The 2025 League of Legends World Championship kicked off with a historic clash between T1 and Invictus Gaming, and the opening match shattered records.
The matchup drew over 2.5 million peak concurrent viewers, setting a new all-time high for both Worlds opening-day and Play-In stage audiences. According to data from Esports Charts, the series peaked at 2,503,910 viewers, surpassing the previous record of 1.4 million from Worlds 2024 by an impressive margin of more than 75 percent.
This surge marks the highest viewership spike for a Worlds opener ever recorded for a Play-In stage in the tournament’s history. The excitement around the match was palpable, and with good reason. Featuring two legendary figures, Faker from T1 and TheShy from Invictus Gaming, the series brought together two of the most iconic names in League history in a high-stakes, winner-takes-all battle.
YouTube emerged as the top platform for viewership, drawing a massive portion of the global audience. Korean-speaking fans made up the largest segment, with more than 840,000 tuning in to watch T1’s opening performance.
English-speaking viewers also turned out in huge numbers, alongside strong engagement from other regions across Asia, particularly Vietnam. However, these numbers don’t even include viewership from China’s exclusive streaming platforms, meaning the exact total was likely much higher.
The pressure was enormous for both teams, representing the fourth seeds from the powerhouse regions of the LCK and LPL. With elimination on the line, T1 came out on top with a 3-1 victory, earning their ticket to the Swiss Stage and keeping their dream of another championship alive. Faker, as always, proved pivotal in the mid lane, supported by Oner’s stellar jungle control and Gumayusi’s consistency in the bot lane.
Despite falling short, Invictus Gaming showed incredible fight. Veteran mid laner Rookie delivered several standout moments, reminding everyone why he remains one of the most respected players in the world. While the loss ended IG’s Worlds run early, their resilience and flashes of brilliance made a strong impression on both fans and analysts.
The record-breaking viewership paints an exciting picture for the rest of the tournament. Normally, Play-In matches draw smaller audiences compared to the main event, making the 2.5 million peak especially remarkable.
With their victory, T1 moved on to face FlyQuest, the top seed from the LTA region, on Oct. 15. The ongoing Swiss Stage promises even more thrilling matchups, including Gen.G versus PSG Talon, G2 Esports taking on Top Esports, and CTBC Flying Oyster clashing with Fnatic.
The action will build toward the grand on Nov. 9 in Chengdu, China, where the world’s best will battle for the Summoner’s Cup and a $5 million prize pool. This explosive start to Worlds 2025 has already rewritten viewership history and set the tone for what’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting tournaments League has ever seen.
Published: Oct 15, 2025 06:01 am