How to watch MSI 2016: Day 1 schedule and VODs

Highlight games of the day include Royal Never Give Up vs. Counter Logic Gaming, G2 Esports vs. Flash Wolves and G2 vs. SK Telecom T1.

By Pete Volk@Pete_Volk Updated May 4, 2016, 8:16am EDT

The 2016 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational has finally arrived, with six domestic champions from around the world meeting in Shanghai for international bragging rights and a good chunk of prize money. The tournament begins Wednesday with an opening ceremony at 1:30 a.m. ET. The entire tournament will be streamed live at Lolesports.com and on Twitch and YouTube.

The first game of MSI: China's Royal Never Give Up vs. North America's Counter Logic Gaming. RNG figures to be one of the teams in contention for second place, along with G2 Esports and Flash Wolves, while CLG is hoping to break into the playoff field with a top-four finish.

The second game of the day sees the other two likely second-place contenders, G2 and Flash Wolves, square off. G2 kicks off its first major international tournament with a tough first day, facing off against the Wolves and SK Telecom T1 later in the day.

This post will remain spoiler-free, with VODs added as the day goes on. The times listed below are all Eastern, and are subject to change if games go long.

(For Day 2's VODs, click here. For Day 3, head over here.)

Opening ceremony: