As the League of Legends competitive year reaches its midpoint, the landscape of global dominance is becoming clearer. With the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) on the horizon, two additional World Championship slots are up for grabs—making regional performance more critical than ever.
Changes in team lineups, game balance updates, and regional merges have added new dimensions to the rivalry among the world’s strongest leagues. While the First Stand tournament gave us a first glimpse at team strength, it only represented individual squads, not the depth of entire regions. With each region now sending two teams to MSI 2025, a clearer evaluation of global standings is underway.
Regional Power Snapshot: 2025 So Far
While Western teams have made some progress in recent years, Asia continues to lead the competitive scene. Korea’s LCK stands firm at the top, with China’s LPL not far behind. Meanwhile, Europe’s LEC and the Americas’ LTA are showing innovation but lack consistency, and the Pacific’s LCP remains difficult to evaluate due to limited high-level competition.
LCK – The Benchmark for Excellence
Korea’s LCK remains the gold standard in competitive League of Legends. Thanks to sharp macro play, efficient rotations, and strategic discipline, LCK teams continue to outperform rivals across the globe. Their formula of minimizing risk while maximizing reward has paid off repeatedly, with recent victories like Gen.G at MSI and T1 at Worlds in 2024 reinforcing their supremacy.
2025 has shown no signs of decline either, with Hanwha Life Esports claiming dominance at First Stand, demonstrating that LCK’s talent pool and game sense remain unmatched.
LPL – Powerful but Unpredictable
China’s LPL still holds onto second place globally, even after a shaky performance at First Stand, where it landed behind both the LEC and LCP. Despite this result, LPL maintains a deep roster of top-tier teams including Top Esports, JDG, and Bilibili Gaming—all capable of challenging Korea’s best.
What sets LPL apart is its high-paced, mechanically intense playstyle. While this creates thrilling matches, it also introduces instability. Unlike the methodical LCK, the LPL thrives on aggressive skirmishes and bold individual plays, which can either overwhelm opponents or backfire under pressure.
LEC – Creativity is the Key
Europe’s LEC has endured two years of underwhelming results on the world stage. However, the region is not without potential. European teams, such as Karmine Corp, have shown they can take down elite squads like Top Esports by leaning into unconventional draft strategies—especially with the introduction of the Fearless Draft system.
Still, the region struggles with depth and consistency. The pressure of high-stakes tournaments often causes promising strategies to falter, keeping the LEC just shy of breaking through to the elite level.
LTA – An Uneven Playing Field
The newly structured LTA (formerly LCS) has adopted a more experimental approach in recent years, almost pulling off major upsets—like FlyQuest’s close series against Gen.G in 2024. However, regional inconsistency continues to hold it back.
Differences between the North and South Conferences, and even among top teams in LTA North, are substantial. This imbalance makes it difficult for teams to sharpen their skills against worthy opponents, limiting the region’s overall progress. After a weak showing at First Stand, MSI will be a critical moment to reassess LTA’s global standing.
LCP – One Strong Team, But What Else?
The LCP has undergone structural changes after the merger of several smaller regions. While this has increased representation, it also created a competitive imbalance. CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO) has emerged as the clear frontrunner, nearly toppling LEC teams and placing third at First Stand.
CFO’s calculated and macro-oriented play mirrors the LCK’s approach, but without strong regional opponents to consistently challenge them, it’s hard to determine how far the LCP can go. The rest of the region, which includes weaker leagues like Japan’s LJL and Oceania’s LCO, continues to lag behind.
Final Thoughts: Who Leads in 2025?
The LCK continues to lead the global League of Legends scene in 2025, with the LPL trailing close behind. Western regions show flashes of brilliance but struggle to maintain it consistently. The LEC appears more competitive than the LTA, though both are still playing catch-up.
The LCP, bolstered by CFO, remains difficult to evaluate due to regional disparities. As MSI 2025 approaches, it promises to offer deeper insight into how these regions truly stack up and will set the tone for the upcoming World Championship.