Worlds 2025 Prize Pool Doubled to $5 Million USD

The League of Legends World Championship 2025 has set a new benchmark in esports with a record-breaking $5 million prize pool, more than doubling last year’s $2.25 million. This announcement was made by Chris Greeley, Global Head of League of Legends Esports, in an interview that happened before the First Stand finals in Seoul. This increase is aligned with Riot Games' commitment to fostering a sustainable and rewarding ecosystem for professional teams and players.

Substantial Increase to International Prize Pools

According to the confirmation by Chris Greeley, Riot's dedication to the continue growth of LoL Esports in 2025 isn't just constrained to Worlds, with the publisher releasing the updated prize pools for the rest of the international events across the 2025 calendar year.

• MSI 2025: $2 million.
• Worlds 2025: $5 million.

First Stand's milestone-high bounty of $1 million USD already quadrupled the prize pool from MSI 2024, which sat at $250, 000 USD, but now MSI 2025 will see an increased pool later this year, 8 times the amount teams walked away with last year.

Riot's Vision for Esports

Chris Greeley emphasized that the focus of League of Legends esports is not solely on revenue generation but on building a sustainable ecosystem.

"The goal of LoL esports is not to become an esports that generates a lot of revenue, we're focusing on building a sustainable ecosystem. We're continuously communicating with pro teams and seeking self-sustaining possibilities. We're thinking about how we can generate revenue."

In addition to the base prize pool, revenue from digital merchandise, such as exclusive in-game items, could further boost these figures. Riot Games has introduced initiatives like the "Battle Academia Xayah" skin to engage fans and generate additional funds for the prize pool.

The Worlds 2025 tournament will take place at the end of this year in China, running from October 4th to November 2nd. It will feature 17 of the best teams in the world competing for the prestigious Summoner’s Cup and their share of the expanded prize pool.

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Feature image credits: Riot Games

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