LoL Worlds 2025: Schedule, Format, Teams & Predictions
The League of Legends World Championship (Worlds 2025) returns to China with a three-city tour and a new Fearless Draft, raising the ceiling on strategy and champion depth. As the season’s pinnacle, this is where dynasties are defended, rivals collide across regions, and legacies are written under the brightest lights.
Here’s everything to know about Worlds 2025, from the schedule and format to the list of competing teams. We’ll also spotlight our predictions of the leading contenders for the championship crown.
Note: This page was last updated on September 15, 2025, and will be refreshed as new information becomes available.
Image source: Riot Games
When Is LoL Worlds 2025?
Worlds 2025 will run from October 14 to November 9, 2025. The Play-In will be hosted at the Beijing Smart Esports Center, with the Quarterfinals and Semifinals taking place at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. The Final is reserved for the Dong’an Lake Sports Park in Chengdu.
What Is The LoL Worlds 2025 Schedule And Format?
Worlds 2025 will unfold across three phases: Play-In, Swiss Stage, and Knockout. What’s more, all best-of-three and best-of-five matches will use Fearless Draft, meaning once a champion is picked in a series, it cannot be selected again by either team.
Here’s a quick overview of each stage:
- Play-In (Beijing): A one-day best-of-five clash between the fourth seeds from the two top MSI regions (LCK and LPL). The winner secures a spot in the Swiss Stage.
- Swiss Stage (October 15-25, Beijing): 16 teams battle across five rounds of best-of-one matches. Teams advance after three wins and are eliminated after three losses. Elimination deciders are played as a series.
- Knockout (October 28 to November 2, Shanghai; Final November 9, Chengdu): A single-elimination bracket, played entirely as best-of-fives. There are no rest days between the Quarterfinals and Semifinals this year.
Prize Pool Distribution
Riot confirmed that Worlds 2025 will have a $5,000,000 base prize pool. The official payout split by placement hasn’t been published yet. As a reference, last year’s distribution was:
- Champion 20%
- Runner-up 16%
- 3rd–4th 8% each
- 5th–8th 4.5% each
- Then descending shares for the remaining places.
| Place | Prize | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | TBD | TBD |
| 2nd | TBD | TBD |
| 3rd-4th | TBD | TBD TBD |
| 5th-8th | TBD | TBD TBD TBD TBD |
| 9th-11th | TBD | TBD TBD TBD |
| 12th-14th | TBD | TBD TBD TBD |
| 15th-16th | TBD | TBD TBD |
| 17th | TBD | TBD |
Which Teams Are Competing at LoL Worlds?
There are 17 teams competing at Worlds 2025. Each of these squads has been admitted based on their regional performance and MSI results. As of September 15, only 10 squads have qualified; however, more will be announced as the season progresses.
| Region | Team |
|---|---|
| Korea | Gen.G (MSI 2025 Champion) KT Rolster Hanwha Life Esports TBD |
| China | Bilibili Gaming TBD TBD TBD |
| Americas | Vivo Keyd Stars FlyQuest TBD |
| EMEA | G2 Esports Movistar KOI TBD |
| Asia-Pacific | CTBC Flying Oyster PSG Talon Team Secret Whales |
Image source: Riot Games
How To Watch LoL Worlds 2025
All Worlds 2025 matches will be streamed live on the official LoL Esports website, with synchronized drops and multilingual feeds. You can also watch on the official Twitch and YouTube channels. The tournament will also be available to watch through approved co-streamers for additional perspectives.
Who Are the Top Teams at LoL Worlds 2025?
A loaded field is arriving in China, but a familiar LCK trio dominates the power boards right now: Gen.G, T1, and Hanwha Life Esports.
Gen.G Esports
Gen.G enters Worlds 2025 with the most complete lineup. The roster brings lane pressure, late-game insurance, and elite map control. The team has the luxury of drafting for either side-lane or mid priority and letting Canyon (arguably LoL’s best all-time carry jungler) pace the map to suit the matchups.
Internationally, Gen.G has checked the two most relevant boxes in 2025: back-to-back MSI titles and the Esports World Cup crown. Beating T1 in a 3-2 Vancouver final and outlasting Anyone’s Legend 3-2 in Riyadh, Gen.G proved they can win different series styles against elite opponents when the pressure is highest.
Form-wise, Gen.G arrives as the top seed from Korea and a guaranteed berth thanks to their MSI win. The team is methodical in best-of-five prep, comfortable on both sides, and they rarely get out-drafted. With Chovy’s lane dominance, Ruler back in form, and Kiin thriving in weak-side matchups, Gen.G will be the team to beat.
Gen.G roster:
- Kim “Kiin” Gi-in
- Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu
- Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon
- Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk
- Joo “Duro” Min-kyu
T1
T1 have consistently been viewed among the favorites at major LoL events. After winning back-to-back Worlds titles in 2023 and 2024, it only served to strengthen that reputation. However, their bid for a third straight title will be tested after replacing their top laner Zeus, a cornerstone of previous championship runs.
Faker might not be the lane-dominant carry he was ten years ago, but the last two World Championships confirmed that he’s still one of the most clutch players on the scene. After all, when push comes to shove, you want the greatest League of Legends player of all time on your team.
The team pushed Gen.G to five games at MSI and finished third overall at the Esports World Cup, adding more high-pressure reps to an already stacked resume. With Fearless in play for all multi-game sets, T1’s cross-role champion depth is a real advantage. They aren’t untouchable, but few teams punish mistakes like T1.
T1 roster:
- Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon
- Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun
- Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
- Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong
- Ryu “Keria” Min-seok
Hanwha Life Esports
HLE arrives with a star-powered lineup and a noticeable uptick in cohesion. The addition of the now-legendary top laner Zeus adds a high-ceiling threat that pairs perfectly with Peanut’s proactive reads from the jungle. Zeka and Viper remain the late-game closers, letting HLE draft for scaling without sacrificing early skirmish potential.
The team started 2025 with a bang, winning domestic silverware and the year’s first international trophy: First Stand. Beyond that, HLE’s high-risk, high-reward playstyle is at its best when Peanut has first move and Zeka leans into lane-priority champions.
With Zeus in the top lane, draft pressure increases on both axes—threatening split-push maps while preserving clean 5v5 win conditions. To rise to the very top, the key remains Zeka: if mid can consistently unlock the map (and recapture flashes of his 2022 Worlds form), HLE’s ceiling sits squarely in the title-contender tier.
Hanwha Life Esports roster:
- Choi “Zeus” Woo-je
- Han “Peanut” Wang-ho
- Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo
- Park “Viper” Do-hyeon
- Yoo “Delight” Hwan-joong
LPL Contenders
Don’t sleep on China, especially considering their home advantage. Anyone’s Legend just took runner-up at the EWC with Flandre, Tarzan, Shanks, Hope, and Kael all proving their late-game teamfighting and macro have real bite.
Bilibili Gaming still boasts the elite core of Bin, knight, Elk, ON, and has rotated the jungle between Shadow (and Beichuan earlier), keeping their look fresh. Top Esports also remain brutally efficient at securing early gold leads and first towers—stat sheets back up the tempo they bring!
Any of the three can wreck brackets, and at least one usually does.
Image source: Riot Games
FAQs
Where Will Worlds 2025 Be Held?
Worlds 2025 will be held across three major cities in China: Beijing (Play-In and Swiss), Shanghai (Quarterfinals & Semifinals), and Chengdu (Final). Ticketing details will roll out on the official LoL Esports channels.
What Date Is Worlds 2025?
LoL Worlds 2025 will take place from October 14 to November 9, 2025.
Is T1 Going To Worlds 2025?
T1 are in the qualification mix and, based on results so far, they are highly likely to attend. However, their official invite will depend on their LCK playoff placement.
How Many Worlds Has Faker Won?
As of September 15, 2025, Faker has won five World Championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, and 2024). He is the only five-time Worlds winner in LoL.
Who Will Win Worlds 2025?
It’s hard to say, but the leading trio is Gen.G, T1, and HLE, with LPL threats (particularly AL, BLG, and TES) all capable of triggering upsets. Recent international results and Fearless Draft depth point toward a tightly contested top tier.
References
- LoL Esports (Riot Games)
- Riot Games (Twitch)
- LoL Esports (YouTube)
