TL;DR
- MSI 2021 final peaked at 1.84 million concurrent viewers, breaking the 2019 record
- DWG KIA featured in four of the five most-watched matches despite their finals loss
- The five-game thriller marked only the second time in MSI history a final went the full distance
- Chinese viewership likely massive but uncounted, reinforcing LPL’s MSI dominance narrative
- Tournament succeeded despite no live audience, proving esports’ resilience during pandemic
The electrifying five-game championship clash between Royal Never Give Up and DWG KIA during the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational established unprecedented viewership benchmarks that reshaped esports broadcasting expectations.
An astonishing 1.84 million peak concurrent viewers witnessed the MSI championship decider, decisively surpassing the previous record set during the 2019 finals. That earlier benchmark featured G2 Esports against Team Liquid reaching 1.7 million viewers. The viewership momentum built progressively throughout the series, with the third game matching the existing record before audience numbers continued climbing. These figures notably exclude Chinese streaming platforms, where engagement likely reached extraordinary levels given Royal Never Give Up’s status as LPL champions and national representatives.
⚡ 1 839 876 Peak Viewers
#MSI2021
????????
@RNG
vs ????????
@DWGKIAKorean peak – 620k
English peak – 492k
@Twitch peak – 1M
@YouTube peak – 509k
https://t.co/fz4HHbD8SB— Esports Charts (@EsportsCharts)
May 23, 2021
Despite the absence of Western regional representatives in this championship matchup, global audiences demonstrated intense appetite for premium League of Legends competition in a LAN setting. Korean viewership dominated the audience composition due to DWG KIA’s participation, while English-language broadcasts achieved a 492,000 viewer peak. Platform distribution followed established patterns, with Twitch capturing the majority share at one million concurrent viewers and YouTube accounting for the remaining audience.
The entire competition unfolded within an Icelandic studio environment without physical spectators, creating unique production challenges. This absence of live crowd energy typically diminishes broadcast excitement, yet viewership numbers demonstrated esports’ remarkable capacity to maintain engagement despite pandemic restrictions.
Semifinal engagement metrics strongly predicted the record-breaking finals performance. The DWG KIA versus MAD Lions semifinal encounter nearly reached 1.5 million peak viewers. Throughout the tournament, DWG KIA consistently attracted massive audiences, appearing in four of the five highest-viewed matches despite ultimately falling short of the championship trophy.
Most popular matches of
#MSI2021:
#1 –
@DWGKIA
vs
@RNG
#2 –
@DWGKIA
vs
@MADLions
#3 –
@paiNGamingBR
vs
@MADLions
#4 –
@DWGKIA
vs
@team_detonation
#5 –
@DWGKIA
vs
@Cloud9
https://t.co/fz4HHbD8SB
#LoL
@lolesports
pic.twitter.com/r1oy7fq7kj— Esports Charts (@EsportsCharts)
May 23, 2021
DWG KIA’s championship aspirations remained unfulfilled, but their consistent ability to draw substantial viewership establishes them as enduring fan favorites heading into the second competitive split. Their consistent presence in high-viewership matches suggests strong brand recognition and compelling gameplay that transcends regional loyalties.
MSI 2021 delivered one of esports’ most memorable championship series
While the viewership milestone was anticipated given tournament trends, the competitive drama itself secured a permanent place in League of Legends history. This marked only the second occasion in MSI’s competitive timeline where the finals extended to the maximum five-game limit. The only previous instance occurred during the inaugural 2015 MSI event featuring EDward Gaming against SK Telecom T1.
This championship confrontation represented a crucial development in the ongoing Korea versus China esports rivalry, with the LPL representatives overcoming the legendary SKT organization and cementing Chinese regional supremacy at the Mid-Season Invitational. Historically, Chinese teams have dominated MSI competitions despite Korean organizations traditionally excelling at World Championships. With three MSI trophies now belonging to LPL representatives, the tournament increasingly appears destined for Chinese competitive mastery.
The subsequent international League of Legends spectacle will be the 2021 World Championship, scheduled for November 6 in Shenzhen, China. For teams preparing for major tournaments, our Complete Guide offers strategic frameworks applicable across competitive gaming contexts.
Understanding regional dominance patterns requires analyzing team composition strategies, similar to how our Class Guide explains optimal character selection. The intense viewer engagement demonstrated that compelling narratives, like those explored in our Weapons Unlock guide, transcend traditional geographic loyalties when competitive stakes reach their peak.
Action Checklist
- Analyze peak viewership patterns across different game stages to identify engagement drivers
- Compare platform distribution metrics between Twitch and YouTube for major tournaments
- Research regional audience composition for international events to identify loyalty patterns
- Document competitive narratives that transcend regional boundaries for content planning
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » MSI 2021 final between RNG and DWG KIA sets new viewer record How RNG vs DWG KIA's epic 2021 MSI final shattered viewership records and esports history