Worlds 2025 will begin on October 14 with the Play-In stage, and while in previous editions the competition usually started calmly with best-of series between teams from lower-seeded regions, this time it will begin in explosive fashion with a best-of-five showdown between the five-time World Champions T1, the fourth seed from South Korea, and the 2018 World Champions Invictus Gaming, the fourth seed from China.

This matchup between T1 and IG, between the LCK and the LPL, is a true clash between the two best regions in the world. These two teams have vastly different playstyles: T1 and the LCK are known for their classic and academic approach — a calculated, almost mathematical form of League of Legends built around maintaining full control over the game.

On the other hand, IG embody what could be described as organized chaos. Every game they play is explosive, sparking debates about whether Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok’s deaths are "good deaths" or not, and often ending in bloodbaths with over 50 kills. Now, let’s take a look at the most picked champions per region during the Summer Split among the teams that qualified for Worlds.

Gwen and Rumble dominate the toplane

This year, the toplane has been largely dominated by Gwen and Rumble, who are the two champions with the highest priority scores in the Summer Split across all leagues. Gwen’s priority score comes mainly from the fact that she is very frequently banned, and the responses have been quite uniform across the leagues, with Sion and Ambessa often being picked. In the Asian leagues, and particularly in the LPL, Yorick has been a major priority throughout the split, with Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin standing out as the top player on the champion.

Pantheon rains down upon the Rift

Regardless of the league, Pantheon is the most prioritized jungler of the Summer Split, boasting a 71% priority score for the Unbreakable Spear. Once again, the response from junglers worldwide has been unanimous: Wukong, Xin Zhao, Vi, and Jarvan IV. As often is the case, the LPL has been a trendsetter for certain picks, with Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok delivering standout Qiyana games, followed closely by the other Asian leagues, notably the LCP. Western leagues, however, remain more cautious about experimenting with such picks.

Zed and Lee Sin have also been heavily played by junglers in the LCK and LPL. Meanwhile, when the meta reduces the frequency of traditional picks, LEC teams have preferred to opt for champions like Sejuani, Maokai, or Skarner. A special mention goes to T1’s jungler, Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun, who is an absolute master on Nocturne. He is by far the jungler with the most games on the champion and plays it flawlessly.

Azir, the Emperor of the Sands

Across all regions without exception, Azir has been by far the most prioritized midlaner. The Emperor of Shurima is the most banned champion and is rarely seen in games due to these bans. This time, the responses have been more diverse: Taliyah, Orianna, Annie, and Ryze were the most commonly picked across the leagues.

Galio was also frequently played as a reliable, tanky response in mid to give the rest of the team more freedom. The LCK heavily favored Cassiopeia, though the pick didn’t really spread to other regions. In the LPL, Chinese players opted for occasional picks like Akali and Sylas, while in the LEC, Viktor was prioritized more than anywhere else.

Varus and Yunara stand out above the rest

Varus and Yunara have been by far the most important champions of the 2025 Summer Split worldwide. That’s why the majority of ADC picks have revolved around Corki, Sivir, and Kai’Sa — three champions with very different playstyles offering a range of options, from going in and scaling to front-to-back teamfighting. Jhin has also seen some play, but no league has reached a 50% win rate on him, with only 12.5% of games won in Europe. The same goes for Lucian, a champion reasonably well-mastered in some leagues, but in the LEC he was played nine times and lost every single game.

Neeko, or someone else?

Yes, it’s her. Neeko has been the most prioritized support champion, but the biggest factor affecting the support role this split has been the Spellbook rune, which led many champions to shift away from traditional runes like Aftershock or Guardian. Aside from Neeko, priority often went to utility tanks such as Rell, Alistar, Nautilus, Rakan, and Braum. Bard also made frequent appearances, particularly with Ryu “Keria” Min-seok and T1, to the point that Bard became almost permanently banned against him toward the end of the playoffs.