en
LoL Worlds 2025 Song “Sacrifice”: Anthem, Artist, Stats
With every Worlds tournament comes a new anthem to set the stage. For Worlds 2025, fans and players celebrated 15 years of LoL Esports to the beat of Chinese singer G.E.M. and her anthem Sacrifice.
Elevating the emotional stakes of the tournament, the Worlds 2025 anthem served to remind everyone that League of Legends is more than just a game. Let's go over some of the most important facts about Sacrifice and the history of Worlds songs.
[table id=160 /]
Remember to follow the tournament on Strafe to keep up with the results of every match across the Play-In Stage, Swiss Stage, and Knockout Stage of Worlds 2025. Set up alarms to get notifications about your favorite teams.
Why Worlds Songs Matter in Competitive LoL
Broadcast & Stage Use
Worlds anthems are not just background music, they play vital roles in creating and elevating the hype on and off the stage. When it comes to Worlds, Riot Games uses anthems extensively throughout the tournament: in teasers, pick/ban bumpers, walk-out segments, and the opening ceremony.
At the beat of each year's anthem, the emotional tone is set for viewers, helping build and retain the hype at key moments of the tournament, reinforcing the brand identity of Worlds. When fans hear the anthem, it’s a signal: the biggest esports event of the year is here.
What's more, Worlds songs deal not only with their year's event, but often take fans back in time through the history of competitive League of Legends.
Player & Region Storytelling
Hype aside, Worlds songs also serve a narrative function. Each anthem often reflects a broader storyline, whether it’s regional conflict (LCK vs. LPL), defending champions, or rising Western underdogs. By pairing emotionally charged lyrics with animated visuals, anthems highlight iconic moments, legendary plays, and the personal journeys of pro players across regions.
Anthems help frame each season’s arc: they commemorate past triumphs, foreshadow struggles, and celebrate resilience. In doing so, they connect individual pro stories (like a Mid Laner’s clutch play, or a rookie player's sudden rise) to the greater lore of LoL Esports, giving fans a shared emotional journey.
The Worlds 2025 stage in Chengdu, China. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)Worlds 2025 — What We Know About “Sacrifice”
Artist, Release Timeline, and Delay Context
G.E.M. (full name: Gloria Tang (鄧紫棋)) is a prominent Hong Kong singer-songwriter known for her powerful vocals. Her ability to sing in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English gives her an incredibly wide appeal, something Riot Games looked to make the most of when they announced her as the artist for the Worlds 2025 anthem on September 19th, 2025.
Originally, the League of Legends Worlds 2025 song was planned for release on October 10th, 2025, just before the start of Worlds. However, on October 8th, Riot announced a three-day delay, pushing the Worlds song release date to October 13th, 2025. The reason? The removal of FlyQuest Top Laner Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau from the music video due to controversial comments he made just weeks prior.
As is tradition, G.E.M. later performed Sacrifice live at the Worlds 2025 Grand Final on November 9th, at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium in Chengdu, China.
Creative Credits
Sacrifice was written by Alex Seaver (known professionally as Mako) and Riot composer Sebastien Najand. Credits for the production of the song are attributed to Seaver, Jayson De Zuzio, and Madalin Rosioru, while mixing was done by Tony Maserati, and mastering by Mike Bozzi at Bernie Grundman Studios. The music video was directed by Eddy.tv.
Lyrics, Themes, and Competitive Narrative
Sacrifice’s lyrics center around legacy, grit, and the cost of greatness, themes that are central of the competitive nature of Worlds.
Lines like “What’s in your heart? What’s left to give? When everything’s broken / Chasing the wind” serve to illustrate the crushing path every pro player must tread before finding success, while “Under those scars, there’s a lion within” demonstrate the champions' will to fight their way to victory.
The League of Legends Worlds 2025 song then carries on with “To bathe in the floodlights, would you sacrifice it all? ’Till they know your name.” This line ties the song to its title (Sacrifice), but also depict every pro player's eagerness to hear their name ring true across the biggest stage.
If Sacrifice succeeds as a Worlds anthem, it is thanks to its ability to blend effective storytelling with themes of perseverance and determination, effectively taking the emotional stakes of competitive League of Legends to new heights.
Visual Story Beats in the Music Video
The Sacrifice MV is loaded with standout scenes that go back to some of the most iconic moments in LoL Esports history:
-
0:20 – Gathering in cosmic space: Players from across regions float toward a celestial Summoner’s Cup. This imagery brings every professional LoL player on stage for one common goal.
-
0:45 – Baron moment: In animated form, we see a Baron-style battle, representing risk, macro control, and high-stakes decision-making, effectively mirroring any game of League of Legends.
-
1:45 – Historical plays: The video recreates legendary moments: Faker’s Azir shuffle on Ruler at Worlds 2023, Caps’ Ashe arrow steal at Worlds 2020, TheShy’s Aatrox dismantling G2 Esports at Worlds 2018, and many more.
-
2:50 – Tribute to Shushei: Near the end of the music video, we see Maciej "Shushei" Ratuszniak lifting the Summoner’s Cup. This scene pays tribute to the historic player after his passing earlier this year.
Overall, the Worlds 2025 anthem is packed with a ton of references to players, teams, and important moments that make Worlds the iconic tournament it is today. Several scenes in Sacrifice's music video tie back to real competitive moments, honoring legends and reminding fans of the sacrifice and struggle behind every championship victory.
The Worlds trophy is the ultimate goal for every competitive League of Legends player out there. (Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)Performance & Reception: “Sacrifice” by the Numbers
Streams, Views, Charts
At the time of writing (November 17th, 2025), Sacrifice holds the following numbers across different platforms:
[table id=161 /]
Though it hasn't been out very long, this already makes Sacrifice one of the best LoL Worlds songs ever when it comes to raw numbers.
Comparisons with past Worlds songs:
- Sacrifice has already surpassed Worlds Collide (2015), Ignite (2016), Take Over (2020), Burn It All Down (2021), STAR WALKIN' (2022), and Heavy Is The Crown (2024) while being out for a considerably shorter period of time than all of them.
- Warriors (2014) by Imagine Dragons remains the most played LoL Worlds anthem ever, with over 445 million views on YouTube as of 2025.
While Sacrifice’s long-term charting is still unfolding, its initial launch metrics show strong momentum, especially considering the scale of its release and the emotional weight of the 15-year anniversary of LoL Esports.
Community Sentiment
Overall, community reactions to Sacrifice have been largely positive. While fans acknowledge the fact that the Worlds 2025 anthem does not kick off on the strongest of notes, the song does slowly build in power and emotional resonance, delivering a final product that lands up there with some of the best anthems in the game.
The animation and choice of scenes for the music video were widely acclaimed also. The decision to beautifully showcase iconic Worlds moments like Faker's shuffle landed right on the mark, while opting to pay tribute to Shushei at the very end caught most fans off-guard in the best way imaginable.
Musical Direction vs Fan Favorites
Compared to earlier Worlds songs:
-
Warriors (2014) had a raw, arena-rock power, with Imagine Dragons’ signature bombast.
-
Legends Never Die (2017) offered anthemic rock-pop with strong emotional uplift.
-
GODS (2023) brought K-pop smoothness; Heavy Is the Crown (2024) leaned into nu-metal and Linkin Park’s dramatic intensity.
Sacrifice is comparatively more introspective and cinematic; less instrumental power, more emotional grandeur. Vocally, G.E.M. soars, but the song doesn't necessarily carry the type of immediate hype some of the older anthems did. Instead, Sacrifice trades raw energy for sentimentality, aligning with the theme of legacy and perseverance rather than pure battle fervor.
Opening Ceremony
From a live performance standpoint, Sacrifice is well-suited for a ceremony: G.E.M.'s vocal range, combined with orchestral crescendos, has the power to take over any stage. And that is exactly what happened on November 9th during the Grand Finals of Worlds 2025, with a remix from Anyma adding electronic texture.
G.E.M. performing Sacrifice during the opening ceremony of Worlds 2025 in Chengdu, China. (Credit: Christina Oh/Riot Games)Every Worlds Song (2014–2025) — Timeline
Here is a compact list of all official League of Legends Worlds anthems from their inception all the way to Sacrifice in 2025:
[table id=162 /]
Behind the Scenes: How Riot Builds a Worlds Anthem
Partner Pipeline and Production Workflow
-
Concept & Theme Proposal: Riot’s Global Music team brainstorms a theme based on some of the most important narratives leading up to the tournament (for instance, 15-year anniversary in Worlds 2025).
-
Artist Selection: This is normally based on things like region, style, and reach. For 2025, Riot picked G.E.M. in large part because of her star power in China (where Worlds 2025 takes place).
-
Songwriting & Lyric Development: Composers and writers (whether from Riot Games or external) collaborate to create a song that elevate the emotional heights of Worlds.
-
Production & Recording: Produces and engineers participate in studio sessions at this stage. G.E.M. recorded Sacrifice in Shangai.
-
Music Video / Animation: Selection of VFX / animation partner (Eddy.tv produced Sacrifice MV), integration of esports lore and player cameos.
-
Localization / Final Mixes: Since Worlds is global, Riot may create regional versions, adjust mixes for broadcast, and master for streaming.
-
Release Strategy & Promotion: Teasers, countdowns, broadcast tie-ins. For Sacrifice, a countdown began on Riot’s channels ahead of the October 13 drop.
-
Live Performance: Plans for live stage (opening / closing ceremony) involving artist + remixers (like Anyma in 2025).
Credits to Watch
-
Check the YouTube MV description for official credits: director, animators, mix/master engineers, additional production.
-
For regional versions, localized lyrics and artists may get separate credit lines (e.g. translations).
Where to Watch, Listen, and Follow Worlds 2025
Official Links
You can listen to the League of Legends Worlds 2025 song Sacrifice through any of the following links across different platforms:
Track Worlds Live on Strafe
To stay on top of Worlds 2025:
-
Follow the Swiss Stage and the Knockout Stage, and get the best match odds on Strafe.
-
Turn on notifications on the app so you don't miss a single match.
Conclusion
Sacrifice by G.E.M. has proven to be the perfect way to cap off the 2025 season, as it is an emotional tribute to 15 years of League of Legends history. With soaring vocals, iconic animation, and heartfelt lyrical themes of grit and determination, the song captures both personal sacrifice and the collective journey of the LoL community at Worlds.
By paying homage to past legends like Shushei, and showcasing immortal plays from Faker and Uzi, G.E.M.'s Sacrifice won over the hearts of League of Legends fans everywhere.
If you want to dive deeper into player storylines, match predictions, and more follow Worlds 2025 on Strafe and get real-time scores, the latest roster updates, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sings the League of Legends Worlds 2025 song?
The Worlds 2025 anthem is performed by Chinese artist G.E.M.
What is the LoL Worlds 2025 anthem called and when did it release?
This year's League of Legends Worlds anthem is called Sacrificed, and it released on October 13th, 2025.
Why was the Worlds 2025 anthem delayed?
The new LoL Worlds song was delayed to edit Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau out of the music video due to controversial comments made by the player.
Where can I watch the Sacrifice music video?
The Sacrifice music video can be found on YouTube.
Will Sacrifice be performed live at the Worlds opening ceremony?
Sacrifice will be performed live by G.E.M. in Chengdu, China, during the opening ceremony of the Worlds 2025 final on November 9th, 2025.
How many views and streams does the Worlds 2025 song have so far?
The League of Legends Worlds 2025 song Sacrifice has 115.5 million views on YouTube and 5.2 million streams on Spotify.
Follow Strafe Esports for all the latest League news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured image credit: Riot Games