2019 League of Legends World Championship final

The Road to Paris

The paths of FunPlus Phoenix and G2 Esports to the 2019 World Final were stories of regional success. G2 Esports entered the tournament as the leading team of Europe, having won both the LEC Spring and Summer Splits in 2019. Their Spring victory over Origen was a 3-0 series completed in under 75 minutes, setting a league record. They then won the Mid-Season Invitational, beating SKT T1 and then Team Liquid 3-0 in the quickest international best-of-five series in history, marking the first European MSI title.

In the Summer Split, G2 finished with a 15-3 record and defeated Fnatic 3-2 in a finals that peaked at 850,000 livestream viewers. This made them Europe's first seed for Worlds. At the championship, they topped Group A with a 5-1 record, though they lost a tiebreaker to Griffin for first place. They then advanced by defeating Damwon Gaming and SKT T1 in the knockout stage.

FunPlus Phoenix's journey was one of rapid ascent. After disappointing 8-11 and 9-10 records in 2018, roster changes brought in mid laner Kim 'Doinb' Tae-sang and jungler Gao 'Tian' Tian-Liang. The new lineup found third place in the 2019 LPL Spring Split, using that time to build synergy. Doinb developed a signature playstyle of leaving his lane to roam with Tian and support Liu 'Crisp' Qing-Song.

In the Summer Split, FPX lost only one series all split, to the defending world champions Invictus Gaming. They won the LPL title by beating Bilibili Gaming and Royal Never Give Up 3-1 in the semifinals and finals, securing China's first seed. At Worlds, they were placed in Group B with J Team, GAM Esports, and Splyce. After an initial loss to J Team, they finished 4-2, winning a tiebreaker against Splyce to top the group. They then defeated Fnatic and Invictus Gaming to reach the final.

The Stage and Spectacle

The final was held at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, filled with over 15,000 fans. A grand opening ceremony began at 13:00 local time, featuring live performances linked to the game. Valerie Broussard performed 'Awaken', a song released to celebrate the game's ninth season. This was followed by the fictional hip-hop group True Damage, featuring Becky G, Keke Palmer, Jeon So-yeon, Duckwrth, and Thutmose, performing 'GIANTS'. The ceremony concluded with Cailin Russo and Chrissy Costanza performing the 2019 World Championship song, 'Phoenix'. Holographic projections of League of Legends characters were cast onto the stage throughout.

Riot Games reported staggering viewership numbers, with the finals alone reaching 44 million concurrent online viewers at its peak. The total estimated viewership over the series was over 100 million, which equated to an average minute audience of 21.8 million. The broadcast was delivered in multiple languages via platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and the official LoL Esports website. The English broadcast team included casters Chris 'PapaSmithy' Smith, Trevor 'Quickshot' Henry, and Sam 'Kobe' Hartman-Kenzler.

Team Strategies and Champion Select

The champion selection phase highlighted the strategic approaches of both teams. In game one, FPX were on the blue side, giving them first pick. Their bans included Syndra, Gragas, and Kai'Sa. G2 Esports banned Pantheon, a champion banned in every previous game at the tournament, along with Qiyana and Xayah. FPX first-picked Nautilus, described by casters as a flex pick capable of multiple roles, which was ultimately played by Doinb in the mid lane.

G2 responded by locking in Varus for Perkz and Ryze for Wunder. FPX chose Lee Sin for Tian and Sivir for LWX, while G2 picked Tahm Kench for Mikyx. In the second ban phase, G2 banned Blitzcrank and Braum, while FPX banned Rek'Sai and Olaf. G2 then first-picked Elise for Jankos. FPX selected Gangplank for GimGoon and Thresh for Crisp, with G2's final pick being Pyke for Caps. This draft set the stage for FPX's roaming style against G2's more traditional lane assignments with pick potential.

The Decisive Games

The series was a one-sided affair. Game one was paused immediately due to technical problems. Upon resuming, the teams opted to split the map, with both junglers starting in the opponent's jungle. The first blood went to FPX just three minutes in, when GimGoon, assisted by Tian and Doinb, executed a successful tower dive against Wunder. Tian secured the first drake minutes later. A major ten-player fight erupted at eleven minutes in the river, but no kills were secured. Shortly after, Perkz was caught and killed by LWX. Tian took a second drake at 14 minutes, while G2 traded by taking the Rift Herald, which they used to destroy the first tower. The game ended in just under 41 minutes.

Games two and three continued this pattern of FPX control. FPX's coordinated playstyle, built around Doinb's roams with Tian and Crisp, consistently created numerical advantages across the map. G2 Esports, known for their creativity and individual skill from players like Caps and Perkz, found themselves outmaneuvered and unable to secure any significant momentum. FPX dictated the pace, secured key neutral objectives like dragons and Baron Nashor, and won team fights through superior coordination, closing out the series in three consecutive games without allowing G2 a single victory.

The MVP and Immediate Aftermath

Jungler Gao 'Tian' Tian-Liang was named the Most Valuable Player of the final for his relentless and impactful performance across all three games. His early pressure, objective control, and synergy with his mid laner were instrumental in FPX's dominant win. This victory marked the first international title for FunPlus Phoenix and the second consecutive World Championship for China's LPL region, following Invictus Gaming's win in 2018.

For G2 Esports, the loss ended a year where they had achieved an unprecedented domestic double and an MSI title. They were the first European team to reach the world final since 2011. The coaches for the final were Chen 'WarHorse' Ju-Chih for FPX and Fabian 'GrabbZ' Lohmann for G2, with neither team making lineup changes. Despite their triumph, FPX would fail to qualify for the 2020 World Championship, making their 2019 victory a singular peak.

Legacy and Significance

The 2019 final is remembered as the coronation of a new Chinese dynasty and a demonstration of a highly coordinated, aggressive team style. FunPlus Phoenix proved that relentless map pressure and selfless play could overwhelm even the most talented opponents. The event's massive viewership, with an average minute audience of 21.8 million, proved the global mainstream appeal of the League of Legends World Championship.

It served as a defining moment in regional power dynamics. FPX dethroned the previous year's champions, Invictus Gaming, in the semifinals and then halted G2's bid for a historic Grand Slam in the final. The result confirmed Europe's status as a consistent top-tier region, capable of reaching the final, while also confirming the depth and strategic innovation of China's LPL as the world's leading league at the time.