League of Legends is back for EWC 2025
May 16, 2025.
You want it, you got it! League of Legends is BACK for the Esports World Cup in 2025 and is now a confirmed event through 2027! Last year's tournament was full of unexpected plot twists and turns, as we witnessed the GOAT Faker crowned inaugural MVP of the tournament after spearheading T1’s surprise run to the top! Will T1 be able to repeat that feat, or will a new team don the crown in 2025?
Get ready for the titans of the League of Legends world to clash in Riyadh with a EWC tournament win hanging in the balance!
LAST TIME ON: League of Legends at EWC
Though they had won the Championship the year before, T1 were not the favourites heading into EWC 2024. Instead, it was fellow Korean powerhouse Gen.G with their world-class midlaner Chovy who were expected to take the W after winning MSI in convincing fashion. However, Gen.G was rocked by China’s TOP ESPORTS, leading to a shocking early exit for the favorites.
Heading into the Finals, TOP ESPORTS was on an absolute tear after dispatching both Gen.G and G2. It turns out they could not stop T1’s ascendancy, as Faker and company claimed yet another World Championship for themselves in a 3-1 result. T1 took home a $400,000 prize, and Faker himself walked away with a well-deserved bonus of $50,000 for putting on a stunning MVP performance!
Tournament Dates and Format
Running July 16-20, a total of 12 teams will attend the tournament from around the world, up from eight total teams last year.
Slots will be distributed as follows:
- 1x EWC 2024 League of Legends Title Defender (T1)
- 2x LCK - Road to MSI
- 2x LPL - Split 2 Playoffs
- 2x LEC - Spring Playoffs
- 2x LTA North - Split 2 Playoffs
- 1x LTA South - Split 2 Playoffs
- 2x LCP - Mid Season Qualifying Series
Due to the increased number of teams, the tournament is split into two stages in 2025. First we’ll start with a group stage featuring eight of the teams (seeds 5-12) who will compete to earn their spot in the Playoffs. The top two teams in each group will advance to face the tournament’s top four seeds in a single elimination bracket - lose and you go home!
When the dust settles, only our League of Legends ft. at EWC 25 winner will remain!
Prize Pool
This time around we are DOUBLING the prize pool to $2,000,000 USD, up from last year's $1,000,000 USD sum. You can be sure the battle will intensify as players fight for the prize and the prestige of installing their key into the League of Legends at EWC 25 trophy!
About the Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup is a global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom. Making its return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2025, the annual Esports World Cup features a unique cross-game format that pits the world’s top esports Clubs and more than 1,500 players against one another for a share of the largest prize pool in esports history.
