1. South Korea
South Korea is by far the most successful region at
Worlds, both in terms of finalists and championships. The region has consistently produced top-tier teams that have dominated the World Championship scene.
- 2012: SK Telecom T1 (Winners)
- 2013: SK Telecom T1 (Winners)
- 2014: Samsung White (Winners)
- 2015: SK Telecom T1 (Winners)
- 2016: SK Telecom T1 (Winners)
- 2017: SK Telecom T1 (Finalists)
- 2018: Kingzone DragonX (Finalists)
- 2019: SK Telecom T1 (Finalists)
- 2020: DAMWON Gaming (Winners)
- 2021: DAMWON KIA (Finalists)
- 2022: DRX (Winners)
- 2023: T1 (Finalists)
- 2024: Gen.G (Finalists)
Total South Korean finalists: 13 (5 wins)
2. China
China has made a significant impact on the World Championship, especially in recent years, with several teams reaching the finals.
- 2013: Royal Club (Finalists)
- 2014: Royal Club (Finalists)
- 2018: Invictus Gaming (Winners)
- 2019: FunPlus Phoenix (Winners)
- 2021: Edward Gaming (Winners)
- 2022: Top Esports (Finalists)
- 2023: Bilibili Gaming (Finalists)
Total Chinese finalists: 7 (3 wins)
3. Europe
European teams have had strong showings in Worlds over the years, making it to the finals multiple times but never winning the championship.
- 2018: Fnatic (Finalists)
- 2019: G2 Esports (Finalists)
- 2023: G2 Esports (Finalists)
Total European finalists: 3 (0 wins)
4. Taiwan (ROC)
Taiwan had a historic win in
2012, where
Taipei Assassins became the first non-South Korean team to win the World Championship.
- 2012: Taipei Assassins (Winners)
Total Taiwanese finalists: 1 (1 win)
5. Other Regions
Several other regions have had teams that made it to Worlds but these instances are less frequent. Notably, Brazil, Japan, and North America are among the other regions that have produced finalists.
Final Tally of World Championship Finalists by Region (2012-2024)
Region |
Number of Finalists |
Number of Wins |
South Korea |
13 |
5 |
China |
7 |
3 |
Europe |
3 |
0 |
Taiwan (ROC) |
1 |
1 |
Other Regions |
2 |
0 |
Conclusion
- South Korea stands out with 13 finalist appearances and 5 victories, solidifying its position as the most dominant region in League of Legends history.
- China has made significant strides, with 7 finalist appearances and 3 championships. This includes dominant teams like Invictus Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, and Edward Gaming.
- Europe has produced 3 finalist teams (Fnatic and G2 Esports), but has yet to win a World Championship title.
- Taiwan's Taipei Assassins achieved a historic win in 2012, making it the only non-South Korean and non-Chinese team to win Worlds to date.
- Finally, other regions, such as Brazil and Japan, have made notable appearances but have not yet broken through to the finals.
With this breakdown, we can see that
South Korea and
China are the primary powerhouses, while
Europe and
Taiwan have been close contenders. The future of
League of Legends esports remains exciting as new regions continue to emerge and challenge the dominance of the established giants.
Editor's Note: We intentionally did not include Fnatic vs. Against All Authority, the Season 1 Championship, as that was not technically "Worlds" as we know it yet.