The Beginning: Season 1 World Championship (2011)
The first League of Legends World Championship took place at DreamHack in Jönköping, Sweden, in June 2011. It was a humble beginning compared to what the event would become: a small stage, modest production, and a $100,000 prize pool that felt enormous at the time.
The champion of the first Worlds was Fnatic, a European organization that is still competing today. Their mid laner, xPeke, and the roster became legends by beating Moscow Five (later known as Gambit Gaming) in the grand final. The win established Europe as an early powerhouse in competitive LoL — though that dominance would not last.
Season 1 Worlds was a turning point that showed Riot Games that League of Legends had genuine esports potential. The viewership and community response encouraged a much larger investment in the competitive scene for Season 2.
Season 2: The Rise of Azubu Frost and the First Big Stage (2012)
Season 2 Worlds, held at USC's Galen Center in Los Angeles, was a significant step up in production and prestige. The prize pool rose to $2 million. For the first time, the competitive League of Legends scene felt like a real global event.
The Season 2 champion was Taipei Assassins (TPA) from Taiwan, who shocked everyone by defeating Azubu Frost of Korea in the grand final. TPA's victory was celebrated as one of the great underdog stories in esports history, and it established the pattern that would define Worlds for years: Korean teams as heavy favorites, and international challengers finding extraordinary moments to beat them.
A controversial moment from Season 2 Worlds also became legendary: during a semifinal match, a spectator monitor on stage accidentally showed the ward placement of Azubu Frost to a stadium camera — a brief but significant breach of competitive integrity that Riot has worked to prevent in every subsequent Worlds.
Season 3: SKT T1 and the Birth of a Dynasty (2013)
Season 3 Worlds in Los Angeles introduced the world to the player who would become the face of League of Legends esports: Faker.
Lee Sang-hyeok, known as Faker, was 17 years old. He played mid lane for SKT T1. His mechanical precision, game sense, and consistency under pressure were immediately unlike anything the world had seen. SKT T1 won Worlds 2013 without losing a single game in the bracket stage — a dominant performance that announced Korean esports had definitively surpassed all competition.
Faker's signature champion, Zed, produced one of the most iconic moments in esports history during a regular season game against Ryu (before Worlds) — a 1v1 duel under the nexus turret where Faker, near death with almost no health, outplayed Ryu completely through mechanical skill that seemed impossible. The clip is still referenced as a defining example of elite play.
Season 4: Samsung White's Dominance and Korean Superiority (2014)
Season 4 Worlds was held in Seoul, South Korea, at the Sangam Stadium — bringing Worlds to Korea for the first time. The 2014 Worlds final was an all-Korean affair: Samsung White vs. Samsung Blue. Samsung White won convincingly, completing a remarkable demonstration of Korean depth: the top two teams in the world at that moment were from the same organization.
Samsung White's ADC Imp and support Mata became global stars. Faker did not win Worlds in 2014, suffering in the semifinal — one of the few times in his career where Korean dominance over him was demonstrated. The storyline of Faker's return would fuel multiple subsequent Worlds narratives.
Season 5: SKT Reclaims the Crown (2015)
Worlds 2015 in Belgium and London saw Faker and SKT T1 return with a vengeance. Faker's 2015 performance is often cited as his best individual tournament showing — playing at a level that seemed to transcend what was previously possible in competitive LoL.
SKT T1 won Worlds 2015, cementing Faker as the greatest player in the game's history. He had now won Worlds twice at age 19. The question of whether anyone could ever match his legacy began in earnest.
Season 6: SK Telecom T1 Three-Peat Attempt (2016)
The 2016 World Championship in Los Angeles produced perhaps the most dramatic grand final in Worlds history. SKT T1 faced Samsung Galaxy (the rebranded Samsung White). The series went to five games, with Samsung Galaxy mounting an extraordinary comeback from 1-3 down to force Game 5.
SKT T1 won Game 5 and the championship — their third Worlds title, and their second consecutive. Faker was now the only player to win three World Championships. Samsung Galaxy's Ruler and Crown emerged as stars despite the loss, setting up a rivalry that would define the next year.
Season 7: Samsung Revenge and the Tears of Faker (2017)
2017 Worlds in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai ended in an extraordinary reversal. Samsung Galaxy, containing many players who had been destroyed in the 2016 final, exacted revenge by defeating SKT T1 3-0 in one of the most one-sided Worlds finals ever played against a dynasty.
The image of Faker in tears after the loss became one of the most memorable in esports history — the indomitable champion experiencing genuine defeat. Samsung Galaxy's support CoreJJ and ADC Ruler were extraordinary throughout the tournament. SKT T1 did not win another Worlds for six years, despite Faker remaining one of the best players in the world throughout the period.
Seasons 8-10: China's Rise and LPL Dominance
From 2018 onward, the LPL (League of Legends Pro League) from China emerged as the world's strongest region. Invictus Gaming won Worlds 2018 in Incheon, Korea — the first Chinese team to win Worlds. Their mid laner Rookie (formerly of SKT T1) and jungler Ning played at an incredible level. The win was celebrated as one of China's greatest esports achievements.
FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) won Worlds 2019 in Paris with a dominant performance, with mid laner Doinb playing an unconventional, roaming-focused style that confused teams worldwide. FPX defeated G2 Esports (Europe) in the final, ending Europe's hope for a first World Championship title.
Worlds 2020, held in Shanghai during the COVID-19 pandemic, was won by DAMWON Gaming (Korea, LCK) — marking the return of Korean dominance. Their mid laner Showmaker and jungler Canyon were standout performers. The pandemic-era Worlds had no audience but intense viewership online.
Worlds 2021 was won again by a Chinese team: EDward Gaming (EDG) defeated DAMWON KIA (formerly DAMWON Gaming) in one of the closest finals in recent memory. EDG's victory over the heavily favored Korean squad produced enormous celebrations in China.
2022: T1 and Faker's Fourth Championship
2022 Worlds in San Francisco, New York, and the grand final in San Francisco ended with one of the most emotional moments in esports history. T1 (the rebranded SKT T1) with Faker won their fourth World Championship, defeating DRX in a historic five-game series.
Faker became the only player to win four World Championship titles. He was 26 years old — ancient by professional gaming standards — and still competing at the absolute highest level. The win triggered an outpouring of emotion globally, with players and fans who had grown up watching Faker finally seeing him reach a milestone many thought might never come.
DRX's run to the finals was itself legendary: they had qualified through the gauntlet (the final qualification spot from Korea), beaten teams that had never lost to them, and nearly took down T1. Bdd, Kingen, and Deft (a veteran ADC in his final Worlds run) became heroes in defeat.
2023: T1 Wins Back-to-Back
Worlds 2023 in Seoul (with the grand final at the Gocheok Sky Dome) became the first time Worlds was held in Korea since 2014. The atmosphere was electric — Korean fans watching their home team defend a championship.
T1 won Worlds 2023, defeating Weibo Gaming (LPL) in the final. Faker won his fifth World Championship, cementing an achievement that may never be matched. His teammates Gumayusi and Keria had also become elite players in their own right. The image of Faker lifting the Summoner's Cup in front of a home crowd in Seoul is one of the defining images of the entire esports era.
The Major Regions of LoL Esports
| Region | League | Notable Teams | World Championships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korea | LCK | T1, Gen.G, KT Rolster, DAMWON | T1 (x5), Samsung (x2), DWG (x1), others |
| China | LPL | EDG, RNG, IG, JDG, BiliBili | iG (2018), FPX (2019), EDG (2021) |
| Europe | LEC | Fnatic, G2 Esports, MAD Lions | Fnatic (2011) — no titles since |
| North America | LCS | CLG, TSM, Team Liquid, Cloud9 | Never (multiple semifinal appearances) |
| Taiwan/SEA | PCS | Taipei Assassins (historic), Flash Wolves | TPA (2012) |
The Greatest Players in LoL Esports History
Faker (T1, Korea)
There is no debate. Lee Sang-hyeok is the greatest League of Legends player in history. Five World Championship titles, over a decade at the elite level, and consistency that defies every aging curve in the history of professional gaming. He has been described by multiple opponents as "playing a different game" — his ability to make decisions faster, more accurately, and with more creative application of mechanics sets him apart from every other player who has competed.
Uzi (Royal Never Give Up, China)
The Chinese ADC widely considered the best the world has ever seen at his position. Uzi's mechanical execution on ADC champions — particularly the attack speed champions that defined his era — was described by coaches and analysts as the closest thing to a perfect ADC. He famously never won Worlds despite multiple finalist appearances, making his legacy one of the sport's great "what ifs."
Deft (KT Rolster / DRX, Korea)
One of the most respected ADC players in Korean history. Deft spent an entire career as a consistent elite-tier player without a World Championship title, making his 2022 Worlds run with DRX — at age 26, in what was expected to be his final Worlds — one of the great career narratives in esports.
Caps (G2 Esports, Europe)
The greatest European player in League of Legends history. A mid laner known for aggressive, chaotic playstyle that earned him the nickname "Baby Faker" from Faker himself in a respectful acknowledgement. Caps and G2's 2019 run to the Worlds final remains Europe's closest approach to a World Championship.
Smeb / Ruler (Samsung, Gen.G)
Smeb (top laner) is considered by many to be the greatest top laner in LoL history, while Ruler (ADC) has been one of the most consistently dominant players at multiple Worlds across different team compositions.
Why LoL Esports Matters
League of Legends esports is more than a competitive scene — it's a cultural phenomenon. The World Championship final routinely breaks esports viewership records, drawing audiences that rival traditional sports events. Players like Faker have become genuine celebrities in South Korea, with national recognition that extends far beyond gaming.
The ecosystem has also produced extraordinary human stories: veteran players finally winning championships after years of near-misses, teenage prodigies becoming legends, and the ongoing evolution of strategy and meta that makes every year feel genuinely different from the last.
For League of Legends players, understanding the esports history isn't just trivia — it's context that makes the champions, the regions, and the game itself feel part of something larger than any individual game session.