The 2025 world championship of League of legends

T1 Claims Historic Three-Peat at the 2025 League of Legends World Championship

The 2025 League of Legends World Championship concluded with T1 making esports history, defeating KT Rolster 3-2 in an electrifying grand final held on November 9 at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium in Chengdu, China. This victory marked T1's record-extending sixth World Championship title and, most notably, the first-ever three-peat in League of Legends history, following their consecutive victories in 2023 and 2024.​

The Grand Final: An Epic Telecom War

The final was a clash between two South Korean powerhouses from the LCK (League of Legends Champions Korea), dubbed the "Telecom War" for eternity. In front of 18,000 spectators, the series delivered a nail-biting best-of-five that went the distance, with both teams trading victories throughout the match.​

KT Rolster started strong, with T1 taking Game 1 before KT fought back to win Games 2 and 3, putting themselves one game away from their first-ever World Championship. Down 1-2, T1 showed the resilience that has defined their dynasty. In Game 4, they revolutionized their approach with a Kalista-Anivia composition that suffocated KT's tempo and secured every objective. The decisive Game 5 saw T1 draft an aggressive Galio-Pantheon-Camille setup that never allowed KT to breathe, securing the championship with a dominant 23-11 kill scoreline in 36 minutes and 46 seconds.​

Gumayusi Earns Finals MVP

T1 bot laner Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong was awarded the OPPO Finals MVP, capping off what he described as a difficult year with the ultimate vindication. In his acceptance speech, Gumayusi reflected on his journey: "It still feels like a dream. I didn't expect to win MVP, so I'm grateful. This year was a tough one for me. Every year I've been someone who has to prove himself, but this time I think it was a year where I had to prove myself to myself. Now I've done that proving, and I believe I'm the best AD carry in the world".​

Gumayusi dominated the series, particularly in the crucial late games. In Game 4, his Kalista paired perfectly with Keria's Renata Glasc, while in Game 5, his Miss Fortune delivered over 30% of the team's damage with more than 25,500 total damage dealt. He became the first ADC player to win the Finals MVP award since Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk in 2017.​

Faker's Unparalleled Legacy

At the heart of T1's historic run stands Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, the 28-year-old mid laner who has now won six World Championship titles—more than any other player in League of Legends history. Faker's legacy extends beyond just world titles; he holds a record 10 LCK championships and two MSI titles, along with being the first player to surpass 100 World Championship wins and reach 500 kills on the Worlds stage.​

This victory also extended Faker's incredible undefeated record against Chinese LPL teams in best-of-five matches at Worlds to 13-0, having defeated Anyone's Legend 3-2 in the quarterfinals and Top Esports 3-0 in the semifinals. The T1 captain's ability to perform under pressure, combined with his leadership, has drawn comparisons to basketball legend Michael Jordan.​

T1's Road to Glory

T1's path to the championship was anything but smooth. As the fourth seed from the LCK, they had to compete in the Play-In Stage, where they defeated Invictus Gaming 3-1. During the Swiss Stage (October 15-25), T1 struggled with a 3-2 record, suffering unexpected defeats to CTBC Flying Oyster and Gen.G before rallying to secure their spot in the knockout stage.​

The knockout stage saw T1 come alive when it mattered most. Their quarterfinal against Anyone's Legend became the most-watched match of the tournament before the final, peaking at over 3.27 million viewers as T1 survived a grueling five-game series 3-2. In the semifinals, they delivered a dominant 3-0 sweep of Top Esports, never allowing the LPL squad to find their footing.​

KT Rolster's journey was equally impressive. Entering as the LCK's third seed, they posted a remarkable 10-1 record throughout the tournament, losing only a single game during the Swiss Stage in their semifinal victory over Gen.G. Their 3-1 upset of tournament favorites Gen.G in the semifinals shocked the esports world and secured KT's first-ever appearance in a World Championship final.​

The Fearless Draft Revolution

Worlds 2025 introduced a groundbreaking change that dramatically impacted the tournament: Fearless Draft. Under this format, champions picked in previous games of a best-of-series become unavailable for both teams in subsequent games, forcing teams to showcase deeper champion pools and adapt their strategies game-by-game.

The impact was significant. Worlds 2025 featured 107 unique champion picks across the tournament, with 12 more champions appearing compared to Worlds 2024. No champion appeared more than 17 times, a stark contrast to previous years where certain picks dominated repeatedly. The format proved particularly challenging in the grand final, where KT Rolster's limited champion pool depth became exposed in the decisive Game 5, allowing T1 to completely outdraft them.​

The introduction of new champions like Yunara, Mel, and Ambessa at Worlds added to the strategic diversity, while the format created legendary moments such as epic series featuring 50 different champions banned over five games.​

Record-Breaking Viewership and Prize Money

The 2025 World Championship grand final peaked at 6,737,568 concurrent viewers, making it the most-watched match of the tournament, though slightly down from 2024's record of 6,856,769. Overall, fans watched 133.5 million hours of Worlds 2025 content across approximately 89 hours of airtime, with an average of 1.50 million viewers. Korean became the most popular broadcast language, overtaking English for the first time.​

The prize pool for Worlds 2025 doubled from previous years to reach $5 million USD. T1 took home $1 million for their victory, while KT Rolster earned $800,000 for their runner-up finish. Semifinalists Gen.G and Top Esports each received $400,000.​

The T1 Roster

T1's championship roster consisted of top laner Choi "Doran" Hyeon-jun, jungler Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun, mid laner Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, bot laner Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong, and support Ryu "Keria" Min-seok. Doran joined the team for 2025 after Zeus departed as a free agent, marking the end of the celebrated "ZOFGK" roster that had dominated in previous years.​

Looking ahead, Doran and Gumayusi's contracts have expired, while Oner and Keria remain signed through 2026, and Faker's contract extends until 2029. This creates questions about roster continuity as T1 enters the 2026 season, though the organization has proven adept at building championship-caliber teams around their legendary mid laner.​

A Historic Achievement

T1's victory at Worlds 2025 represents the pinnacle of competitive League of Legends excellence. By becoming the first team to achieve three consecutive World Championships, they've cemented their status as the greatest organization in esports history. With six world titles, 10 LCK championships, and a roster led by the undisputed greatest player of all time in Faker, T1's dynasty shows no signs of slowing down.​

As the confetti fell in Chengdu and T1 lifted the Summoner's Cup for the sixth time, one truth became undeniable: in the world of League of Legends, legends are not born—they are forged through unwavering dedication, clutch performances, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. And in 2025, T1 proved once again that they are the ultimate standard-bearers of that legacy.