Draft Coach English EN
Overview
The 2018 League of Legends World Championship was the 8th iteration of the tournament, held across four cities in South Korea. It is widely considered one of the most exciting Worlds in history, featuring the collapse of Korean dominance, the rise of the West, and China (LPL) finally claiming its first title.
Tournament Structure
A 24-team tournament featuring the return of the full Play-In format.
Regional Slots
- Korea (LCK): 3 teams (Defending champions
Gen.G eliminated in groups) - China (LPL), Europe (EU LCS), NA (NA LCS): 3 teams each
- LMS: 2 teams + 1 Play-In seed
- Vietnam (VCS): 1 direct Group Stage seed
- Wildcards: 8 regions competing in Play-Ins
Stage 1: Play-In (Oct 1–7)
12 teams split into 4 groups of 3.
- Group Stage: Double Round Robin. Top 2 advance.
- Knockout: Bo5 Qualification Matches.
- 4 teams advance to the Main Group Stage.
Stage 2: Group Stage (Oct 10–17)
16 teams (12 Direct + 4 Play-In) divided into 4 groups.
- Double Round Robin. Matches are Best-of-one.
- Top 2 teams from each group advance to Knockouts.
- This stage saw the shocking elimination of defending champions Gen.G (1-5 record).
Stage 3: Knockout Stage (Oct 20 – Nov 3)
Eight teams enter a single-elimination playoff bracket.
- All matches are Best-of-five.
- For the first time ever, 3 Western teams (FNC, G2, C9) reached the Semifinals.
Patch Info: Played on Patch 8.19. The meta shifted heavily towards solo lane carries (TheShy, Rookie, Caps, Perkz).
Prize Pool
The total prize pool reached approximately $6,450,000 USD (boosted by Championship Kha'Zix sales):
| Place | Prize | % | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏆 1st | $2,418,750 | 37.5% |  Invictus Gaming |
| 🥈 2nd | $870,750 | 13.5% |  Fnatic |
| 🥉 3-4 | $451,500 | 7% |  G2 Esports,  Cloud9 |
| 5-8 | $258,000 | 4% |  KT Rolster,  Royal Never Give Up,  EDward Gaming,  Afreeca Freecs |
| 9-12 | $145,125 | 2.25% |  Team Vitality,  Flash Wolves,  Team Liquid,  100 Thieves |
| 13-16 | $80,625 | 1.25% | Gen.G,  Phong Vũ Buffalo,  MAD Team,  G-Rex |
| 17-20 | $48,375 | 0.75% |  Gambit Esports,  DetonatioN FocusMe,  Infinity Esports,  SuperMassive Esports |
| 21-24 | $32,250 | 0.5% |  Kaos Latin Gamers,  KaBuM! Esports,  Ascension Gaming,  Dire Wolves |
Participating Teams
Notes: This was the first year the VCS (Vietnam) received a direct seed to the Group Stage due to strong past performances.
Directly Qualified for Group Stage
- KT Rolster KR Seed 1 · LCK Summer Champion
KT Rolster KR
- TOP
- Smeb / Kingen
- JNG
- Score
- MID
- Ucal
- BOT
- Deft
- SUP
- Mata
- Afreeca Freecs KR Seed 2 · LCK Champ Points
Afreeca Freecs KR
- TOP
- Kiin
- JNG
- Spirit / Mowgli
- MID
- Kuro
- BOT
- Kramer
- SUP
- TusiN
- Gen.G KR Seed 3 · Regional Finals Winner
Gen.G KR
- TOP
- CuVee
- JNG
- Haru / Ambition
- MID
- Crown
- BOT
- Ruler
- SUP
- CoreJJ
- Royal Never Give Up CN Seed 1 · LPL Summer Champion
Royal Never Give Up CN
- TOP
- Letme
- JNG
- Karsa / Mlxg
- MID
- Xiaohu
- BOT
- Uzi
- SUP
- Ming
- Invictus Gaming CN Seed 2 · LPL Champ Points
Invictus Gaming CN
- TOP
- Duke / TheShy
- JNG
- Ning
- MID
- Rookie
- BOT
- JackeyLove
- SUP
- Baolan
- Fnatic EU Seed 1 · EU LCS Summer Champion
Fnatic EU
- TOP
- sOAZ / Bwipo
- JNG
- Broxah
- MID
- Caps
- BOT
- Rekkles
- SUP
- Hylissang
- Team Vitality EU Seed 2 · EU LCS Champ Points
Team Vitality EU
- TOP
- Cabochard
- JNG
- Kikis
- MID
- Jiizuke
- BOT
- Attila
- SUP
- Jactroll / Dreams
- Team Liquid NA Seed 1 · NA LCS Summer Champion
Team Liquid NA
- TOP
- Impact / V1per
- JNG
- Xmithie
- MID
- Pobelter
- BOT
- Doublelift
- SUP
- Olleh
- 100 Thieves NA Seed 2 · NA LCS Champ Points
100 Thieves NA
- TOP
- Ssumday
- JNG
- AnDa
- MID
- Ryu
- BOT
- Rikara / Cody Sun
- SUP
- aphromoo
- Flash Wolves LMS Seed 1 · LMS Summer Champion
Flash Wolves LMS
- TOP
- Hanabi / MMD
- JNG
- Moojin
- MID
- Maple
- BOT
- Betty
- SUP
- SwordArt
- MAD Team LMS Seed 2 · LMS Champ Points
MAD Team LMS
- TOP
- Liang
- JNG
- Kongyue / Benny
- MID
- Uniboy
- BOT
- Breeze
- SUP
- K
- Phong Vũ Buffalo VN Seed 1 · VCS Summer Champion
Phong Vũ Buffalo VN
- TOP
- Zeros
- JNG
- Meliodas / XuHao
- MID
- Naul
- BOT
- BigKoro
- SUP
- Palette
Qualified for Play-In Stage
- EDward Gaming CN Seed 3 · Regional Finals Winner
EDward Gaming CN
- TOP
- Ray
- JNG
- Clearlove / Haro
- MID
- Scout
- BOT
- iBoy
- SUP
- Meiko
- G2 Esports EU Seed 3 · Regional Finals Winner
G2 Esports EU
- TOP
- Wunder / Sacre
- JNG
- Jankos
- MID
- Perkz
- BOT
- Hjarnan
- SUP
- Wadid
- Cloud9 NA Seed 3 · Regional Finals Winner
Cloud9 NA
- TOP
- Licorice
- JNG
- Blaber / Svenskeren
- MID
- Jensen
- BOT
- Sneaky
- SUP
- Zeyzal
- G-Rex LMS Seed 3 · Regional Finals Winner
G-Rex LMS
- TOP
- PK
- JNG
- Empt2y / baybay
- MID
- Candy
- BOT
- Stitch
- SUP
- Koala
- KaBuM! Esports BR Seed 1 · CBLOL Winter Champion
KaBuM! Esports BR
- TOP
- Zantins
- JNG
- Ranger
- MID
- dyNquedo
- BOT
- Titan
- SUP
- Riyev / Wos
- Gambit Esports CIS Seed 1 · LCL Summer Champion
Gambit Esports CIS
- TOP
- PvPStejos
- JNG
- Diamondprox / Seigimitsu
- MID
- Kira
- BOT
- Lodik
- SUP
- Edward
- DetonatioN FocusMe JP Seed 1 · LJL Summer Champion
DetonatioN FocusMe JP
- TOP
- Evi
- JNG
- Steal
- MID
- Ceros
- BOT
- Yutapon / Pink Bean
- SUP
- viviD
- Infinity Esports LAN Seed 1 · LLN Closing Champion
Infinity Esports LAN
- TOP
- Relic
- JNG
- SolidSnake
- MID
- Cotopaco
- BOT
- Renyu / ottovaG
- SUP
- Arce
- Kaos Latin Gamers LAS Seed 1 · CLS Closing Champion
Kaos Latin Gamers LAS
- TOP
- Nate
- JNG
- Tierwulf
- MID
- Plugo
- BOT
- Fix / Zealot
- SUP
- Slow
- Dire Wolves OCE Seed 1 · OPL Split 2 Champion
Dire Wolves OCE
- TOP
- BioPanther
- JNG
- UDYSOF / Shernfire / Rippii
- MID
- Triple
- BOT
- k1ng
- SUP
- Cupcake
- Ascension Gaming SEA Seed 1 · SEA Tour Summer Champion
Ascension Gaming SEA
- TOP
- Rockky
- JNG
- Lloyd
- MID
- G4 / SunSunSun
- BOT
- Niksar
- SUP
- Rich
- SuperMassive Esports TR Seed 1 · TCL Summer Champion
SuperMassive Esports TR
- TOP
- fabFabulous
- JNG
- Stomaged
- MID
- GBM / Secaf Reis
- BOT
- Zeitnot
- SUP
- SnowFlower
Results: Play-In Stage
All four major region seeds (EDG, G2, C9, G-Rex) advanced. DetonatioN FocusMe made history by becoming the first Japanese team to reach the Qualification Round.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Rec |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EDward Gaming | 3-1 |
| 2 | Infinity Esports | 2-2 |
| 3 | Dire Wolves | 1-3 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Rec |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G2 Esports | 3-1 |
| 2 | SuperMassive Esports | 3-1 |
| 3 | Ascension Gaming | 0-4 |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Rec |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloud9 | 4-0 |
| 2 | DetonatioN FocusMe | 1-3 |
| 3 | KaBuM! Esports | 1-3 |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Rec |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G-Rex | 4-0 |
| 2 | Gambit Esports | 2-2 |
| 3 | Kaos Latin Gamers | 0-4 |
Qualification Matches (Bo5)
Results: Group Stage
Group B was the "Group of Death," seeing defending champions Gen.G eliminated last. Vitality upset RNG, and Cloud9 escaped to quarters. Fnatic topped Group D over eventual winners iG.
Group A
| Team | Rec |
|---|---|
| Afreeca Freecs | 4-2 |
| G2 Esports | 3-3 |
| Flash Wolves | 3-3 |
| Phong Vũ Buffalo | 2-4 |
Group B
| Team | Rec |
|---|---|
| Royal Never Give Up | 4-2 |
| Cloud9 | 4-2 |
| Team Vitality | 3-3 |
| Gen.G | 1-5 |
Group C
| Team | Rec |
|---|---|
| KT Rolster | 5-1 |
| EDward Gaming | 4-2 |
| Team Liquid | 3-3 |
| MAD Team | 0-6 |
Group D
| Team | Rec |
|---|---|
| Fnatic | 5-1 |
| Invictus Gaming | 5-1 |
| 100 Thieves | 2-4 |
| G-Rex | 0-6 |
Finals: Invictus Gaming swept Fnatic 3-0 in Incheon, securing the Summoner's Cup for the LPL for the first time.
Afreeca Freecs Cloud9 Fnatic EDward Gaming Royal Never Give Up G2 Esports KT Rolster Invictus Gaming Cloud9 Fnatic G2 Esports Invictus Gaming Fnatic Invictus Gaming Invictus Gaming claims the 2018 World Championship title Venues
Play-In Stage
Capacity: 450
Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Group Stage & Quarterfinals
Capacity: 4,002
Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
Semifinals
Capacity: 8,800
Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
Grand Final
Capacity: 50,256
Michuhol-gu, Incheon, South Korea