They say Korea is the 'land of top laners' for a reason, and frankly, the reputation holds up. This was proven once again at the recent MSI. As the bracket stage kicked off in early July, both LCK representatives, Gen.G and T1, advanced to the upper rounds, setting the stage for a showdown for a direct ticket to the finals. It is safe to say Korea has already secured at least one spot in this year's MSI grand final.

The top lane was where the real fireworks happened during these matches. Gen.G's 'Kiin' Kim Gi-in was an absolute force against China's first seed, Anyone's Legend (AL), dominating the lane, team fights, and macro play alike. Kiin even pulled off a few super plays, rightfully earning the POG (Player of the Game) title. T1's 'Doran' Choi Hyeon-jun also turned heads; despite the team struggling against CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO), Choi Hyeon-jun fought tooth and nail. Even better, in the following match against Bilibili Gaming (BLG), Choi Hyeon-jun completely dominated 'Bin', a player long considered a formidable nemesis.