The 2023 Mid-Season Invitational is just around the corner. For nearly three weeks, 13 teams from around the world will compete to declare the best team for the spring season. And in those battles, there will be 13 bot laners competing to prove who’s the best. The bot laners are mostly in charge of late-game AD damage and carrying, but their role isn’t just limited to that. Here are the top 5 bot laners competing at MSI 2023.

5. C9 Berserker

Having his debut last year, Kim “Berserker” Min-cheol has already achieved almost everything that he could in the LCS. Last year, he was named on the 2nd LCS All-Pro team twice, and he rose to the top in the spring, getting on the 1st LCS All-Pro team as well as being voted as the season MVP. Berserker won two LCS titles, and it’s now time to prove himself on the international stages.

Berserker’s best champion this season was Varus. He won five out of six games he played on Varus, and it was undefeated with a 3-0 record in the playoffs. On the other hand, he struggled a bit with Zeri, although he did pick up a pentakill playing Zeri this spring. Berserker’s first international stage at Worlds 2022 was a disaster for him. MSI 2023 will be a time for redemption.

4. BLG Elk

Along with Bililbili Gaming’s inconsistent performance early in the season, Zhao “Elk” Jia-Hao struggled to show a good performance. However, after the middle of the season, Elk was arguably the most consistent player on the team, and he aided the runner-up finish. With his performance, Elk was voted on the 2nd All-Pro team for the 2023 LPL Spring Split.

Elk played Zeri and Aphelios the most in the spring. Especially in the playoffs, his performance on Zeri led the team to the finals, as Bilibili Gaming won five out of the six games he played Zeri. MSI 2023 will be Elk’s debut on an international stage. Hopefully, it’ll go well for him.

3. T1 Gumayusi

T1 had a glorious 17-1 season, and Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong was one of the most consistent players not only in the team but in the LCK as well. Along with his four teammates, he was voted on the All-LCK 1st team with his performance. Although T1 fell to Gen.G in the finals, Gumayusi’s performance was the most stable up against the champions while facing the finals MVP. 

Gumayusi’s best champion in the spring was Lucian and Varus, as he stacked up 21 wins while losing only four playing those two champions. He also played some non-AD champions due to the meta, such as Cho’Gath or Ziggs. Gumayusi has been in charge of T1’s bot lane through several great runs, and he will continue to do so at the MSI.

2. GEN Peyz

In his debut season, Kim “Peyz” Soo-hwan rose to the top, as he won the spring championship, listing his name aside the few greats who achieved the feat before him. Early in the season, Peyz’s performance wasn’t as good, but as he gained more experience on stage, he destroyed his opponents one after another and finished the season on the All-LCK 3rd team. Heading to the finals, Peyz’s performance truly shined, and he was awarded the finals MVP.

In the spring season, Peyz had a great performance on Zeri. He won 11 out of 14 games played on Zeri, and it drew four bans from T1 in the finals series. Peyz played Varus quite well, too — he played on nine occasions and won seven. As a superstar rookie, Peyz will make his international debut at MSI 2023.

1. JDG Ruler

As one of the most experienced players in the scene, Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk has a decorated career, with a world championship and even a silver medal at the Asian Games (demonstration event). This year, he added a new title to his list. It was his season in the LPL as he joined JD Gaming, and he started it off with a pentakill in his debut match. With a nearly flawless performance, Ruler was voted on the 1st All-Pro team for the regular season. In the finals as well, Ruler’s performance was top-notch, and he claimed the finals MVP.

Those who watched Ruler’s games cannot forget his performance on Zeri. He recorded a quadrakill in his debut game, and he had a whopping 10.3 KDA playing Zeri while winning 8 out of the 10 games. Ruler’s Jinx was unstoppable as well, and he won all five games he played her. Especially in the finals, all three wins were on Jinx. Surprisingly, it’s the first time Ruler is headed to the MSI.