All the gaming enthusiasts are pretty soon going to be glued to the screen as the Esports World Cup 2025, League of Legends, is making a thrilling comeback. The good news for LoL fans is that this return to the EWC is not a one-time thing. Riot Games has signed a three-year deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation, guaranteeing that LoL, along with other Riot titles, will be featured at the EWC annually until 2027.
League of Legends is a tactical team game by Riot Games where two teams pick from 170+ champions to destroy the enemy’s main base. Players earn gold by defeating minions and jungle monsters to buy items and get stronger. Teams push lanes, destroy towers, and every team fights to achieve victory.
The EWC tournament is scheduled from July 16 to July 20, 2025. The world’s 12 best teams will battle it out at the STC Esports Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Let’s dive into the format, team lineup, and — for all the bettors out there — the Esports World Cup League of Legends betting odds.
Schedule and Format
Group Stage: July 16-17
Playoffs: July 17-20
This year, the League of Legends EWC 2025 is changing its format. Unlike last year’s single-elimination, it will now have two stages because the number of teams has grown from eight to twelve. Let’s closely look at both of these stages.
Group Stage
This stage features eight teams that are ranked 5th through 12th from the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), split into two groups of four. They will play in a double-elimination format, with each match being a single best-of-one game. The top two teams from each group will then move on to the playoffs.
Playoffs
Eight teams will compete in the single-elimination playoffs of the EWC 2025 LoL tournament. These include the top four MSI teams and the four qualifiers from the Group Stage. Quarterfinals, held on July 17-18, and Semifinals, held on July 19, will be best-of-three matches. The EWC 2025 LoL champion will be decided in a best-of-five Grand Final on July 20th.
Qualified Teams
Now that you are familiar with the format, let’s examine the qualified teams, their rosters, and how they qualified for this tournament.
| Team | Roster | Road to Qualification |
| T1 | Doran, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, Keria | Direct invitation (Defending champions) |
| Gen.G | Kiin, Canyon, Chovy, Ruler, Duro, Lyn | LCK 2025 Road to MSI champion |
| Hanwha Life Esports | Zeus, Peanut, Zeka, Viper, Delight | LCK 2025 Road to MSI 3rd place |
| AG.AL | Flandre, Tarzan, Shanks, Hope, Kael | LPL 2025 Split 2 Playoffs champion |
| Bilibili Gaming | Bin, Beichuan, Knight, Elk, ON | LPL 2025 Split 2 Playoffs runner-up |
| Movistar KOI | Myrwn, Elyoya, Jojopyun, Supa, Alvaro | LEC 2025 Spring Playoffs champion |
| G2 Esports | BrokenBlade, SkewMond, Caps, Hans Sama, Labrov | LEC 2025 Spring Playoffs runner-up |
| FlyQuest | Bwipo, Inspired, Quadra, Massu, Busio, Gakgos | LTA North 2025 Split 2 Playoffs champion |
| Cloud 9 | Thanatos, Blaber, Loki, Zven, Vulcan, Inero | LTA North 2025 Split 2 Playoffs runner-up |
| FURIA | Guigo, Tatu, Tutsz, Ayu, JoJo | LTA South 2025 Split 2 Playoffs champion |
| CTBC Flying Oyster | Rest, Driver, JunJia, HongQ, Doggo, Kaiwing | LCP 2025 Mid-Season Qualifying Series champion |
| GAM Esports | Kiaya, Levi, Emo, Artemis, Elio, Aress | LCP 2025 Mid-Season Qualifying Series runner-up |
Teams to Watch
This tournament brings together elite teams, but there are a few that instantly grab fans’ eyes. Let’s look at these teams.
T1
As the defending EWC 2024 champions, T1 enters the Esports World Cup 2025 as someone worth watching. Their current strong performance at MSI 2025, combined with their roster’s vast experience in major tournaments, makes them a prime candidate to win again. All eyes will be on T1 as they attempt to secure back-to-back titles.
Gen.G
Another top contender at EWC 2025 is Gen.G. This Korean titan, much like T1, is currently in strong form, having performed well at MSI 2025. Gen.G has been steadily improving, making them a serious threat to win the tournament.
Fans should especially look forward to the potential clashes between Gen.G and T1. These two leading Korean teams recently faced off at MSI, where Gen.G defeated T1 in Round 4, setting the stage for an exciting rivalry at the EWC.
Bilibili Gaming
Despite the dominance of Korean teams, don’t count out Bilibili Gaming at the tournament. This Chinese squad has consistently shown they are among the world’s best, with their strong MSI 2025 performance as proof. They could very well surprise everyone, emerge as the dark horse, and take home the championship.
AG.AL
Finally, keep an eye on AG.AL. This Chinese team, featuring both South Korean and Chinese LoL talent, is quickly gaining popularity. Their strong showings at both the LPL 2025 Split 2 and MSI 2025 suggest they have a real shot at succeeding at the EWC 2025.
Betting Odds
There are several ways that you can bet on the League of Legends EWC 2025. Here are some of the most popular Esports World Cup League of Legends betting markets.
- Match Winner: This is the simplest betting market for League of Legends. You just pick which team will win a specific match. It’s perfect for beginners and a favourite among experienced bettors.
- Map Winner: Just like betting on the overall match winner, a bet on the map winner means you are picking which team will win a specific map within a League of Legends series.
- Total Maps Played: In LoL, over/under betting means you are predicting the total number of maps played in a series, regardless of which team wins. You bet on whether the final map count will be over or under a set number.
- First Blood/First Baron: These are special bets where you predict which team will achieve these early game objectives. They are great for punters who know which teams start aggressively to gain an early advantage.
- LoL Tournament Winner: Future bets are excellent for getting the best possible odds on your favourite LoL team. You place these wagers early, before the World Cup starts or progresses, which allows you to lock in higher odds before they drop.
If you are interested in placing bets on these matches, 7bet offers a variety of Esports World Cup League of Legends betting markets to choose from. However, ensure that you adhere to all the responsible gambling practices before wagering your money.
Where to Watch the EWC League of Legends?
You can catch all the League of Legends EWC 2025 matches live on the official Esports World Cup Twitch and YouTube channels. Full match videos and highlights will also be available on their YouTube channel, so you don’t miss out on any action.
What’s at Stake?
Beyond the prestige, the EWC 2025 LoL offers a substantial $2 million prize fund and 2750 Club Points. Here’s how the prize money will be divided:
- 1st Place: $600K
- 2nd Place: $320K
- 3rd Place: $230K
- 4th Place: $160K
- 5th-8th Place: $110K
- 9th-10th Place: $75K
- 11th-12th Place: $50K
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org