KT Rolster Defeat Top Esports and Become the First Team to Reach the Worlds 2025 Knockout Stage

The third round of the Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage kicked off with a Bo3 showdown between Top Esports and KT Rolster. Both teams entered with a 2-0 record, and the winner would secure a spot in the Knockout Stage. Analysts viewed Top Esports as the clear favorites — so let’s take a brief look at how the series unfolded.

Game 1 Picks:

• KT Rolster: Rumble, Wukong, Aurora, Corki, Nautilus
• Top Esports: Ambessa, Jarvan IV, Annie, Kai`Sa, Neeko

Game 2 Picks:

• KT Rolster: Renekton, Trundle, Cassiopeia, Ezreal, Alistar
• Top Esports: KSante, Zed, Ryze, Xayah, Rakan

An incredible performance from KT Rolster, with perfectly drafted compositions built specifically for teamfights. In the first game, they started off on the back foot, giving up two early dragons. But just a few minutes later, KT began forcing fights and completely dismantled their opponents in 5v5 engagements.

A similar story unfolded in Game 2, though this time KT looked even more confident — the same couldn’t be said for Top Esports. The Chinese team seemed helpless at times, unable to find any answers against KT Rolster’s dominance.

A clean 2-0 for KT Rolster, making them the first team to qualify for the Worlds 2025 Knockout Stage. Top Esports, meanwhile, will continue their fight for advancement with a 2-1 record.

Reminder: the Swiss Stage at Worlds 2025 runs from October 15–19 and 22–25. Sixteen teams play five rounds in a Swiss format: teams with 3 wins advance to the Knockout Stage, and teams with 3 losses are eliminated. Elimination and advancement matches are Best-of-Three with Fearless Draft. All other matches are Best-of-One, so every game matters.

Elimination and advancement matches are played in a Best-of-Three format with the Fearless Draft system, adding more strategy to the game. All other matches in the Swiss Stage are Best-of-One, so every round counts and one mistake can decide the outcome.