Winning once is hard. Winning twice is a miracle. Winning three times in a row? That’s just shouldn't be possible in a game as volatile as League of Legends. Yet, here we are in early 2026, still processing the absolute madness of what happened in Chengdu just a few months ago. T1 didn't just win another trophy; they broke the sport.
Most people think the League of Legends World Championship series is just another tournament. It's not. It’s a global ritual that has survived massive meta shifts, developer blunders, and the supposed "esports winter" that was supposed to kill the industry years ago.
The "Three-Peat" That Changed Everything
Let’s be real: at the start of 2025, T1 looked shaky. They were the fourth seed coming out of Korea. They actually had to play in the Play-In stage—a place where world champions usually only go to visit, not to fight for their lives. Watching Faker, a 29-year-old veteran in a teenager’s game, grind through those early matches was surreal. But something clicks for that roster when the lights get bright.
The 2025 final against KT Rolster was probably the highest level of League we’ve ever seen. It went the full five games. KT actually had T1 on the ropes, leading 2-1 after a dominant Game 3 where Bdd’s Mel (one of the newer terrors on the Rift) basically ran over everyone. But Game 4 changed the trajectory of esports history. Oner, T1’s jungler, pulled off three consecutive objective steals. You could feel the soul leave the KT players. T1 won that series 3-2, securing the first "three-peat" (2023, 2024, 2025) and Faker's sixth individual title.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Worlds
There’s this common myth that the tournament is just about who has the fastest fingers. If that were true, the 18-year-old rookies would win every year. Instead, we see veterans like Faker, Meiko, and Deft staying relevant well into their late 20s.
Worlds is actually a test of metabolic adaptation. Riot Games usually drops a massive patch right before the tournament or introduces a wild mechanic. In 2025, it was the "Fearless Draft." If you aren't familiar, it basically means once a champion is picked, it’s banned for the rest of the series. You can't just be a "one-trick" pony anymore. You need a champion pool as deep as the ocean. This change alone is why the 2025 viewership peaked at over 6 million concurrent viewers (excluding China). It forced variety. No more seeing K'Sante vs. Renekton for five games straight.
The Power Shift (Or Lack Thereof)
For a while, everyone thought China’s LPL had finally overtaken Korea’s LCK. But the last four years tell a different story.
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- 2022: DRX (Korea)
- 2023: T1 (Korea)
- 2024: T1 (Korea)
- 2025: T1 (Korea)
China has some of the best individual talent in the world—players like Bin and Knight are terrifying—but they keep stumbling at the finish line. The LPL hasn't won a Worlds title since EDward Gaming in 2021. In 2025, the tournament was held in China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu), and yet, the final was an all-Korean affair. That has to sting.
The Logistics of a Modern Mega-Event
Hosting the League of Legends World Championship series is now a massive logistical nightmare, but in a good way. The 2025 prize pool sat at $5 million USD, which is a lot, but the real money is in the "digital goods." Fans buying in-game skins and emotes added millions more to that pot.
The 2026 tour is heading back to North America, with the finals set for New York City. This is a big deal because the LCS (North American league) is currently in a state of "recalibration." They’re merging, splitting, and trying to find their identity again. Having the biggest trophy in gaming back on US soil might be the spark the region needs to finally—hopefully—get past the quarterfinals.
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Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're looking to actually follow the League of Legends World Championship series this year without getting overwhelmed, here is how you should approach it:
- Watch the "First Stand" Tournament: This is Riot's new season-opener. It usually sets the tone for which regions are ahead of the curve on the new patches.
- Follow the "Fearless" Meta: Since Fearless Draft is here to stay, pay attention to players who can play weird, off-meta stuff. Versatility is the new "mechanics."
- Don't Ignore the "LCP" and "LTA": These are the new merged regions (Asia-Pacific and Americas). The talent is consolidated now, meaning the "weak" teams are gone. Every match is actually a banger.
- Track the "Golden Road": Watch Gen.G. They have been the "kings of spring" for years but always choke at Worlds. If they win the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) in 2026, the pressure on them to complete the "Golden Road" (winning everything in one year) will be the biggest storyline of the decade.
The reality is that League isn't dying; it's just maturing. The 2025 three-peat proved that legacy matters. Now, as we look toward NYC 2026, the question isn't whether T1 can win again—it's whether anyone else is even allowed to.