How Gen.G failed to reach the Worlds final despite being the world’s best team in 2025

Naerlyn Théophile

LoL Contributor

Publish Date: November 11, 2025

Gen.G lost to KT Rolster in the semifinals of the 2025 LoL World Championship, to everyone’s surprise. How did this team fall as tournament favorites despite being nearly undefeated all year long? Why was this outcome somehow predictable? Let’s break it all down.

Gen.G’s perfect Spring split

First, we must look back at the unprecedented level of dominance that Gen.G has displayed throughout the year.

Note: The LCK Cup wasn’t part of the LCK’s 2025 regular season like the Winter split of the Western leagues. Since it was more of an introductory tournament, we will not be including it when looking at the stats for the year.

Gen.G went fully undefeated in the Rounds 1-2 of the LCK and the Road to Mid-Season Invitational (equivalent to the Spring split). With a series score of 19-0, they went to MSI not only as the favorites, but as seemingly an unbeatable team. If no team could stop them in the strongest region, what hopes do the other leagues have?

The answer was none, as Gen.G cut through both MSI and the Esports World Cup with little pushback. Anyone’s Legend took them to 5 games twice, but coming close doesn’t cut it. The other team that managed to be competitive was T1. dNeither team took it over the finish line, though, and Gen.G concluded their undefeated “Spring split” with an international showing that was just as flawless.

Image Source: Yicun Liu / Riot Games

Gen.G’s 97% win rate during the year

Gen.G returned to the LCK for rounds 3-5 (the Summer split), where they would finally see their streak broken. T1 won a Best of 3 against them, and KT Rolster a Best of 5 in round 2 of the Season playoffs.

These were the only feats of strength that anyone would display against them. KT went on to get dismantled in the rematch with a 3-0 score just two weeks later. As for T1, the surge in form that they had before and at MSI quickly faded, and they were no longer relevant come the Season playoffs.

Those two matches aside, Gen.G never seemed to be at risk of losing all year long, even in their 3-2 series. The superteam could lose a game or another, and they would remain favorites regardless. Gen.G were head and shoulders above the competition.

The Five-in-one All-Pro team

Gen.G was so dominant all year long because each one of their players was stellar. Kiin has been one of the best carry top laners for years, even when he couldn’t show it by being on weaker teams. Canyon gave his name to the “jungle canyon” for a reason – that’s his regular level of outperforming. Alongside his top laner, their pocket picks turn mediocre champions into win conditions (respectively, K’Sante and Nidalee).

Ruler is a legendary ADC, and he improved even further over the summer, complementing his teamfight masterclasses with good lane performances. Duro, the unknown quantity, went from rookie to best in his spot.

Last but far from least, the mid laner. Chovy is the person that people pit against Faker in the discussion for the best player in the world. Many people regularly go as far as to rank him higher, even.

At the end of the LCK’s regular season, the All-Pro team for the LCK (the best player in the league for each role) was simply Gen.G. Gen.G is a superteam. However, most super teams mesh poorly and wind up being five big names rather than a team. On the contrary, Gen.G’s players found synergy and scarily efficient game plans.

Image Source: LCK (via

Gen.G’s heartbreak at the LoL World Championship

When it mattered most, it all crumbled. The Korean superteam entered Worlds as the heavy favorites for good reasons. As always, they started by delivering on that promise. Gen.G cruised through the Swiss stage and the quarterfinals just like they did all year long – with decisive victories.

Until they met KT Rolster in the semifinals, and it all came down. The clear favorites to win it all, taken out by what should have been the weakest team sent by the LCK.

The games were nail-biters, but Gen.G was never in the driver’s seat the way they so commonly were regionally. KT won in 4 games only, and their opponents did not look great in the meantime.

The cracks in Gen.G’s armor

Let’s bring up a few mistakes that Gen.G made in their series against KT.

Chovy starts the match by attempting to dodge a Jarvan EQ by flashing in the line of the ability. As a result, he dies and loses his flash.
In the same game, Chovy walks into a Caitlyn trap without being forced to. Gen.G loses the teamfight and the drake because of it.
Canyon and Ruler both step too far, allowing KT to take a fight and the first Dragon soul.
Again, Chovy uses Zhonya’s in front of a Caitlyn instead of using his flash to escape. Going into stasis in front of a Caitlyn means that she can place a trap underneath and kill her opponent immediately after, which is exactly what happened there.
In game 2, Duro dies warding, and Ruler makes positioning mistakes again.
In game 3, Chovy falls behind in gold and pressure, then gets solo killed as Orianna against Azir, a match-up that favors him.
In game 4, Duro tries to catch a Cassiopeia that’s on the safe side of a teamfight, leading his entire team to commit to a losing position.

Generally speaking, Gen.G had weaker laning, teamfight management, and objective control when compared to their standards. These were mistakes that allowed KT to win fights and contest objectives they shouldn’t have been allowed to.

Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

The curse of Chovy

Chovy is famous for having a curse. The curse is that no matter how good a player he is, he cannot reach the World Finals. In fact, Chovy is regularly nicknamed “8884844”, standing for his finishes at Worlds from 2019 to 2025.

Why has a player – and by extension, a team – been incapable of even reaching the World Finals ever, despite performing so well all year long and after winning the LCK 6 times since 2019?

The reality is that nearly every competitor does worse at Worlds than during the rest of the year. Players put up with jet lag, different setups, unfamiliar environments, low practice time because of travelling and media days, and nerves. This all has a serious effect on performance.

However, a few players don’t perform worse on the Worlds stage. Faker is the most obvious example (although not the only one). At Worlds, the Unkillable Demon King is no weaker than in the LCK – if anything, he’s stronger.

Going to Worlds means facing some players who will gain an edge because of the competition itself. Chovy and Gen.G can be the best team all year long; they lack that clutch factor that the World champions possess. In 2024, the favorites in Gen.G looked like underdogs coming up against T1 in the Worlds semifinals. In 2025, it was shocking to see KT of all teams end their run for the biggest title. However, the fact that Gen.G once again found a way to drop out before the finals wasn’t that much of a surprise. Merely a yearly tradition.

People are arguing that a team’s strength is measured by their level during the year, instead of their ability to perform at Worlds. Coincidentally, those people are almost exclusively Gen.G supporters.

Featured Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games