The Dive Driven by Kia comes to you straight from Korea as Azael and Kobe break down the MSI Finals! The gaps between regions continue to shrink, with international series becoming more competitive, longer, and filled with players who can go toe-to-toe in lane. The Finals delivered a thrilling back-and-forth battle, and the hosts were still buzzing from the action. With an unexpected ending, this series quickly earned a spot among Azael’s all-time favorites.

Turning the spotlight to LYON, the team has shown exceptional growth over the past few months. While they didn’t get the opportunity to go up against TOP Esports or T1 at MSI, that chance could come sooner rather than later. The Dive hosts are looking forward to watching LYON’s continued development as they fight to qualify for Worlds.

The past few days have been an emotional, adrenaline-filled ride, and The Dive will return ahead of the LCS Summer Split! In the meantime, leave a comment below with predictions or questions for Azael, Kobe, and Meteos to discuss on the next episode! We can’t wait to be back home with our LCS teams. See you there!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro, MSI Finals: BLG vs HLE

7:06 - Drafting at MSI

10:45 - Road to Worlds

20:13 - LYON’s Growth

27:22 - LYON vs HLE

36:47 - LCS is so back!

40:06 - LYON vs G2

*Bracket Stage continues July 8th at 8PM PT with LYON vs TSW, followed by G2 vs T1.

Reporting live from Korea! On this episode of The Dive Driven by Kia, Azael and Kobe break down everything happening at MSI and look ahead to the rest of the tournament.

Our hosts note that, while Pyke may not be a frequent page in LYON’s playbook this split, each game in LYON’s series against BLG remained competitive. When matches come down to clutch moments, they make for some of the most exciting series to spectate. TLAW unfortunately bowed out of MSI, and while T1 definitely taught them some tough lessons, they were still able to put together a dominant series against KC. From there, our hosts shifted their focus to the performances of the other regions, with a particular attention given to Europe.

International experience itself seems to be playing a major role this year, impacting teams from every region. Do those long, rigorous hours competing in front of global audiences against the world’s best truly prepare players for high-pressure moments like these? And can untested rookies make up for that lack of experience and still find success on the international stage?

Looking ahead, only three matches have been decided thus far. First up is TSW vs. LYON, a matchup that could play into LYON’s preferred style (though Pun is looking especially dangerous in the top lane). Next comes G2 vs. T1, where the biggest questions are: Who will rise to the occasion? Which team will adapt its strategies to exploit the other’s weaknesses… if any can be found. Finally, HLE vs. BLG promises to be a fast-paced showdown unlike any other. According to Azael and Kobe, the deciding factor is simple: which talented roster performs better on the day.

To wrap up this episode, our hosts revealed their ideal MSI matchup but tell us in the comments below: what matchup would you like to see before the tournament comes to a close?

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

1:30 - LYON at MSI (so far)

8:40 - Pressure at The Top

15:02 - Play-In Recap (TLAW)

18:24 - Circling Back to LYON

21:59 - TOP Esports

26:29 - Europe’s MSI Showing

31:59 - TSW vs LYON Lookahead

40:32 - G2 vs T1 Lookahead

51:41 - HLE vs BLG Lookahead

Welcome to the MSI Preview presented by The Dive Driven by Kia! If you’ve only been following the LCS so far this year, this episode provides all the background you need as our teams head to Korea and face off against the world’s top talent.

The first game of MSI features TLAW vs T1. T1 has been a consistently dominant force but peak TLAW has pushed them to competitive series in the past. The question is whether TLAW can reach that level once again. Jose, in particular, has been a standout performer this split, but TLAW will need every player firing on all cylinders if they intend to defeat T1 and advance to the bracket stage.

On that note, MSI main-stage brackets have yet to be released. In the meantime, our hosts analyse each region’s no.1 seed. These teams represent the very best their regions have to offer: the sharpest tools in the shed, the brightest bulb on the chandelier, the cream of the crop. The result? Consistently exciting, aggressive, fast-paced, and entertaining matchups between the elite teams. The road ahead will be difficult, but our hosts remain optimistic about LYON’s chances for success.

Azael, Kobe, and Meteos also gave their opinions on the latest and greatest T1 Worlds Skins (and, to quote, “they go hard”). The striking team colors and rich history behind the designs make for detailed and eye-catching skins. Beyond their visual appeal, the skins feature additional sound effects that may just inspire you to play, and win, like T1! As impressive as these fresh skins are, we’re curious about your opinion: do you feel like skins are deviating too far from the original silhouettes of champions? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Dive Driven by Kia! We’ll be back on July 6th to break down all the action and excitement from the first week of MSI. Until then, enjoy the games, and we’ll see you there!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro & T1 Worlds Skins Reactions

8:31 - MSI Play-Ins

10:55 - T1 Analysis

23:11 - TLAW vs T1

33:37 - KC vs DCG

47:51 - BLG Analysis

57:52 - TES Analysis

1:07:35 - HLE Analysis

1:15:07 - G2 Esports Analysis

1:22:19 - LYON Analysis

1:27:18 - TSW Analysis

1:32:44 - FURIA Analysis