MSI 2026 Team Review: Relove Deep Cross Gaming Fail to Prove Their Worth
Relove Deep Cross Gaming qualified for their first international event at MSI this year. However, they failed to make the right impression. They bowed out of the competition without a game win. Their aggressive playstyle did not work out on the international stage. At the end of the day, they are six months past reaching the tier 1 stage. Expectations were low for this roster, and they will need to take the learnings from MSI moving forward.
Relove Deep Cross Gaming MSI Results
DCG did not win a single game during their short stay at MSI.
- Lost 3-0 to Karmine Corp
- Lost 3-0 to Team Liquid Alienware
Relove Deep Cross Gaming Player Review
Flauren
- Total Apex Rating – 3.0 (11th among top laners, 55th among players)
- Champions Played
- Jax (2)
- Ambessa
- Gnar
- Rumble
- Sion
Most of the hype around the DCG roster was their rookie top laner, Flauren. He was one of the best players on the roster. However, at MSI, he did not live up to expectations as former LCK top laners Canna and Morgan outpaced him. It is his first international tournament, and he should improve from here.
Pop9
- Total Apex Rating – 3.8 (11th among junglers, tied 53rd among players)
- Champions Played
- Jarvan IV (2)
- Lee Sin
- Olaf
- Qiyana
- Wukong
Pop9 was the driver behind most of DCG’s leads at MSI. His aggressive playstyle had moments where it paid off. However, as games went on, he did not take his foot off the pedal. He will need to learn when the best times to go forward are for future events.
HongSuo
- Total Apex Rating – 4.0 (11th among mid laners, 51st among players)
- Champions Played
- Cassiopeia
- Galio
- LeBlanc
- Orianna
- Ryze
- Taliyah
The biggest critique of HongSuo at MSI was his tendency to die in unusual spots. He died in front of his team in fights or while rotating towards side lanes, when he could have taken a safer path. The LeBlanc, especially, was a champion that he would like to forget that he played.
Feng
- Total Apex Rating – 3.8 (11th among players, tied 52nd among players)
- Champions Played
- Jhin (2)
- Senna (2)
- Ezreal
- Kalista
There is little to critique about Feng at MSI, besides his lack of impact on the series. He was rarely the difference-maker in either series against Karmine Corp or Team Liquid Alienware. The only significant mistake he made was in game three against TL. He died unnecessarily after garnering an early lane lead as Kalista.
ShiauC
- Total Apex Rating – 3.5 (11th among supports, 54th among players)
- Champions Played
- Nautilus (2)
- Camille
- Pyke
- Rakan
- Renata Glasc
Despite being the veteran on the roster with international experience, ShiauC did not deliver. He lacks the coordination with Pop9 to be effective. There are often when one of them goes in without the other. They will need to improve their synergy for future tournaments.
Relove Deep Cross Gaming Review
DCG ending MSI with a 0-6 game record should not surprise anyone. They were clearly the second-best team coming from the LCP. The region is likely the weakest at MSI, with many not expecting much from Team Secret Whales either. A few months ago, this team was playing for qualification for the LCP. Them qualifying for an international event is already a massive step up for the team.
Their star player, Flauren, failed to perform, but that should not be a concern. He is in his rookie split and needs more time to adjust to the high pressure of international play. He came up against two seasoned Korean top laners in Canna and Morgan. Both have had strong performances at MSI so far. Now DCG needs to take MSI learnings and use them moving forward. Hopefully we see them back on the international stage at the World Championship later this year.
More MSI Content
Below is some of the previous MSI content on Total Apex, for the team reviews.
