You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 League of Legends World Championship Preview
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship, which in the eSports world is known simply as the 'Worlds', will be the sixteenth edition of the tournament, having first been held in 2011.
When is LoL Worlds 2026?
The 2026 edition of the tournament will take place in late 2026, and the final will take place in November, with the tournament taking place in the month prior.
Where are the LoL Worlds 2026 taking place?
Last year's tournament took place in China (Beijing, Shanghai & Chengdu), and the venue for the 2026 tournament will be Allen, Texas, for the first stages, with the final being hosted in New York City.
How do teams qualify for the 2026 Worlds?
The tournament is being expanded to eighteen teams this year, and those eighteen teams will qualify based on their performances in their regional leagues and in the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational. Details of the exact format with the expansion are yet to be released.
Where can I watch the 2026 Worlds?
You have two options on where to watch the LoL Worlds: you can either stream them on the official Riot Games Twitch channel or you can stream them on the official LoL Esports YouTube channel.
Where can I bet on the LoL Worlds?
Best Esports Betting Sites | Find The Top Esports UK Bookmakers
What is League of Legends (LoL)?
Released in October of 2009 by developer Riot Games, League of Legends, which is also known by the abbreviation LoL, is a multiplayer online battle arena game that has always been free to play, with the publishers monetising it with purchases that can customise your characters.
The game in terms of what it compiles is pretty simple, there are two teams, each team has a total of five players, and each player takes control of a 'Champion' which is a character within the game, each 'Champion' has unique game-play abilities and then each team works together to destroy the opponents 'Nexus' which is a structure within the opponents base, first time to do so wins the game!
Throughout the matches, players can upgrade the 'Champions' to give them better abilities and thus make them stronger in the gameplay. This is done by collecting experience points and then making purchases to improve their character.
The game is one of the biggest on the eSports scene, with numerous leagues and tournaments, and the popularity in North America is obvious to see by the fact that major broadcaster ESPN covers matches!
Who are the Previous LoL World Championship Winners?
It is worth noting that in the fifteen previous tournaments held so far, Asian teams have performed remarkably well.
The first tournament held in 2011 was won by Fnatic, a European team. However, in the subsequent fourteen tournaments, all the winners were Asian teams, with ten of them hailing from South Korea.
Looking at the finalists, out of the 30 finalists, 26 of those have been Asian teams, and 17 of those have come from South Korean teams.
T1 are by far the most successful team; they are now six-time champions and have won the last three tournaments. Gen.G are the only other multiple winner having won it in 2014 & 2017 under different names.
Last Ten LoL Worlds Champions
| Year | Champions | Score | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | T1 | 3-2 | KT Rolster |
| 2024 | T1 | 3-2 | Bilibili Gaming |
| 2023 | T1 | 3-0 | Weibo Gaming |
| 2022 | DRX | 3-2 | T1 |
| 2021 | Edward Gaming | 3-2 | Damwon Gaming |
| 2020 | Damwon Gaming | 3-1 | Suning |
| 2019 | FunPlus Phoenix | 3-0 | G2 Esports |
| 2018 | Invictus Gaming | 3-0 | Fnatic |
| 2017 | Samsung Galaxy | 3-0 | SK Telecom T1 |
| 2016 | SK Telecom T1 | 3-2 | Samsung Galaxy |
2025 League of Legends World Championship Final Highlights
Article Contributor
Our League of Legends World Championship Preview content is meticulously crafted by Andy, who maintains the content on this page, keeping you up-to-date with the latest information.
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
More eSport Previews
These are all of the eSport tournament previous blogs we have here on OLBG:
- CS:GO BLAST Premier
- Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS)
- LoL World Championship
- Dota 2 The International
- PUBG Global Championship
