The League of Legends World Championship, also known as Worlds, is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious events in esports, has long been the stage for the game’s greatest rivalries. Some teams achieve glory, while others fall short; some dreams are fulfilled, while others turn into heartbreak. Yet the stories of the defining clashes at the year’s most important tournament will remain forever. And when it comes to rivalries at Worlds, the name that comes up most often is none other than T1. After all, the Korean giants have lifted the trophy five times, with seven finals out of nine participations. Only one other team has managed to win Worlds twice: Samsung (Galaxy/White). Here are the top LoL Worlds rivalries of the past decade and a half.
The Top LoL Worlds Rivalries in Esports
T1 against the LPL – China’s nightmare
If there is one region that had to bear the cost of T1’s triumph, it’s China. It all began with Royal Never Give Up (known back then as Royal Club), the first victims who fell 3-0 in 2013, marking the dawn of Korea’s iron grip on the competition, and above all, SKT’s reign. A reign that RNG would pay for repeatedly. The following year, Royal Club fell again in the final, this time to Samsung White, before running into SKT in the 2016 quarterfinals, and ultimately being buried for good in a tense 2017 semifinal (3-2). On three separate occasions, Faker crushed the dreams of Uzi, his runner-up in the Hall of Legends.
As if that weren’t enough, even after the Chinese ADC’s retirement, T1 and Faker continued to torment the LPL. In 2022, JDG fell 3–1 to T1 in the semifinals, only to return the following year with one of the strongest “super teams” China had ever assembled. With Worlds hosted in Korea, every single LCK team was eliminated by Chinese squads in the quarterfinals—except T1. JDG, led by Ruler, was on their quest for the Golden Road, but were stopped dead once again in the semis by Faker. The script repeated itself in 2024, when Bilibili Gaming failed to take down the “Unkillable Demon King” in front of thousands of fans in London. Time and again, the so-called GOAT has proven to be a great and insurmountable wall for China.
Put simply, T1 has never lost a single Worlds playoff series against a Chinese team—10 best-of-fives, 10 wins. In 2025, they’ll begin their campaign in the play-in stage against the LPL’s fourth seed. Perhaps this time, on home soil, the LPL will finally have the chance to break the curse and eliminate their greatest nemesis right from the start.
T1 against Samsung/Gen.G – Dynasties
In the 2016 Worlds Grand Final, SKT faced SSG in one of the longest Bo5s in LoL history. Four games lasted over 45 minutes, including a 70-minute marathon, in a series that ultimately crowned Faker a three-time world champion—victorious at the very edge of suspense. The following year, however, a far less convincing SKT once again reached the final against SSG. This time, a vengeful Ruler sealed the series with a decisive flash-in on the GOAT during Game 3. The result was brutal: a clean 3–0. For the first time in his career, Faker left Worlds without the trophy—and broke down in tears before millions of viewers.
In 2018, KSV inherited Samsung Galaxy’s slot and rebranded to Gen.G. That marked the beginning of an unmatched rivalry within the LCK, one that has seen Gen.G claim repeated victories in recent years. The clash reached its peak for Worlds semis last year, when Chovy declared he would usher in a new future, only for Faker to challenge him to prove it—featured in what many consider Riot Games’ best pre-match trailer ever produced. In the end, it was T1 who triumphed over Gen.G (3–1), defying all expectations given the competitive years each team had produced. To this day, this is one of the few ongoing rivalries in LoL esports.
SKT against KOO/ROX Tigers – Goliath vs David
In 2015, one of the most iconic and moving stories in esports was written. The KOO Tigers—an underdog squad of rejected players, stripped of sponsorship and financial backing by the end of the season—defied all odds to reach the Worlds Grand Final. But there, they ran into a team no miracle could overcome, led by MaRin, who made quick work of the Tigers’ star, Smeb. SKT claimed the title with a 3–1 victory.
But the story didn’t end there. In 2016, rebranding as ROX Tigers, the team returned to face SKT in the semifinals—this time as the reigning LCK champions. That clash remains to this day one of the greatest matches in Worlds history. The Tigers unveiled a groundbreaking strategy in Game 2, countering one of the strongest meta picks (Zyra) with Miss Fortune support. It paid off immediately, as they took the next two games, including the unforgettable Arrow across the map from PraY. With their backs against the wall, SKT banned Gorilla’s Miss Fortune… but in doing so, left Peanut’s signature Nidalee open.
Then came Bengi’s moment of brilliance: he locked in Nidalee himself—a champion he had never played in competitive. Against all expectations, he dominated all over the map. In the decisive Game 5, SKT clutched the win, highlighted by Faker’s legendary great escape on the top lane.
A series packed with highlights and tactical brilliance—simply one of the greatest matches ever played, showcasing one of the fiercest rivalries League has ever known.
