Jul 20, 2025.
After a week full of exciting upsets and top-tier gameplay, League of Legends at the Esports World Cup 2025 concluded today with a gripping grand final between Gen.G Esports and AG.AL. Gen.G claimed the title, taking home $600,000 and 1,000 points toward the organization's path to the Club Championship. Congratulations to Gen.G on earning a place in Esports World Cup history.
Entering the tournament as the reigning MSI titleholders and unbeaten in series play throughout the year, Gen.G came in as favorites to take the title. That narrative shifted after the semifinals, with AG.AL sweeping defending EWC titleholders T1. Gen.G also showed signs of vulnerability in their win over G2 – setting the stage for a thrilling final.
Gen.G opened the series by winning the first two games with confident, composed play. AG.AL answered back with a dominant Game 3 performance, then battled through a hard-fought Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2. But in a decisive Game 5, Gen.G regained control. Led by Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon on his signature Twisted Fate, the team closed out the series to maintain their perfect record and claim the 2025 Esports World Cup title.
"We just wanted to make a show,” Chovy said after being asked about letting the series get to Game 5 after leading 2-0.
SONY MVP
Given the impact top laners had throughout the tournament, there was little doubt about the recipient of the Sony MVP award. Kim "Kiin" Ki-in earned the honor with consistently high-level play and standout performances in key moments, securing the title of Most Valuable Player at this year’s Esports World Cup. Along with the recognition, Kiin also takes home a $10,000 cash prize.
The week began with high-stakes best-of-one matches that showcased the volatility of single-game play. That unpredictability led to North America’s Cloud9 having their tournament hopes crushed by Brazilian underdogs FURIA. However, FURIA’s upset run was short-lived, as they fell to FlyQuest in the following decider match.
That victory meant the American first seed, FlyQuest, together with G2, Hanwha Life Esports, and Movistar KOI, advanced to the quarterfinals. Those four joined top seeds Bilibili Gaming, AG.AL, Gen.G Esports, and defending EWC titleholders T1 Esports in an eight-team, single-elimination playoff brack
The stage also saw the debut of the newly implemented Fearless draft system with the playoffs moving to a best-of-three format. Its influence was most apparent in G2’s upset win over BLG. In the deciding third game, G2 mid laner Caps locked in LeBlanc – an unconventional pick prompted by BLG’s bans and restrictions from champions used earlier in the series.
The crowd had already reacted loudly when the pick appeared, but the fans erupted after Caps delivered a stellar performance to lead his team to victory.
G2's victory earned them a spot in the semifinals against Gen.G, who started their winning run by beating FlyQuest in their quarterfinal matchup. It looked like G2 might pull off another upset, but Gen.G secured their place in the final with a dominant Game 3 performance, led by Kim "Kiin" Ki-in's standout play on Ambessa.
On the other side of the bracket, AG.AL faced T1 for a place in the final. The Chinese squad ended T1's hopes of defending their title with a commanding performance that knocked the reigning titleholders out of contention. Although unable to retain their crown, T1 salvaged some pride by defeating G2 in the following third-place match.
With the win, Gen.G claimed the $600,000 first-place prize and earned the maximum 1,000 points toward the Club Championship standings. The victory also officially qualifies them for the overall Club Championship title race, which requires at least one tournament win to be eligible.
Relive every teamfight, every upset, and every match of League of Legends at EWC 25 on YouTube.
With hundreds of matches set to take place over the next few days, new legends will rise as champions are crowned and rivals are toppled. Watch the Esports World Cup 2025 live or check out the ticket options to watch in-person this week!