LoL World Championship: Knockout Stage regulars and regional leaders

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South Korea has long been the powerhouse of League of Legends, which is why it’s no surprise that teams from this region frequently make it to the finals of major tournaments. However, this dominance might not last, as Chinese teams are steadily closing the gap with T1 and their rivals.

Meanwhile, European and North American teams, which consistently reached the knockout stages in the mid-2010s, are becoming less prominent in the finals. For the second year in a row, no representatives from the LEC have made it past the Swiss Stage at the World Championship. In this article, we’ll take a look at which teams have made it to the playoffs most often and explore the current trends shaping the professional League of Legends scene.

The 2024 World Championship marked the ninth time T1 has reached the knockout stage, making them the clear leader in the professional League of Legends scene. With four World Championship victories under their belt, they have a shot at adding another title this year. However, they’ll need to step up their game, as the season has been tough for Faker and his team.

Among Western teams, Fnatic and Cloud9 have been the most consistent in making it to the playoffs. These teams started competing in the World Championship series a decade ago, and Fnatic even won the very first World Championship. This year, Fnatic aimed to reach the knockout stage for the eighth time in their history but fell short at the Swiss Stage. Meanwhile, Cloud9 didn’t qualify for the World Championship at all this year.

How many times have regional reps been on the Knockout Stage (All seasons):

Chinese teams are steadily closing the gap with T1 in terms of knockout stage appearances. The closest contenders so far are Royal Never Give Up and Edward Gaming, boasting seven and six playoff appearances, respectively — just like Fnatic and Cloud9.

At the 2024 World Championship, neither RNG nor EDG is competing. However, the current trend shows that almost all Chinese teams are making it to the knockout stage. In contrast, LEC and LCS teams can’t match this level of success and consistency, often relying on past achievements (for example, Fnatic last reached the knockout stage four years ago). It’s only a matter of time before RNG and EDG surpass their Western counterparts.

Alongside T1, the LCK is represented at the 2024 World Championship by Gen.G, Dplus, and HLE. Among these, Gen.G is seen as the most promising, having reached the knockout stage five times and leading the domestic scene in recent years. Dplus also has strong stats, but their peak years were in 2020 and 2021, when they made it to the World Finals twice and won once. Gen.G, on the other hand, represents a new generation, positioning themselves as the successors to Dplus in their ongoing rivalry with T1. HLE, however, lacks experience on the Worlds stage and isn’t considered a favorite in the domestic league (their victory at LCK Summer 2024 was more of a surprise than expected).

Looking at the World Championship series overall, a recurring theme in recent tournaments has been the rivalry between China and South Korea. While the LCK is primarily dominated by 2-3 teams, the leader pool in the LPL is constantly shifting. As Korean teams solidify their dominance, the Chinese scene is undergoing a generational shift with heightened internal competition. New teams like Bilibili Gaming, Weibo Gaming, Top Esports, and LNG Esports have emerged as the new pillars of the Chinese scene, taking the place of RNG and Edward Gaming.