T1, Faker, kkOma... The organization sweeps the Esports Decade Awards

On Sunday, August 24, in Riyadh, right after the conclusion of the Esports World Cup won by Team Falcons, the Esports Awards took place to celebrate the best teams, games, and players across the past ten years. The ceremony was not exclusively about League of Legends, yet the game walked away with the lion’s share of the accolades, along with its most iconic team, T1. Let's take a look at the categories and see who claimed the trophies.

The first award handed out was the Esports Breakthrough Player, which went to French Counter-Strike star Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut of Team Vitality. Over the past decade, ZywOo has amassed it all: two Majors, three HLTV World #1 Player titles, and numerous S-Tier trophies — including seven consecutive in 2025. At only 24 years old, the French prodigy has been a cornerstone of Vitality’s success.

Next came the Esports Game of the Decade award, which was claimed by League of Legends. The game is by far the world’s most-watched title year after year, especially during Worlds, boasting a massive ecosystem with leagues across the globe, a prestigious competitive circuit, and captivating storylines throughout the last ten years. From T1 and Royal Never Give Up, to the ROX Tigers and G2 Esports who carried Europe’s pride, LoL has continued to captivate fans while constantly evolving and growing.

The Esports PC Player of the Decade award was, without any debate, given to the GOAT of League of Legends, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, the iconic T1 midlaner who began his career in 2013 and recently extended his contract until 2029, having ruled Summoner’s Rift for the past decade with no signs of slowing down. Other nominees included CS legend Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, ZywOo, G2’s Rasmus "Caps" Winther, and Michał "Nisha" Jankowski, one of the strongest Dota players in both the carry and mid roles.

Faker also presented the Esports Coach of the Decade award, with two LoL coaches on the shortlist: Kim "kkOma" Jeong-gyun, the historic T1 coach, and Kim "KIM" Jeong-soo, the current Gen.G coach. Ultimately, kkOma took home the award. From 2013 to 2019, he led one of the world’s greatest teams, winning the Worlds in 2013, 2015, and 2016, the Mid-Season Invitational in 2016 and 2017, and four LCK titles. After a brief stint in China with Vici Gaming, he returned to DAMWON Gaming, winning two LCK titles in 2021 and reaching the finals of both MSI and Worlds. In 2024, he returned to T1, and it was as if he had never left, with the team once again claiming the Worlds crown in 2024.

The Esports Live Event of the Decade was also awarded to League of Legends, specifically the 2017 Worlds held in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest in China. The tournament culminated in Samsung Galaxy defeating T1 in a clean sweep, with a $5 million prize pool and an iconic opening ceremony featuring a memorable performance of “Legends Never Die” by Against The Current. T1, aiming for their third consecutive and fourth overall Worlds title, was stopped in its tracks, making this edition of the Worlds truly legendary and a well-deserved recipient of the award.

Finally, several other awards were handed out: Riot Games was named Esports Publisher of the Decade, the Esports On-Air Talent of the Decade went to Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere, LEC host and interviewer. The Esports Team of the Decade award was claimed by none other than T1, and the Esports Organisation of the Decade went to Team Liquid, closing a ceremony that celebrated the world of esports, from teams and players to streamers and major events.