Here is everything we know so far about the Esports World Cup League of Legends (LoL) tournament, which will take place after the Mid-Season Invitational this summer.
Esports World Cup LoL Tournament – more teams, higher prizepool
The LoL tournament at the Esports World Cup was first brought during last year’s edition. Previously, it featured eight teams from the top four major regions, competing for a $1.05 million prizepool. In the 2024 edition, it was the Korean team and current world champion T1 who emerged victorious, defeating the Chinese team Top Esports in the final.
Coming back this year after Riot announced a three-year partnership with tournament organizer Esports World Cup Foundation, the LoL tournament is set to feature a total of 12 teams and an increased prize pool to $2,000,000, making it a big opportunity for esports clubs to generate more revenue.
Teams and Format
The 2025 edition will feature 12 teams, selected based on the results of the second splits of the 2025 competitive calendar across major regions.
There will be two seeds from the LCK (Korea), LPL (China), LEC (EMEA), LTA North (North America), and LCP (Pacific). One spot will be given to the top team from the LTA South Split 2, and one to T1 as the defending EWC champions.
It’s worth noting that the teams qualified for the EWC are similar to the teams qualified for the Mid-Season Invitational, with the exception of T1 and the LTA North, which will have an additional seed in the tournament.
If T1 were to finish in the top two during the LCK Road to MSI, the third-best team in the competition would then be assigned a slot at the tournament.
The results from MSI will have a major impact on the tournament format as they will directly qualify for the playoff stage. The other eight teams will instead play in two double-elimination format (GSL) groups, with the top two of each group advancing to the playoff stage. All matches in this stage will be Bo1.
The eight teams will then compete in a single-elimination bracket to determine the EWC 2025 champion. The Grand Final will be a best-of-five, with other matches being Best-of-three. It’s yet to be confirmed whether the EWC will feature the Fearless Draft mode.
EWC LoL Schedule and venue
The tournament will take place in the second week of the Esports World Cup, running from July 16 to July 20. The offline venue is yet to be confirmed. During the 2024 edition, matches took place at the Boulevard Riyadh City, Qiddiya Arena.
Prize Pool
The LoL tournament at EWC 2025 offers a $2 million prize pool. The distribution is yet to be revealed. In last year’s tournament, champions T1 ended up taking $400,000 of the $1 million prizepool, a 40% share, with Top Esports taking $200,000.
With the higher prizepool, expect the winning team to make at least more than half a million. This prize pool is the highest for non-Riot-organized LoL events.
Which teams are expected to make it into the Esports World Cup tournament?
Based on the current form and potential of each team, the top teams expected to qualify are:
- LCK: Gen.G/HLE
- LPL: TES/AL/JDG/IG/BLG
- LEC: G2/KC/FNC
- LTA North: FLY/C9/TL
- LCP: CFO/TALON/GAM
- LTA South: paiN Gaming/FURIA
Why is the Esports World Cup LoL tournament important
The LoL tournament at the EWC is not considered part of the LoL 2025 competitive ecosystem but complements it as an international event offering teams a chance to earn prize money and build momentum ahead of the summer split and the League of Legends World Championship.
Esports World Cup Lol tournament FAQ
Which are the participating teams in the EWC LoL tournament?
The teams taking part are as follows:
- T1 (EWC 2024 champion)
- Top 2 from LCK, LPL, LEC, LTA North, and LCP
- Top team from LTA South
What is the prize pool for the LoL tournament?
The total prize pool for the tournament is $2 million, increased from the $1.05 million of the previous edition.
When does the tournament take place?
The tournament will take place during the second week of the EWC, from July 16 to July 20.
How does this event relate to the League of Legends World Championship?
The EWC LoL tournament is a non-Riot-organized event and it doesn’t have competitive ties with the LoL World Championship. The qualification process for the EWC, however, is related to MSI, the second international event of the 2025 LoL competitive season.
Where to watch the Esports World Cup LoL tournament?
All matches will be streamed live on Twitch, YouTube, and regional platforms in multiple languages.
