MSI 2026 Team Preview: LYON Looking to Sink Their Teeth into Achieving Victory
After changing most of their roster for 2026, LYON qualified for First Stand. They return to the international stage as the LCS first seed for MSI. For the second split in a row, they were not the favorites to win the championship. But with Cloud9 slipping up again, LYON took advantage. They are led by arguably the best Jungler in the West, but can they deal damage on the international stage?
LYON’s Roster
- American Top Laner – Niship “Dhokla” Doshi
- Korean Top Laner – Cho “Castle” Hyeon-seong
- Polish Jungler – Kacper “Inspired” Słoma
- Korean Mid Laner – Kang “Saint” Seong-in
- Korean Bot Laner – Kim “Berserker” Min-cheol
- Australian Support – Jonah “Isles” Rosario
After finishing at the bottom of LTA North, LYON made changes to its roster for 2026. They kept Saint and Frankie “Zamundo” Lin. However, for the second consecutive year, Zamundo struggled with Visa issues and could not compete. They brought in Dhokla to take his place. LYON also signed Castle for the Spring Split, but he was not consistent enough, and Dhokla returned to the starting lineup.
The Slowest Macro Team
Lyon remains one of the slowest and most methodical teams in the world. They usually give up objectives for more gold in favorable positions. They tend to get into fights because they believe they will win. Most of this decision-making comes down to their Jungler, Inspired. He is the in-game leader and shot caller for this team. Overall, Inspired has a more passive playstyle, often choosing camps over ganks. Most of his ganks are when he believes that they will garner value.
It is quite an antithetical playstyle compared to the rest of the teams at MSI. LYON took a step forward in the Playoffs against Cloud9 and Team Liquid. They were more active in the mid-game teamfights, looking to fight over more objectives than usual. Fighting less does mean you are less likely to fall behind. However, having one fight means that if you fail, there is very little recovery. Losing a crucial teamfight around an opponent’s Soul is almost always game-defining. You could maybe get away with it domestically, but that will not work against the best teams in the world.
Key Player – Kacper “Inspired” Słoma
Champions Played in Spring 2026
- Wukong (8)
- Vi (7)
- Xin Zhao (5)
- Nocturne (4)
- Jarvan IV (3)
- Sejauni (3)
- Skarner (2)
- Pantheon
- Ornn
- Trundle
- Naafiri
- Jayce
Who else but Inspired to be the key player for LYON? He has almost single-handedly dragged them to two LCS Championships. Inspired’s most picked champions in Spring show his playstyle. Wukong and Vi are champions who want to farm to level six. They rarely look for action in the early game. He is at the very least a top two Jungler in the West.
Only recently has Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan risen to challenge for that mantle. Regardless, Inspired will be crucial in defining LYON’s success at MSI. As both the best player and the shot caller, he needs to be in the best spots to lead his team. That is why he often prefers guaranteed gold. If he is on par with the rest of the lobby, he can carry his team to victory.
LYON’s Expectations
LYON will need to compete for the best team in the West. Last year, it was FlyQuest at MSI, but in 2026, G2 Esports is the favorite. Besides the Jungle role, G2 Esports has better players in each role. Maybe you could consider Berserker and Steven “Hans Sama” Liv on the same level. But recent international matches move the needle towards Hans Sama. LYON should have a relatively comfortable matchup, starting against FURIA or Team Secret Whales. However, after that point, it will get more difficult for the LCS first seed. They have the potential to make a run for the top four, but they could also finish 7th/8th.
The Draw Determines Their Fate
As the LCS first seed, LYON will begin MSI in the Bracket Stage. They will face either FURIA or Team Secret Whales, depending on their draw. They will likely be their easiest matchup of the tournament; however, neither is a pushover. From there, the draw and the team’s performance will determine who they face in the next round.
More LoL Esports Content
Below is all the previous MSI content on the Total Apex. You can expect more MSI articles in the following weeks.
