The biggest tournament of the year has begun in China, and what a start it was! The opening match of Worlds 2025 saw the reigning world champions T1 take on Invictus Gaming, making their long-awaited return to the event to fight for a spot in the Group Stage. Unsurprisingly, this clash of giants captivated League of Legends fans around the world, peaking at over 2.5 million live viewers, the highest opening-day viewership in Worlds history.
This year’s Play-In stage saw a major format shift — only two teams competed instead of the usual eight. But what a matchup it turned out to be! The rivalry between Chinese and Korean teams has always been one of the most intense on the international LoL stage, and with the five-time world champions in play, fireworks were inevitable.
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The series unfolded largely on T1’s terms, and even a setback on the second map couldn’t slow them down. Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and his teammates rallied to take the next two games (3:1), confidently securing their place in the Group Stage.
The Play-In stage has set a new record, not just for opening-day viewership in Worlds history, but for the entire Play-In stage overall. The previous high was 1.4 million live viewers at Worlds 2024, meaning this year’s figure surpasses it by nearly 75%.
Peak viewership was centered on two major platforms — YouTube and Twitch — with YouTube nearly doubling Twitch at its highest point. South Korean platforms CHZZK and SOOP added to the total as well, attracting several hundred thousand viewers.
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Looking at viewer demographics, Koreans made up the largest audience, with over 840,000 tuning in at peak. The international English-speaking audience was also highly engaged, along with other Asian viewers, including fans from Vietnam and China (on non-Chinese platforms).
After such a strong start and T1’s progression, all eyes now turn to the Group Stage, kicking off tomorrow, October 15. Stay up to date with the tournament and its audience numbers with Esports Charts!
