Gen.G Takes the Crown: South Korean Esports Team Wins 2025 World Cup!

South Korean League of Legends powerhouse Gen.G cemented their status as esports royalty by clinching the 2025 Esports World Cup title on Monday, hot on the heels of their recent Mid-Season Invitational victory.

In a nail-biting best-of-five grand final, Gen.G edged out China’s Anyone’s Legend with a 3-2 win, securing the championship and a $600,000 prize. The series showcased stellar performances from mid laner Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon and top laner Kim “Kiin” Ki-in, who were instrumental in securing early wins. Jeong’s masterful control of Twisted Fate – a champion known for global map presence and potent burst damage – proved crucial to Gen.G’s triumph.

En route to the final, Gen.G had overcome Europe’s G2 Esports 2-1, while Anyone’s Legend swept Korea’s T1 2-0. Both Gen.G and T1, having finished in the top four at MSI 2025, bypassed the preliminaries and advanced directly to the playoffs.

This victory marks Gen.G as the second team to claim the EWC championship, following in the footsteps of last year’s winners, T1.

Launched in 2024, the Riyadh-based event is an annual international tournament series featuring multiple esports titles, including StarCraft, Battleground Mobile, Fortnite, and League of Legends.

Gen.G’s EWC triumph extends their winning streak, coming on the heels of back-to-back MSI titles – one of the three major annual international tournaments organized by Riot Games.
Widely regarded as the second-most prestigious League of Legends event after the World Championship, Gen.G clinched the MSI title by defeating T1 3-2 in a thrilling final on July 13. The match not only reignited the storied Gen.G-T1 rivalry but also drew significant attention as the first international final showdown between fan-favorite mid laners Jeong and Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.

Their MSI championship has bolstered Gen.G’s chances of securing a direct berth to the 2025 World Championship. Under Riot Games’ 2024 rules, MSI champions automatically qualify for Worlds, provided they return to their regional league and achieve at least a playoff-level finish.

Currently positioned in the legend group for the upcoming League of Legends Champions Korea rounds 3 to 5, kicking off Wednesday, Gen.G needs just 4 to 5 more wins – building on their flawless 18-0 record from rounds 1 and 2 – to lock in a spot in the World Championship playoffs.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2015, only two teams – T1 and Royal Never Give Up – had secured back-to-back MSI titles. Now, Gen.G joins this elite club with their consecutive MSI championship victories.