G2, Bilibili open LoL MSI play-in with wins

G2 Esports and Bilibili Gaming recorded victories on Friday as the play-in stage of the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational got underway in Vancouver.

The $2 million event features two teams from each League of Legends region -- China, Korea, Pacific, the Americas and Europe-Middle East-Africa.

Gen.G Esports, T1, Anyone's Legend, CTBC Flying Oyster, FlyQuest and KOI were seeded directly into the bracket stage.

The other four teams -- Bilibili Gaming, FURIA, G2 Esports and GAM Esports -- are battling in the play-in stage for the final two bracket-stage berths.

All matches in the play-in and the double-elimination bracket stage are best-of-five. The winner of the grand final on July 12 will earn $500,000 and a spot in the $5 million League of Legends World Championship, to be played this fall in China.

On Friday, G2 Esports edged FURIA 3-2, while Bilibili Gaming trounced GAM Esports 3-0.

FURIA opened with a 28-minute win on blue before G2 earned a 35-minute victory on blue and a 37-minute win on red. FURIA's 31-minute triumph on red pushed the match to the limit before G2 prevailed in 30 minutes on blue.

Bilibili downed GAM in 29 minutes on blue and 31 minutes on red.

On Saturday, G2 Esports will oppose Bilibili Gaming with a bracket-stage berth on the line. The loser of that match will face the winner of the FURIA-GAM Esports contest for the last bracket-stage slot.

League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational prize pool

1. $500,000, berth in League of Legends World Championship

2. $300,000

3. $240,000

4. $200,000

5-6. $160,000

7-8. $130,000

9. $100,000

10. $80,000

--Field Level Media