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League of Legends is a team game that requires an equal contribution from every player to achieve victory. However, certain players often make decisions and go for plays that become decisive factors within a match.
Going for these plays requires a lot of knowledge about the game and also a deep understanding of the champion's limits. As such, with the MSI 2022 coming up very soon, it is vital to look at seven such players who have the capability to make such a difference within their games.
Professional matches are a lot different when compared to solo-queue games. The stakes in these games are way higher and a single mistake can lead to a loss. Thus, players who hold the capability to make individual plays in professional games are often held in the highest regard amongst the fan base.
Note: This article is based on the opinions of the author.
Top 7 players that fans should keep an eye out for at League of Legends Mid Season Invitational (MSI) 2022
7) Gala
RNG's (Royal Never Give Up) botlaner Gala is the first player that every fan should keep an eye out for at MSI 2022. There is no-doubt about the fact that Gala is quite experienced when it comes to winning international tournaments in League of Legends.
He has been with RNG since 2020 and has multiple accolades to his name, including LPL Spring titles and the MSI 2021 title. His mechanical skills and his ability to carry games is unmatched.
During RNG's successful run at League of Legends LPL 2022 Spring Split, Gala was one of the players who made a lot of difference. He would always carry the game when everything fell apart, and in the finals against Top Esports at the LPL, he was one of the key factors that helped RNG clinch victory.
Gala's Aphelios is quite scary and is often targeted by opponents, getting banned in the champion selection phase in professional games. Thus, there is no-doubt Gala is a player who will be a clutch factor for RNG at MSI 2022 as well.
6) Jankos
Very few players have made as much of an impact in the jungle role as Jankos has. The community might always meme about Jankos on account of his missed Nidalee spears, but there is no doubt that he is arguably the best jungler in western League of Legends.
At the age of 26, Jankos has won multiple LEC titles, one MSI title (the only one that Europe has ever won) and individual accolades such as MVP of the Split and EU first pro team on multiple occasions. Jankos is only the second player to have reached 1500 kills and 2500 assists in the LEC.
However, he is also the first player ever to reach 1000 kills and 2500 assists together in the LEC at the same time. Finally, he is also the first ever player to reach 300 wins in the LEC.
These achievements might not look very big for someone playing in the ADC role or the midlane. However, for junglers, these stats are incredible, especially because Jankos always plays as a facilitator.
In other words, he is the one who helps win lanes rather than being a greedy jungler who would farm and carry games. Jankos is a one-of-a-kind player and considering the form he is currently in, there is no-doubt he will be looking to light a wildfire in the jungle at MSI 2022.
5) Xiaohu
Xiaohu is definitely one of the best players that the Chinese League of Legends scene has ever produced. This is because it is seldom that there players who become successful by playing one role in the game.
However, Xiaohu is someone who has played not one, but two different roles at the highest level of professional League of Legends. He has also achieved the biggest trophies that a player can dream of.
Firstly, it is vital to mention that Xiaohu is only the third player ever to reach 2500 kills in the LPL. He is also the fourth player ever to reach 4000 assists in the LPL. Considering the sheer number of teams and players that play in that tournament, reaching these targets so early is a huge achievement.
Apart from that, he is also the only player ever to have won two international titles (MSI 2018 and MSI 2021) in two different roles (mid and top). Xiaohu's performance is always at its peak during the Spring Split, thus having earned him the nickname of "The Tiger of the Spring" by the fans.
Thus, all of this considered, there is no-doubt that the expectations from Xiaohu will be at its peak and fans will hope that the Spring Emperor keeps his throne intact for another year.
4) Keria
Keria might not be a name that has a lot of experience when it comes to international tournaments, but he is definitely a player who is going to set MSI 2022 on fire. In fact, he might very well be the player who wins the T1 title single-handedly.
Keria only started playing professionally in 2017, but by 2020, he was lauded as one of the best support players in South Korea by none other than Deft (one of the greatest ADC players of all time). Thus, when he joined T1 in 2020, Keria was already regarded as a great prospect.
As time passed, Keria's decisiveness increased, and at League of Legends Worlds 2021, he showcased his class. He was one of the key assets for T1 who helped the team reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
Despite the loss, Keria did not slow down, as in LCK's 2022 Spring Split, he was one of the prime reasons behind T1's 20-0 undefeated run. At a mere age of 19, Keria became the player to reach 462 assists (the highest) in a single Split.
The previous record was held by none other than Wolf, with 445 assists back in the 2015 Summer Split of the LCK. Apart from that, Keria also became the first ever support player in LCK to win MVP of the Split.
Thus, there is no-doubt that when MSI 2022 starts in Busan, Keria will be looking to ensure that T1 has no issues getting its hands on the trophy.
3) Caps
Caps is a player who is often considered to be the greatest western midlaner of all time. But if fans just look at his stats like kills or assists, those are really not that special.
He was the 5th player to reach 1000 kills in the LEC and the 3rd player ever to reach 1500 kills. However, the reason why he is held to such high standards is because of his out-of-the-world mechanical skills and his champion pool.
Caps can stand in the midlane and can run rings around his opponent without breaking a sweat. In fact, he is the only midlaner in the world who made a joke out of none other than Faker, back when G2 Esports eliminated SKT from League of Legends Worlds 2019.
His insane skills earned him the MVP title back in MSI 2019, which he also ended up winning. Apart from that, Caps is the only non-Korean player other than Uzi to have reached two consecutive World Championship finals.
Caps has multiple individual accolades in the LEC, along with the one at MSI 2019 which shows how much of a presence he has in the lane. However, during 2021 and for the better part of the 2022 Spring Split, many fans claimed Caps was washed.
Nevertheless, the player has always been adamant that he loves playing in front of a crowd and that is what brings the best out of him. There is no-doubt that he wasn't lying as when the playoffs started at the LEC, when Caps once again showed why remains the undisputed greatest western midlaner.
Caps used his Ahri demolished Team Vitality, Misfits, Fnatic, and Rogue, and he was all charged up in front of the crowd. Thus, considering MSI 2022 will have a crowd as well, fans can expect Caps to be an absolute beast.
2) Gumayusi
Gumayusi, just like Keria, does not have a lot of international experience. But there is no-doubt that he is someone who is going to be a difference maker when T1 plays at MSI 2022.
At the age of 20, Gumayusi has already established himself as the best ADC player in the world. His lane presence, roaming, ability to dodge skill shots, and teamfighting, are all at their best.
As long as Gumayusi is alive in the match, there is nothing to worry about, and that is what makes his presence so scary. The first time League of Legends fans witnessed Gumayusi's skill was during League of Legends Worlds 2021, where he held his ground firmly against Damwon KIA, becoming one of the major reasons why the series went to five games.
In fact, such are his skills and abilities that fans often compare him to Uzi (Gumayusi's role model as well) who is often considered the greatest ADC of all time. Gumayusi is also the player with the highest kills (219) in a single Split of LCK (2022).
Thus, when MSI 2022 starts, the botlane duo of Gumayusi and Keria will be the ones to watch out for as it is the best in the world by a mile.
1) Faker
Finally, the last player on this list is none other than the Unkillable Demon King himself, Faker. From his massive outplay on Zed against Ryu, to his multiple World Championship titles, he is always the player to look out for at major tournaments.
However, there is a lot more to Faker than simply his achievements. He is not the carry player that he used to be back when he was young. Now, Faker is a leader and the one who guides players like Gumayusi, Keria, Oner, and Zeus to achieve victory.
He plays like a facilitator nowadays, while also showing his insane mechanical skills in order to allow the team to add wins to their names. Faker is also one of the longest-standing professional players in League of Legends.
He has a total of 700 games in LCK and has also won 10 titles (the highest by any player) in the same tournament. He has maintained this high-profile gameplay and his skills for nine years, when other players simply drop the ball within a year or two.
Thus, when MSI 2022 starts, fans can expect Faker to show up in style as his gameplay may have changed, but his thirst for trophies continues to push him forward even to this day.
