The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) announced on the 18th that it is officially calling for host city bids for the '2026 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (2026 MSI)', set to take place next June in partnership with Riot Games.

The MSI, established in 2015, is a major annual international League of Legends tournament held every June. At the 2025 MSI held in Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday the 13th, LCK's Gen.G Esports secured the championship, marking their second consecutive title. The winning team is granted a spot in the World Championship held this October.

Riot Games officially announced in January that South Korea would host the 2026 MSI. Since 2022, KeSPA has collaborated with local governments to host LCK finals in Gangneung, Daejeon, and Gyeongju, and the LCK MSI qualifiers in Busan. The 2026 MSI will be the first MSI held in Korea in four years since the 2022 Busan event, and it is expected to attract approximately 50,000 spectators, offering the host city an opportunity to promote local culture and stimulate the economy.

Local governments interested in hosting the 2026 MSI must submit a letter of intent and a confidentiality agreement via email (msi-hostcity@e-sports.or.kr) by Friday, August 1st. It is also possible to bid for the 'LCK Road to MSI', the domestic tournament to select teams for the MSI. KeSPA will review the proposals submitted by interested local governments and plans to finalize the host city by the end of this year. Further details can be found on the Korea e-Sports Association website.