League of Legends World Championship 2025

The Worlds 2025 marks the 15th edition of the Worlds, the name by which the tournament is most famous (the official name is the League of Legends World Championship, also known as the LoL Worlds). It’s the culminating international tournament of each official League of Legends eSports season. It represents the apex of the annual competitive calendar for a highly popular multiplayer online battle arena video game.
Subject League of Legends
Start Date October 14, 2025
End Date November 9, 2025
Status Coming Soon
Location Beijing Smart Esports Center (Beijing, China), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), and Dong’an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium (Chengdu, China)
Prize Pool $5,000,000
Participants 17 men’s teams
Type Offline
Tournament Champion Not defined
Format Play-In (single elimination match), Swiss Stage (Swiss format), Knockout Stage (single elimination bracket)
Organizer Riot Games

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The League of Legends World Championship 2025 will be held from October 14, 2025, through November 9, 2025, in three cities in China:

  • Beijing (Play-in & Swiss Stage)
  • Shanghai (Quarterfinals & Semifinals)
  • Chengdu (Grand Final)

The tournament is organized and administered by Riot Games, the developer and publisher of League of Legends.

Where Will the League of Legends World Championship 2025 Be Held?

The Worlds 2025 will utilize three indoor arenas, each in a different Chinese city, for distinct stages:

  • Beijing Smart Esports Center (Beijing): Hosts the Play-In and Swiss Stags.
  • Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai): Used for Quarterfinals and Semifinals.
  • Dong’an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium (Chengdu): Venue for the Grand Final.

So, the tournament is fully offline, with teams and fans attending live at each venue. The venues listed above are enclosed, climate-controlled arenas suitable for large eSports events. The first has the capacity of 2,000, while the other two have the capacity of as much as 18,000.

A total of 17 teams will compete in the League of Legends World Championship 2025. The total prize pool is a staggering US$5 million. While the total is confirmed, the exact breakdown per placement hasn’t yet been publicly announced. Details on how the amount will be split (e.g., by stage or placement) are still pending.

Which Teams Will Take Part in the League of Legends World Championship 2025?

Seventeen teams are representing five major regions: LCK (Korea), LPL (China), LEC (EMEA), LTA (Americas), and LCP (Asia-Pacific). Qualification is based on two key components:
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  • Regional league placement — Most teams earn their spot based on performance in their regional leagues (e.g., Summer Split champions, points standings).
  • 2025 Mid-Season Invitational results — MSI performance granted additional slots to regions. Specifically, LCK and LPL, being top-performing regions at MSI, received four slots each—three direct to the Swiss Stage plus one into the Play-In.

Region-wise distribution:

  • LCK (South Korea): Four teams (three directly into the Swiss Stage; one via Play-in)
  • LPL (China): Four teams (three direct; one via Play-in)
  • LEC (EMEA): Three teams (all direct to Swiss)
  • LTA (Americas): Three teams (all direct)
  • LCP (Asia-Pacific): Three teams (all direct)

The Play-In spot involves a best-of-five matchup between the fourth seed from LCK and LPL to determine who enters the Swiss Stage.

Confirmed teams as of now:

  • G Esports (LCK) – secured first qualification by winning MSI 2025
  • CTBC Flying Oyster (LCP) and PSG Talon (LCP) – confirmed qualifiers
  • G2 Esports and Movistar KOI (LEC/EMEA) – have secured qualification via LEC Summer
  • FlyQuest (LTA North) and Keyd Stars (LTA South) – confirmed from Americas (LTA Championship)

Other teams, especially from LCK, LPL, and remaining teams from LEC, LTA, and LCP, are still being determined through ongoing regional competitions.

Features of the League of Legends World Championship 2025

Stage breakdown & dates:

  • Play-In (October 14, 2025)
  • Swiss Stage (October 15–25, 2025)
  • Knockout Stage (October 28 – November 2, 2025) + Grand Final (November 9, 2025)

Match formats & elimination system

  • Play-In: Single best-of-five (Bo5) match with Fearless Draft (champions played earlier in a series are banned for both teams in subsequent games) between the fourth seeds of LCK and LPL. Winner advances to the Swiss Stage; loser is eliminated.
  • Swiss Stage: 16 teams (15 direct qualifiers + Play-In winner). Swiss system with five rounds. Bo1 (best-of-one) will be employed for all matchups, except for qualification (three-win) or elimination (three-loss) deciding matches, which will be Bo3 (best-of-three) with Fearless Draft. Elimination rules are as follows: Teams that accumulate three wins advance to the Knockout Stage. Teams that suffer three losses are eliminated. Rematches within the Swiss Stage aren’t allowed, and pairings are redrawn each round.
  • Knockout Stage (Quarterfinals & Semifinals): eight teams that qualified from the Swiss Stage. The single-elimination bracket will be employed, with all matches being best-of-five (Bo5) and using Fearless Draft, including the Grand Final.

Who’ll Win the League of Legends World Championship 2025?

It’s still early, but based on recent performance, a few teams are already emerging as strong contenders. Gen.G is viewed as the top favorite. They claimed victory at the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational and hold a strong international track record. T1, with an unmatched legacy of five World Championship titles, remains a perennial favorite, that if it qualifies for the upcoming Worlds (they advanced to Round 1 of the LCK 2025 Playoffs). Other teams like Anyone’s Legend (fell to the Lower Bracket Round 1 of the LPL Split 3 2025 – Season Playoffs) and Hanwha Life Esports (automatically qualified for Round 2 of the LCK 2025 Playoffs) are rising in prominence.

Riot Games has shifted to allow sports betting sponsorships in its major eSports leagues, including LoL, under strict integrity guidelines. Top eSports betting platforms to bet on the Worlds 2025 right now are Thunderpick (one of the best crypto bookmakers, featured highly for LoL odds and live betting, SportsBetting.ag and BetOnline (known for a wide selection of betting markets in eSports), and Rivalry (offers LoL Worlds-specific markets). If you opt for live betting, focus on objective control, map pressure, and vision dominance, which are strong indicators for in-play wagers.

The Worlds has experienced two notable format changes:

  • Fearless Draft was introduced at MSI 2025 and is now a staple in Worlds.
  • In earlier years, Group Stages used round-robins; now in the Worlds 2025, we have the Swiss Stage—a more dynamic system.

The League of Legends World Championship 2024 Grand Final set a new record with 6.94 million concurrent viewers.

Official broadcast platforms:

  • The lolesports.com website offers schedules, ticket info, and streams.
  • Streaming will be available via Twitch and YouTube, often in multiple languages (English, Korean, etc.).

Co-streaming: Popular personalities like Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont will co-stream matches, both virtually and on-site. He had a huge viewership footprint—over 17 million hours watched, making up 19% of total.

This makes the broadcast ecosystem highly flexible and engaging, both on official channels and through fan-led content.

League of Legends World Championship 2025: Pros & Cons

PROSCONS
Global prestige & legacy: The 15th edition cements Worlds as one of the most prestigious esports events, attracting global attention and media coverage.High travel & logistical costs: Hosting across Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu may be costly for smaller orgs, affecting prep time and resources.
High-level competition: Features the best teams from every major region, with Gen.G, T1, and other top contenders ensuring elite gameplay.Swiss Stage complexity: Casual viewers may find the Swiss system harder to follow compared to traditional group formats.
Innovative format: Swiss Stage + Fearless Draft in Bo3s and Finals introduces fresh strategies and unpredictability, keeping matches exciting.Regional slot disparity: Some fans argue that extra slots for LCK and LPL limit chances for wildcard regions.
Massive prize pool: $5 million total attracts peak performance from teams and increases the stakes for fans and bettors alike.Fearless Draft risks: While exciting, it can disadvantage teams with smaller champion pools, potentially skewing results.
Strong regional representation: Expanded slots for LCK and LPL create more cross-regional clashes and narrative-rich matchups.Time zone challenges for viewers: Asian time zones may cause inconvenient match times for Western audiences, impacting live viewership.
Record-breaking viewership potential: Based on 2024’s record 6.94M concurrent viewers, 2025 could set new audience highs.Unannounced prize distribution: Lack of early prize split transparency can frustrate teams, fans, and betting markets.
Engaging broadcast ecosystem: Official streams, co-streamers, and multi-language coverage make it accessible and fan-friendly worldwide.Single-elimination knockouts: One bad series can eliminate top contenders, reducing potential storylines.
Offline atmosphere: Fully LAN-based, indoor arena settings bring back the live crowd energy that fans missed during the online years.Potential for early stomps: Strong regional champions may overpower weaker seeds, leading to predictable early matches.
From dynasties to first-time glory, Worlds 2025 could shape League of Legends history in unforgettable ways. Which outcome would excite you the most?
MILOS VASILJEVIC
He’s the mastermind behind our captivating content, leveraging his extensive journalism experience to craft compelling sports news and insightful betting predictions. His passion for the game and knack for storytelling ensure our readers are always engaged and informed, bringing a unique and expert perspective to every piece he writes.
Publication date : 24.09.2025
Last modified date: 24.09.2025

Frequently Asked Questions

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