Underdogs Rewrite Worlds Lore: KT Rolster, DRX and Russia’s ANX Pull Off Unthinkable Upsets

The 2026 League of Legends Worlds Championship kicks off on October 15 in Los Angeles, and fans are already reliving the most astonishing upsets the tournament has ever seen. Three underdog stories—KT Rolster’s 2025 shock, DRX’s 2022 miracle, and Albus Nox Luna’s 2016 wild‑card run—have become modern folklore, proving that on the Rift, anything can happen.

KT Rolster’s 2025 Shockwave

KT Rolster entered the 2025 LCK Summer Split as a dark horse, yet they stunned the league by edging out Gen. The victory earned them a Worlds berth, but Gen.

At Worlds, KT Rolster stormed through the Swiss Stage with a flawless 3‑0 record, then dispatched CTBC Flying Oyster comfortably in the quarterfinals. The real drama unfolded in the semifinals when they faced Gen. G once more.

DRX’s 2022 Miracle

DRX’s 2022 journey began on the brink of elimination. After barely scraping through the LCK Regional Finals, the squad—fronted by Kim “Deft” Hyuk‑kyu—cruised through the Play‑In stage before stumbling into a brutal group phase.

Facing reigning champions EDward Gaming, DRX trailed 0‑2. The momentum carried them into a semifinal clash with Gen. G, where DRX again proved their mettle, beating the tournament favorites 3‑1.

The grand final pitted DRX against the legendary Lee “Faker” Sang‑hyuk and his T1 roster. In a five‑game thriller, DRX eked out a 3‑2 victory, delivering one of the most iconic championship runs the game has ever witnessed.

ANX’s 2016 Wild‑Card Breakthrough

Those victories propelled the wildcard team into the quarterfinals—an unprecedented feat for any non‑major region representative. Their run concluded with a loss to H2k‑Gaming, but ANX remains the only wildcard ever to reach the Worlds quarterfinals, a milestone that still inspires aspiring teams from emerging regions.