Gen.G Esports Defends Title as Strongest Team with EWC Victory... Defending Champion T1 Finishes 3rd

The winner of the Esports World Cup (EWC) League of Legends has been determined. Gen.G Esports from the LCK (Korean League) lifted the championship trophy after defeating Anyone's Legend from the LPL (Chinese League).

The EWC, which features professional gamers from various genres including 'Valorant', 'League of Legends', 'Tekken 8', 'Rainbow Six Siege X', 'FC25', and 'PUBG', held its League of Legends matches from the 16th to the 20th. In the 2024 EWC, T1 won the championship, allowing LCK teams Gen.G Esports, T1, and Hanwha Life Esports to advance.

Among them, Hanwha Life Esports, which progressed from the group stage, defeated CTBC Flying Oyster (Asia-Pacific League) and Movistar Riders (European League) to secure a spot in the quarterfinals but was eliminated by Anyone's Legend from the LPL in the quarterfinals. In contrast, Gen.G Esports, which advanced directly to the semifinals, defeated FlyQuest (American League), while T1 overcame Movistar Riders to reach the semifinals.

The semifinals saw contrasting fortunes. Gen.G Esports achieved victory over G2 (European League), while T1 faced defeat against Anyone's Legend, narrowly missing the finals. However, they managed to redeem themselves by winning against G2 in the third-place match. Gen.G Esports, which reached the finals, exchanged leads with Anyone's Legend and battled through five sets to claim victory. As a result, LCK confirmed the participation of three teams in the 2026 EWC, and Gen.G Esports lifted the international championship trophy again just a week after winning MSI (Mid-Season Invitational), defending their title as the world's strongest team. The MVP of the finals was top laner 'Kiin' Kim Ki-in.