Why Worlds 2025 is such a vital moment for LoL esports

The League of Legends World Championship, better known as Worlds, is not like any other LoL competition. It’s the pinnacle of each competitive season, taking centre stage in front of millions of fans around the globe.

With Worlds celebrating its 15th anniversary, the tournament carries more weight than usual. It comes at a moment when the esports industry is under pressure. Many organisations are grappling with shrinking sponsorship deals and rising costs, with some scaling back operations or leaving competitive gaming altogether. 

Riot itself has introduced new systems, such as Fearless Draft, with the hopes of keeping the interest rising and closing the gap between regions. While we have seen the West shrinking the gap, it’s still clear that China and Korea are a tier above the rest.

This feature will explore why Worlds 2025 is such a vital moment for the industry, and what scenarios — from best to worst case — might play out once the first champion select begins.

Worlds 2025 will take place from October 14 to November 9 across three different cities in China. Beijing will host the Play-In and Swiss stages, Shanghai will take charge of the quarter-finals and semi-finals, while Chengdu will crown the champion at the Dong’an Lake Sports Park Gymnasium.

The significance of Worlds 2025 cannot be overstated. Esports as a whole is navigating a turbulent period, with organisations struggling to make consistent revenues and investors becoming more cautious. Riot Games has recently introduced new financial incentives, such as the Global Revenue Pool (GRP), and brought new revenue opportunities through digital in-game content.

While that is a great addition for teams in the tier one ecosystem, the long-term health of the scene is still reliant on the overall fan base and player base, which must continue to grow, and that indirectly goes through the success of the world championship.

Eastern regions have dominated competitive League for much of the past decade, causing eroding interest in the western regions. Even though passionate and hardcore fans in Europe and North America still watch games and hope their teams can challenge the Asian giants, the lack of performance doesn’t help attract new fans. If Worlds becomes predictable, the casual audience will inevitably tune out.

Even though Fearless Draft did a good job creating more exciting metas with more champions and team compositions, giving more chances of seeing Western teams use creativity to close the gap, it still hasn’t been enough to make the international competition close and unpredictable. 

Finally, there is the matter of China’s place in the ecosystem. Although the LPL remains one of the strongest and most prestigious leagues, Chinese teams have struggled to maintain international dominance in recent years. With star players like Uzi stepping away, the domestic interest has also waned, with fans showing frustration due to the shortcomings on the global stage.

Lifting the Summoner’s Cup in Chengdu would be a defining moment for the region, potentially creating a second wave of hype following the first world championship won by Invictus Gaming in 2018.

The outcomes of Worlds 2025 can potentially define the trajectory of LoL Esports in the years to come.

In the best-case scenario, an LPL team seizing victory on home soil would electrify the entire region and welcome a new wave of opportunities to keep the ecosystem thriving. 

The LEC and LTA (which is getting split once again next year) should at least have a team in the top four and put up a strong performance against a title contender to reignite the hopes of the West. Ideally, teams would find themselves being able to match Asian squads both in terms of individual skills and team play.

Additionally, viewership would need to surpass the 6.8 million record set in 2024, maintaining that consistent growth to show that League is still the go-to esports title.

The worst-case scenario looks different. First, the LCK would maintain its dominance throughout the tournament, with two squads making it to the final and sweeping both Western and Chinese teams. 

In particular, no Western team would make it to the playoff phase, with an LCP team snatching the guaranteed top-eight finish. Teams would struggle to match their Asian counterparts across all stages of the game, showing a widening gap in the teams’ skills.

Peak viewership would drop below the 2024 peak record, and the average would also drop significantly. While Fearless Draft should still keep the viewing experience somewhat refreshing, a world championship with no major upsets would lead to a major drop in interest and engagement across the global community.

The reality will probably fall somewhere in between, but Worlds 2025 must continue delivering interesting narratives and featuring close battles to keep fans invested until the very end. 

Worlds 2025 is not just another tournament. As the competition approaches its 15th anniversary, it is both the coronation and a stress test for League of Legends esports. 

If this edition can produce the drama and renewed excitement, it could mark the start of a new chapter in the game’s history, proving that LoL is still the benchmark in the industry. If it falls flat, however, it may serve as a warning sign, one that has already been echoing across the broader world of esports.