Worlds 2025 kicked off with a surge of surprises and measured brilliance. From day one, favorites stumbled and underdogs achieved unexpected victories. Fearless Draft had a huge impact on the best-of-three and best-of-five series, and the stage felt bigger and louder as the tournament progressed.

Join us as we walk you through the top moments of Worlds 2025, from CFO’s shock over T1 and AL’s Swiss Stage dominance to a historic three-peat.

CFO’s Upset Over T1 Was A Swiss Fairytale

The first big shock at Worlds 2025 came early, as CTBC Flying Oysters stunned the reigning world champions T1 in Round 2 of the Swiss Stage. It was a chaotic coin flip that was ultimately decided by CFO’s confident plays, especially from their ADC, Doggo, who clinched a few solo kills on his iconic Draven pick.

CFO kept the momentum throughout the Swiss Stage and also beat the LTA champions, FlyQuest. In doing so, they ended a decade-long wait for the region to reappear in the Worlds Quarterfinals.

Anyone’s Legend Was The King Of The Swiss Stage

Anyone’s Legend lived up to their “giant-killer” reputation, especially in the Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage. After an unexpected victory against Hanwha Life Esports in Round 1, they beat Gen.G in Round 2 and advanced past CFO in the first best-of-three to finish 3–0 and claim a top seed for the Knockout Stage.

While KT also managed to start 3–0, AL’s opponents were much more challenging in the Swiss Stage. They also entered the Knockouts as one of the rising favorites to take home the Summoner’s Cup.

Peanut’s Bittersweet Goodbye

When HLE bowed out, their jungler, Peanut, shared a heartfelt goodbye. Weeks earlier, Peanut had announced that Worlds 2025 would likely be his last tournament appearance for HLE as he prepares for mandatory military service in 2026.

After playing for multiple LCK and LPL giants, including ROX Tigers, SKT, Kingzone DragonX, and LGD, and now HLE, Peanut’s decade-long career is coming to a pause. A return to the pro LoL scene seems unlikely for now, but Peanut will be remembered as one of the best junglers never to lift the Worlds trophy.

Gen.G Falls Short Once Again

For most of 2025, Gen.G seemed unstoppable, having won LCK, MSI, and EWC. Even though AL beat them early, it was widely predicted that Gen.G would reach the Finals, especially after they defeated HLE, which many considered the second or third favorite to take the main trophy home.

However, Worlds 2025 once again showed that their methodical playstyle might not perform at its best under the highest pressure. During their matchup against KT Rolster, Gen.G’s map plays were completely off. They usually dominate opponents by forcing them into uncomfortable positions.

Despite picking Yorick, a split-push champion, for Kiin in their last game, Gen.G’s top laner was primarily on teamfight duty most of the match. This played right into KT’s hands, as they had drafted Ornn for PerfecT. The indecisiveness throughout the whole series led to an unexpected exit in the Semifinals.

LPL Teams Couldn’t Find Their Rhythm

LPL opened Worlds 2025 on the wrong foot. Invictus Gaming crashed out at the start of the tournament after losing to T1 in the Play-In elimination best-of-five. The early exit yanked momentum from the region and left its other seeds to steady nerves before the Swiss Stage even started.

Billed as one of the dark horses for Worlds 2025, Bilibili Gaming never really clicked in the Swiss Stage. They finished 2–3 and bowed out in Round 5 after losing to Top Esports. This performance was reminiscent of the early Worlds days when LPL top seeds like LGD and EDG somehow always fell short.

After delivering an LPL team kill to BLG, TES was swept 0–2 by KT in the advancement best-of-three. Even though they reached the Semifinals on paper due to a favorable draw, it’s safe to say that TES underperformed and had a far weaker appearance than their LPL colleagues, Anyone’s Legend.

KT Rolster Reaches First Worlds Final

Despite going 3–0 in the Swiss Stage, fans were still skeptical—and rightly so since KT Rolster weren’t really tested in this part of the tournament. However, KT broke the Knockout bracket in Shanghai, cutting down favorites Gen.G with a convincing 3–1 to book the organization’s first-ever Worlds Final.

Draft flexibility, crisp mid-game tempo, and the underdog spirit carried them through—and into a Telecom War for the ages. While their run took many fans back to DRX 2022, unfortunately for KT, they faced a much more experienced T1 lineup.

T1 Completes A Historic Three-peat

While most Worlds 2025 predictions put Gen.G as the leading favorites, T1 once again demonstrated why they should never be underestimated when they step onto the biggest stage of the year. The Final in Chengdu delivered one of the oldest rivalries in LoL Esports history: the famous Telecom War.

In typical T1 fashion, Faker and the crew encountered some hiccups in the Swiss Stage, but their form improved as the tournament progressed. Once they beat AL in the Quarterfinals, a Finals appearance seemed inevitable. After a hard-fought five-game series, confetti fell on the first three-peat in Worlds history.

The night also set the event’s viewership record at around 6.7 million concurrent viewers—just shy of the most-viewed esports events of all time. While Faker’s clutch plays and calls carried T1, it was Gumayusi who took the Finals MVP award, proving why he should be considered in the ADC GOAT conversation.

Who Was The Worlds 2025 MVP?

Since Season 7, Worlds hasn’t had an official overall tournament MVP award. While Gumayusi received Finals MVP, Faker was likely the most impactful T1 player en route to victory. However, while most people focus on Gumayusi, Faker, and the historic three-peat, our Worlds 2025 MVP award goes to KT Rolster’s Bdd.

The Korean mid-laner almost single-handedly carried a roster of young players to the Finals. Bdd averaged an impressive 6.5 KDA overall, and some of his picks, like Orianna, posted a 44.0 KDA. Despite being heavily targeted by T1’s bans in the Finals, he still carried his team the full distance of the Worlds Finals.

Even in the decisive Game 5 defeat, his 8/4/1 Smolder was by far the most significant threat on KT. Bdd’s Worlds 2025 reminded everyone why he’s one of the longest-standing players in Korea and a strong candidate for being one of the best mid-laners in the LCK’s history.

Worlds 2025 Final Standings & Prize Pool Distribution

With a jaw-dropping $5 million prize pool, Worlds 2025 was the biggest League of Legends tournament by prize money. As champions, T1 earned 20% of the purse ($1 million), with the remaining funds distributed accordingly.

Place	Prize	Prize (%)	Team
1st	$1,000,000	20%	T1
2nd	$800,000	16%	KT Rolster
3rd–4th	$400,000	8%	Gen.G Top Esports
5th–8th	$300,000	6%	Hanwha Life CTBC Flying Oyster G2 Esports Anyone’s Legend
9th–11th	$175,000	3.5%	FlyQuest Bilibili Gaming Movistar KOI
12th–14th	$125,000	2.5%	Team Secret Whales Vivo Keyd Stars 100 Thieves
15th–16th	$112,500	2.25%	Fnatic PSG Talon
17th	$75,000	1.5%	Invictus Gaming

FAQs

Who won Worlds 2025, and what was the score?

T1 defeated KT Rolster 3–2 in the Worlds 2025 Finals, securing a record sixth world championship title and the first-ever Worlds three-peat.

What was the biggest upset of Worlds 2025?

The two biggest upsets at Worlds 2025 were CFO beating the reigning champions T1 in the Swiss Stage and KT Rolster knocking out Gen.G in the Semifinals.

Which region performed best at Worlds 2025?

LCK teams dominated Worlds 2025, with three Korean teams: T1, KT Rolster, and Gen.G, reaching the Semifinals. HLE was the only LCK team to end their run in the Quarterfinals.

How many Worlds titles does Faker have?

After completing a historic three-peat in 2025, Faker now has six Worlds titles.

Was Fearless Draft part of Worlds 2025?

Worlds 2025 was the first League of Legends World Championship to have Fearless Draft in its best-of-three and best-of-five series. All the best-of-one games were unaffected.