Best League of Legends Worlds Songs ranked (2014–2024)

The Worlds Song has become a tradition as part of the hype leading up to the biggest tournament of each competitive season. With Worlds 2025 fast approaching, we have done the rankings of the League of Legends Worlds Songs, ranking all 11 anthems released from 2014 to 2024.

The Worlds songs were voted by the following members of the HotSpawn editorial team: 

• Davide Xu
• Lee Jones
• Nick James
• Ethan Cohen
• Filip Kicurovski
• Zahk

Every LoL Worlds song ranked from worst to best

11. Ignite – Zedd & Tim James (2016)

10. STAR WALKIN’ – Lil Nas X (2022)

9. Take Over – Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember), MAX, Henry (2020)

8. Worlds Collide – Nicki Taylor (2015)

7. Phoenix – Cailin Russo & Chrissy Costanza (2019)

6. Burn It All Down – PVRIS (2021)

5. GODS – NewJeans (2023)

4. Heavy Is The Crown – Linkin Park (2024)

3. Warriors – Imagine Dragons (2014)

2. Legends Never Die – Against the Current (2017)

1. Rise – The Glitch Mob, Mako, The Word Alive (2018)

11. Ignite – Zedd (Worlds 2016)

• Average ranking: 10.6

Two years after the introduction of Warriors, Ignite was probably the song that didn’t really capture the weight of the event. While it’s undeniable that Zedd is the greatest artist and a pioneer in the EDM space, his song Ignite didn’t punch as much as other Worlds songs. Unsurprisingly, the song ended up ranked last by five of us.

10. STAR WALKIN’ – Lil Nas X (Worlds 2022)

• Average ranking: 9

Worlds 2022 had one of the best storylines in esports history, but the Worlds anthem probably didn’t do much justice. This, however, was the first year of the new era for Riot Games where they kept bringing more and more influential stars and faces in the music industry. Even though the song wasn’t probably the best to build hype, his charisma was definitely felt during the opening ceremony.

9. Take Over – Jeremy McKinnon (A Day To Remember), MAX, Henry (Worlds 2020)

• Average ranking: 7.16

It was quite tough to rate this song. As someone who has been a big Henry and MAX fan for time, Take Over’s vocals and rap were the main reasons why I rated it 5th in the Worlds songs rankings. For other members of the team, however, it probably didn’t resonate as much. The music video was also quite enjoyable to watch, but since our focus is on the song itself, that won’t be enough to push it higher.

8. Worlds Collide – Nicki Taylor (Worlds 2015)

• Average ranking: 7.16

Coming right after Warriors, Worlds Collide had the tough challenge of having to repeat the same level of impact and emotional resonance. I remember the times when this song was played while you were logging into the game and it really helped set the mood to jump into Summoner’s Rift. But aside from that, it didn’t leave such a strong mark, apart from our colleague Lee Jones, who ranked it first.

7. Phoenix – Cailin Russo & Chrissy Costanza (Worlds 2019)

• Average ranking: 6.83

Even though it wasn’t initially my cup of tea when I first heard the song back in 2019, Phoenix grew on me thanks to Russo and Costanza’s vocals. The build-up into the explosive chorus is perfect to create hype and tension for any special moment, inspiring people and rise from the ashes.

(By the way, I still believe Riot Games does serious script writing when it comes to LoL Esports… That year, it was FunPlus Phoenix who ended up winning and ripping EU’s fans hopes…)

6. Burn It All Down – PVRIS (Worlds 2021)

• Average ranking: 6.3

Despite us rating the song itself, I still want to make a special shoutout to the song’s music video. Seeing players as League of Legends characters and battling it in the arena was an incredible concept from Riot Games and it made the song even more intense.

The dark and edgy vocals helped build up energy, which is what you want to see in top-tier Worlds songs. It’s unfortunate, however, that there have been many more tracks released that have overshadowed it. This song’s ended up being Zahk’s number one.

5. GODS – NewJeans (Worlds 2023)

• Average ranking: 4.6

With Worlds taking place in South Korea in 2023, it was certain that Riot Games would go for Korean artists for the Worlds songs. To many people’s surprise, however, the LoL creators decided to go for the unimaginable pairing with New Jeans. Known for their mellow beats and soft vocals, most questioned how the styles would mesh. Well, kudos to Riot for making a catchy song with a powerful chorus, perfectly mixing the required aspects of an anthem while still making it an undeniable New Jeans song.

4. Heavy is the Crown – Linkin Park (Worlds 2024)

• Average ranking: 4

When it comes to raw energy and delivering a powerful anthem, there aren’t many better candidates than Linkin Park. Riot Games waited 10 years before bringing the rock band on board, launching a song themed around T1 and their recent Worlds legacy. Even though the lyrics probably don’t scream much in terms of depth or storytelling about competitive gaming, the song still hit hard. If you haven’t seen Emily Armstrong scream during the Worlds 2024 opening ceremony, you probably have missed a gem.

3. Warriors – Imagine Dragons (Worlds 2014)

• Average ranking: 4

I believe one of the main reasons why fans look forward to each year’s Worlds song is because Warriors set such a high bar from the start. The song had everything: from the incredible rock sounds to the lyrics that perfectly caught the idea of chasing greatness. It’s without a doubt the benchmark of every Worlds song released since then and will always be remembered as the one that started it all.

2. Legends Never Die – Against the Current (Worlds 2017)

• Average ranking: 3.5

Legends Never Die is just the perfect song to inspire people. The epicness of the build-up and the powerful lyrics from Chrissy Costanza have done an incredible job in creating that emotional rush that gives you chills and makes every big moment feel even more unforgettable. For Filip and Ethan, this was their personal number 1 Worlds song.

1. Rise – The Glitch Mob, Mako, The Word Alive (Worlds 2018)

• Average rating: 2.6

There is something magical about RISE and it’s not just about the lyrics or the combination of rock and EDM. This song is the perfect embodiment of how an esports anthem should be and it’s no wonder that this is many people’s favorite, including myself and Nick. It’s one of those songs that doesn’t just sound like Worlds — it feels like it.