The much-hyped Upper Bracket Final showdown between T1 and JD Gaming set a new League of Legends record on May 18, attracting the highest viewership numbers of any series in MSI history.
MSI 2023: T1 vs JD Gaming results
The highly-anticipated showdown between two of the biggest teams in League of Legends delighted fans from start to finish, with the five-game series lasting for over four hours.
As expected, it was an incredibly close match, but JD Gaming ultimately walked away the victor with a final score of 3-2, thereby earning their spot in the May 21 Grand Final. T1, meanwhile, will live to fight another day - and will fight it out in the Lower Bracket Final, where they'll have the chance to face off against JD once again should they emerge victorious and make it through to the Grand Final.
The face-off was the most highly-anticipated series of this year's MSI so far, as reflected by its record-breaking viewership numbers. According to Esports Charts, the match between T1 and JD Gaming attracted a peak viewership of over 2.2 million people, making it the most-viewed match in MSI history. T1 and JD Gaming have broken the previous record, when the MSI 2022 final match between T1 and Royal Never Give Up attracted 2.19 million viewers.
It should also be noted that the actual figures are much higher, given that Esports Charts' numbers do not include viewers on Chinese streaming services. Given that JD Gaming is a beloved Chinese team, it's safe to assume that a large number of people viewed the match via a Chinese service.
This isn't the only record that has been set at this year's MSI - and not even the only one to feature T1. The Korean team may have lost to JD Gaming, but they boasted the second-fastest game in international League of Legends history, with a game in their series against MAD Lions ending in just 16 minutes and 50 seconds.
This is shaping up to be the biggest MSI yet, and the viewership numbers are only going to increase as we look ahead to the May 21 Grand Final. To make sure you're one of the millions tuning in, make sure you claim your free 100% bonus before checking out the MSI 2023 match schedule.
