Gen.G loses to Bilibili Gaming as Korea’s four-year LoL title streak ends

Chinese LoL powerhouse dethrones Korea after years of dominance on esports’ biggest stage

Members of South Korea's Gen.G take the stage during the opening ceremony of the League of Legends World Championship final against China's Bilibili Gaming at Barclays Center in New York on Sunday. (AFP) — Members of South Korea’s Gen.G take the stage during the opening ceremony of the League of Legends World Championship final against China’s Bilibili Gaming at Barclays Center in New York on Sunday. (AFP)

South Korean League of Legends powerhouse Gen.G fell to China’s Bilibili Gaming on Sunday in the 2026 League of Legends World Championship final, snapping Korea’s four-year streak as world champions and returning the title to China for the first time in five years.

Gen.G ended the best-of-five series 1-3 at New York’s Barclays Center. After winning the opening game, the Korean squad lost the next three in a row.

The loss denied Gen.G its first world championship in nine years. The organization made its debut Worlds appearance under the Gen.G banner, following predecessor Samsung Galaxy’s 2017 title run, but fell short of adding another trophy to its legacy this time.

For Bilibili Gaming, the triumph restored China to the summit of the global League of Legends. China last lifted the Summoner’s Cup in 2021 via Edward Gaming, before Korea reclaimed dominance through DRX in 2022 and T1’s historic three-peat from 2023 to 2025.

Bilibili Gaming mid laner Zhuo “Knight” Ding earned finals MVP honors after standout performances on Cassiopeia, Viktor and Twisted Fate. After debuting in 2017, Ding amassed eight LPL championships across Suning, Top Esports and JD Gaming prior to joining Bilibili Gaming.

Elsewhere in the tournament, Korea’s other representatives struggled to gain traction.

T1, a perennial title favorite, was eliminated by Bilibili Gaming in a 1-3 semifinal loss on Nov. 9. Anchored by legendary mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, T1 entered the knockout stage as defending champions after becoming the first team in Worlds history to win three consecutive titles in 2025. The organization holds six world championships overall, with earlier victories in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023 and 2024.

Korea’s remaining two seeds exited earlier, falling in the quarterfinals and Swiss Stage, respectively. Dplus Kia fell 0-3 to Bilibili Gaming in the Nov. 6 quarterfinals, while Hanwha Life Esports failed to advance from the Swiss Stage, finishing with a 2-3 record. Under the Swiss format, 16 teams are paired against opponents with matching win-loss records, requiring three wins to advance to the eight-team knockout bracket.

Hosted annually by Riot Games, Worlds is the premier international tournament for League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena title. Established in 2011, the event pits top teams from the game’s major regional leagues against one another for the global crown.

According to Riot Games, South Korea will host the 2027 Worlds, returning the tournament to the country for the first time in four years.