The LPL will now have two teams to cheer for in the Bracket Stage of the Mid-Season Invitational.

Top Esports is now the second team to qualify for the Bracket Stage after they defeated Fnatic 2-1 to close out day three of the Mid-Season Invitational. That win now means that Top will join T1 alongside the number one seeds from the top four regions in the next round.

As for Fnatic, despite making it a hard-fought series, were not able to get it done in the end. However, Fnatic are still not out of it as they are now in the lower bracket where they will await the winner in the elimination series between LOUD and GAM Esports. All Fnatic need is one more best-of-three win to still qualify for the next phase.

This was also only the second series to go to all three games as both Top and Fnatic made it a fight for the ages in the MSI Play-In Stage. Top would draw first blood in the series after a tightly-contested game one where it was seemingly between Yu “JackeyLove” Wen-Bo and Fnatic's midlaner, Marek “Humanoid” Brázda. 

Both players proved to be the bright spark in their respective teams as JackeyLove was able to dominate from early on as his Lucian received plenty of help from Tian “meiko” Ye's Nami. But on the other end, it looked like it was Humanoid going against Top all on his lonesome as his LeBlanc showed just why she can still be a core pick in today's meta. Sadly, it wasn't enough as Top were too clinical when it came to overwhelming Fnatic's side lanes.

But the second game proved to be a different story as this time, it was Fnatic on the front foot. And it was also Óscar “Oscarinin” Muñoz that displayed great usage of Camille in the offlane, which saw him get eight kills alongside six assists and a sole death. He also had help from Humanoid's LeBlanc, who also dished out nine kills to his name with five assists. It was largely a back-and-forth series between the two that was ultimately decided in a third and final match.

While it looked like Fnatic would go the distance, they would eventually stumble at the end. Top would change four-fifths of its line-up for the third game with only JackeyLove's Varus being the only mainstay. And that would prove to be Fnatic's nail in the coffin as JackeyLove managed to get five kills and four assists to go with zero deaths. Even Jian “Creme” Lin was styling on Fnatic with Tristana, getting seven kills and an assist with only two deaths.

Ultimately, Top proved to be too much for Fnatic to handle as the home crowd erupted in applause for the LPL second seed. They now earned a few days rest before the start of the Bracket Stage. As for the rest of the Play-In Stage, there will be two elimination matches tomorrow in both Group A and Group B.

Group A

Estral ESportsvsPSG Talon —  4:00 p.m. GMT +8

Group B

LOUDvsGAM Esports —  7:00 p.m. GMT +8