 and 2024, cementing their legacy as the most successful organization in Worlds history.
Gen.G and T1 had already met in the MSI 2025 Upper Bracket Final. Gen.G defeated T1 in a 3-2 thriller, thanks in part to a clutch dragon steal by Ruler. That loss sent T1 to the Lower Bracket, where they defeated LPL champions Anyone’s Legend 3-2. This set up a rematch: Gen.G vs. T1, all over again, for the MSI trophy.
MSI 2025 Grand Finals match recap
Just like their match in the Upper Bracket, Gen.G and T1 delivered an intense back-and-forth series where it was impossible to tell who would come out on top until the fifth and final game.
In the first game, T1 seemed ready to end their eight-year-long drought without an MSI win. Faker carried the team on Orianna, ending the game 7/0/10 and sealing the win for T1 in 34 minutes. Nothing seemed to be able to stop T1 from getting their revenge on Gen.G, but their rivals didn’t give up the fight so easily.
Gen.G quickly answered in Game 2, opting for a scaling comp: Kiin pushed against T1 with Sion, Canyon was on Vi, Duro picked Nautilus, Ruler played Senna, while Chovy dominated mid-lane with Ryze. T1 didn’t manage to stop Gen.G, ending Game 2 with 1-1 on the scoreboard.
T1 took control back in Game 3, securing a massive gold lead with Keria on Renata Glasc and Oner on Nocturne pushing against Gen.G. Gumayusi’s Caitlyn followed up with an impressive quadra kill, ending the game in 27 minutes and giving T1 a 2-1 edge over their opponents.
In the fourth game, Gumayusi’s Jinx was doing its best to defeat Gen.G, but Ruler’s Zeri and Chovy’s Viktor seemed unstoppable. Gen.G won a crucial Baron fight and aced T1, tying the series 2-2 in 26 minutes and leading the Grand Finals into a fifth match.
In the final game, Gen.G came out strong early: Ruler on Miss Fortune got a double-kill at level 1, and Canyon on Nidalee began dominating the jungle. Gen.G secured both the first and second Dragons, snowballing their lead. In the final fights, T1’s Guma was caught out in a 4v2 dive and Gen.G took Baron. With that advantage, Gen.G pushed into the base and destroyed T1’s Nexus, clinching the series 3-2 and earning their second straight MSI championship.
Gen.G are back-to-back MSI champions
With their 3-2 victory, Gen.G claimed the MSI 2025 title, securing back-to-back championships at the Mid-Season Invitational. The win also extended Gen.G’s impressive 23-series unbeaten streak across all competitions in 2025. Chovy was named MSI Finals MVP, thanks to his dominance with picks like Orianna and Ryze.
Next up for both teams are the LCK Summer Split and, ultimately, the path to the World Championship. T1 will have to defend their title against a seemingly unstoppable Gen.G, leading to another anticipated face-off between Faker and Chovy.
