(Photo credit: Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

T1 rallied to take the last two maps and earn a 3-2 win over CTBC Flying Oyster on Thursday in an opening-round bracket-stage match at the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational in Vancouver.

In the day's other first-round match, Bilibili Gaming defeated KOI 3-1.

The $2 million event began with two teams from each League of Legends region: China, Korea, Pacific, the Americas and Europe-Middle East-Africa.

Gen.G Esports, T1, Anyone's Legend, CTBC Flying Oyster, FlyQuest and KOI were seeded directly into the bracket stage. The other four teams -- Bilibili Gaming, FURIA, G2 Esports and GAM Esports -- battled in the play-in stage for the final two bracket-stage berths that went to Bilibili and G2.

All matches in the play-in and the double-elimination bracket stage are best-of-five. The winner of the grand final on July 12 will earn $500,000 and a spot in the $5 million League of Legends World Championship, to be played this fall in China.

On Thursday, T1 opened with a 37-minute win on red, but CTBC took the next two maps, in 28 minutes on blue and 30 minutes on red. T1 recovered with a 38-minute triumph on blue and a decisive 25-minute victory on red.

South Korea's Mun 'Oner' Hyeon-jun paced T1 with a 20/21/34 kill/death/assist ratio. Taiwan's Chiu 'Doggo' Tzu-chuan wound up at 33/13/24 for CTBC Flying Oyster.

After Bilibili registered a 36-minute win on red, KOI recovered for a 31-minute victory on blue. Bilibili then prevailed in 37 minutes on blue and 40 minutes on red.

In the two upper-bracket second-round matches, Gen.G Esports will oppose Anyone's Legend on Friday, and T1 will face off with Bilibili Gaming on Saturday.

Lower-bracket action starts with G2 Esports vs. FlyQuest on Friday, then CTBC Flying Oyster vs. KOI on Saturday.

League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational prize pool:

1. $500,000, berth in League of Legends World Championship

2. $300,000

3. $240,000

4. $200,000

5-6. $160,000

7-8. $130,000

9. $100,000 -- GAM Esports

10. $80,000 -- FURIA

--Field Level Media