Top 5 teams at the 2019 League of Legends World Championship

The 2019 League of Legends World Championship represents the pinnacle of competitive gaming, gathering elite teams from across global regions for the most prestigious event in esports. Twenty-four organizations have battled through regional qualifiers to earn their spot, but only one squad will ultimately claim the Summoner’s Cup and eternal glory as world champions.

Each competing roster brings distinct tactical approaches and specialized strengths to the tournament, creating fascinating strategic matchups throughout the competition. For many organizations and players, this marks their debut appearance at the international stage, adding pressure to perform when every match carries championship implications.

Power rankings serve as essential analytical tools for Worlds, particularly this season where regional playstyles demonstrate remarkable diversity. Understanding team dynamics and strategic tendencies becomes crucial for predicting tournament outcomes.

This comprehensive analysis covers the five strongest contenders, ranging from tournament newcomers to organizations with multiple championship pedigrees. We begin with the Korean powerhouse that consistently defies expectations.

1. SK Telecom T1

• SKT became the first team to win eight LCK titles
• SKT is the only team with three World Championship titles

SK Telecom T1’s journey to the 2019 World Championship demonstrates remarkable resilience and organizational fortitude. Following their disappointing semifinal exit at the Mid-Season Invitational against G2 Esports, the team faced significant adversity upon returning to domestic competition. Their summer split began with a devastating five-match losing streak that threatened to eliminate playoff qualification entirely.

During a documented session in The Locker Room, team captain Lee “Faker” Sang-heyok delivered what seemed like an impossible challenge to his teammates: win thirteen consecutive matches to secure postseason positioning. While his declaration initially shocked colleagues, SKT nearly achieved this ambitious goal by securing eleven straight victories to reach the LCK playoffs.

Despite their impressive recovery, many analysts continued underestimating SKT’s capabilities throughout the postseason. Consistently positioned as underdogs despite their championship pedigree, the team systematically dismantled opponents while demonstrating why betting against SKT remains a dangerous proposition.

Critical to SKT’s success is their dominant mid-jungle partnership between Kim “Clid” Tae-min and Faker, arguably the strongest individual players in their respective roles at the tournament. This duo frequently selects champions that enable aggressive tempo control and early game priority establishment.

During mid-game transitions, SKT adopts methodical, calculated approaches while seeking efficient closing opportunities without unnecessary risk exposure. Their draft phase conservatism reflects this strategic philosophy, with players typically favoring comfort picks over experimental compositions.

SKT faces the tournament’s most challenging group stage alongside Royal Never Give Up, Fnatic, and Clutch Gaming. These matchups will thoroughly test SKT’s championship credentials, with group stage performance dictating their entire tournament trajectory.

2. G2 Esports

• G2 won back-to-back LEC titles
• G2 is the first European team to win the MSI

2019 has unquestionably become G2 Esports’ defining year, with the European organization revolutionizing competitive League of Legends through innovative strategies. Their trendsetting approaches have inspired global emulation while establishing new competitive paradigms.

Throughout the LEC summer split, G2 maintained dominant performances that occasionally bordered on effortless superiority. However, the final weeks revealed exploitable vulnerabilities, particularly concerning jungler Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski’s role as primary team catalyst. When opponents successfully target Jankos early, G2 frequently struggles to reestablish map control and strategic initiative.

This identifiable weakness, while manageable, requires G2 to maintain exceptional flexibility throughout the tournament. Their LEC summer finals performance against Fnatic demonstrated strategic adaptability, returning to conventional compositions with mage selections in the bottom lane.

G2’s greatest strength lies in their unparalleled versatility across multiple dimensions. They can execute diverse strategic approaches, utilize wide champion pools, and dynamically reposition players between roles.

Among all World Championship participants, G2 possesses the most comprehensive adaptive capabilities. This strategic flexibility provides significant advantages against opponents who specialize in specific playstyles or compositions.

3. FunPlus Phoenix

• This is the first time FunPlus Phoenix has qualified for Worlds
• Doinb played 20 different champions in the mid lane in summer, including Nocturne and Kennen

Any discussion of FunPlus Phoenix starts with mid laner Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang. The identity of the team revolves around its crafty mid laner and that makes it the most flexible team from China at Worlds.

Unlike Royal Never Give Up’s resource concentration strategy, FunPlus Phoenix distributes advantages more equitably across roles. Doinb leverages his individual strengths to support side lanes and enhance teamfighting or scaling capabilities.

FunPlus’ primary competitive advantages stem from the synergistic partnership between Doinb and jungler Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang, a duo surpassed only by SKT’s Clid and Faker. Their selfless playstyle and near-perfect coordination enable sophisticated strategic execution.

Assigned to Group B, FunPlus enjoys the most favorable path to knockout stage qualification. Splyce’s inclusion following play-ins likely presents minimal threat to their advancement prospects.

Unconventional champion selections and compositions won’t disadvantage FunPlus, as Doinb consistently demonstrates innovative pick diversity and unconventional build paths. This roster possesses strong potential for deep tournament runs if they successfully manage international stage pressure during their debut appearance.

4. Griffin

• The average age of Griffin’s players is 19 years old
• Griffin has qualified to the LCK finals three times in a row

It’s impossible to predict which version of Griffin will appear at Worlds. This roster demonstrates extreme performance variance, capable of appearing as Korea’s dominant force or displaying undisciplined solo queue tendencies without clear explanatory factors.

Griffin emerged from Challengers Korea as a collective of rookies with ambitious aspirations. Their fresh perspective fundamentally transformed LCK strategic approaches through innovative methodologies.

Before Griffin’s LCK entrance, Korean teams maintained rigid playstyle commitments while resisting adaptation to emerging global meta trends. This strategic inflexibility contributed significantly to LCK’s international disappointments during 2018, resulting in the region losing its third main event seed for Worlds 2019.

Despite domestic success and continuous innovation, Griffin’s relative inexperience represents their primary competitive limitation. Having completed their inaugural competitive year, they’ve transitioned from rookie designation to established organizational status.

Griffin arrives at Worlds featuring potentially Korea’s most promising jungling talent in Lee “Tarzan” Seung-yong, renowned for exceptional solo queue performances with consistent top-five rankings. Tarzan functions as the team’s cohesive element, enabling and amplifying his teammates’ individual capabilities.

The organization competes internationally without former head coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho, who departed unexpectedly on September 26. This coaching transition potentially disrupts their international championship pursuit.

5. Royal Never Give Up

• RNG is the only top team to play mostly through the bottom lane
• Worlds is the first international appearance for top laner Langx, who joined the team in spring
• RNG was the favorite to win Worlds in 2018, but got knocked out in the quarterfinals

Royal Never Give Up serves as a strategic cautionary narrative for tournament favorites like G2 Esports.

During 2018, RNG appeared destined for championship glory following consecutive LPL titles and MSI victory. Despite these achievements, they suffered a stunning quarterfinal defeat against G2, constituting one of the tournament’s most significant upsets. While Invictus Gaming ultimately secured the championship for Chinese fans, RNG’s golden road narrative concluded prematurely.

2019 introduced significant roster modifications, including top lane reinforcement following Liu “Mlxg” Shi-Yu’s retirement. Spring split concluded with second-round playoff elimination, but summer performance demonstrated significant recovery. Their finals series against FunPlus Phoenix revealed solo lane carry potential alongside continued resource allocation to star bottom laner Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao.

Uzi has fully recovered from spring injury complications that limited his competitive availability. The accomplished bottom laner now compensates for lost opportunities while carrying his team toward victory.

RNG’s strategic approach revolves completely around Uzi, allocating virtually all available gold resources to enhance his carrying capabilities.

This concentrated resource strategy potentially increases solo lane vulnerability. Top laner Xie “Langx” Zhen-Ying and mid laner Li “Xiaohu” Yuan-Hao face intense scrutiny during group stage competitions. These solo laners confront the world’s elite players, frequently paired with world-class jungling partners.

Despite this identifiable strategic vulnerability, RNG remains intimidating opposition. Among bottom-lane focused organizations, RNG demonstrates superior execution and strategic refinement. Assigned to the tournament’s most competitive group alongside SKT, Fnatic, and Clutch Gaming guarantees formidable competition before knockout stage commencement.

The 2019 League of Legends World Championship main event commences on October 12 featuring an opening match between SKT and Fnatic.

The 2019 World Championship presents fascinating strategic dynamics between regional powerhouses with distinct competitive philosophies. SKT’s methodical precision contrasts sharply with G2’s adaptive creativity, while FunPlus Phoenix’s flexibility presents unique strategic advantages. Griffin’s inconsistency and RNG’s specialized approach create compelling tournament narratives with significant championship implications.

Critical matchups during the group stage will determine tournament trajectories, with the SKT vs. Fnatic opening match establishing immediate competitive tone.

For deeper strategic insights into team compositions and champion selections, consult our comprehensive Class Guide for comprehensive role analysis and strategic optimization.

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