Worlds Anthem Ranked 2014-2024

Well hey there lovely readers,

 

I thought I'd do something cute and fun today – and also easy to write seeing as it is a Sunday evening and I do have lectures to attend ahead of the finals next weekend but anywayyyyy in honour of finals being D-5 ish days away I figured I'd rank the Worlds Anthems from my personal favourite to least.

 

These are just my opinions so please don’t take it too seriously, it’s just a fun little post with a spooky Halloween graphic because I felt like it and wanted to hype myself up before finals – I guarantee you I will be shaking when I walk into the O2 and collect my lanyard – and hunt down the merch stand. Fingers crossed this year I don’t walk round half the arena looking for it like at MSI….

 

But enough of my rambles on my inability to find the Riot Games merch stand, without further ado let’s get into this little tier list / ranking whatever you wanna call it!

** Side note - for some reason videos weren't embedding properly on here so the links are here instead - believe me I've been frantically googling trying to work how to fix it sorry in advance!

 

Number 11 – Ignite, Worlds 2016

 

Perhaps shamefully, I listened to this one for the first time purely for this blog – I know horrendous but I'm a baby in the world of LoL soooo that’s my excuse! Anyways I don’t know why but I just don’t really vibe with this song, hence it’s at the bottom of my ranking – I mean it’s good don’t get me wrong.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zasx9hjo4WY

Then again, I'm not sure Riot could ever do a bad anthem, but yeah this one just passed me by a bit so nope not for me. I think it’s the way it alternates from slow to club rave music and yeah just not something I would scream along to.  

 

Number 10 – Warriors, Worlds 2014

 

This is another one I’ve only just listened to – I'm sorry ok, when I first got into esports the worlds anthems weren’t the top of my list. This is a banger don’t get me wrong, but unfortunately for this one, Riot just has too many bangers for me to place this one much higher than it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmI_Ndrxy14

 

I do admittedly have to give it credit it though, first ever Worlds anthem really started off strong and set the tone for the next decade’s worth of anthems. Hats off to Riot for starting so strong and I love the lyrics of ‘we are the warriors’ and that whole imagery of pushing through no matter what.

 

Number 9 – Star Walkin,’ Worlds 2022

 

Ok so I remember when this one came out, I was working my little butt off as far as I can remember as I was a first time fully fledgling journalist. I actually remember writing an article about how this one resonated with me for the whole anyone can make it to the top message I felt it had going on. I really love that about this one ‘why worship legends when you know you can join them’ – I get goosebumps off this lyric every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYsz1hP0BFo

 

That said just not scream-able for me – I know you are all going to judge so hard when I say the opposite of this for a different one – but yeah this one just didn’t hit as hard as some of the others do for me. However having said all of that, I will still scream this when it comes on and wake up my flatmates as a result with no shame.

 

Number 8 – Heavy Is The Crown, Worlds 2024

 

Ok so I know I’ve been saying a lottttt about being able to scream these songs but yes I am about to juxtapose everything I’ve said thus far and say this one might be a bit too screamy for me. Yes I had a nightcore era and used to listen to a lot of rock music but I'm still not sure about this one. Maybe its because I haven’t watched as much of Worlds as I wanted to that I don’t love this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FrhtahQiRc

 

I do love this one though, ‘heavy is the crown’ I think is something journalists who have interviewed top players can really understand because they see it – and seeing Guma talk about this sentiment too – Riot are always on the money when it comes to the anthems having a message beneath them. Would also like to say as many have said this one is for Faker, to all the haters who doubted him – do yall know why we call him the GOAT??

 

Number 7 – Worlds Collide, Worlds 2015

 

One of the first anthems I discovered during 2020 and my introduction to LoL esports and still one of my faves – yes I am biased. I will scream this one whenever I hear it, I love that this was Worlds in Europe – again I am biased, I'm a European fan its understandable! I also just love the music score and the lyrics too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Twd965VzX4

 

I used to listen this to this on my way to the ice rink for practice and I think it’s because of the lyrics, it just really struck a chord with me about practicing till you are perfect and performing like you have never won anything – again a mindset I would assume many pro players have to adopt.

 

Number 6 – Legends Never Die, Worlds 2017

 

Come on it’s a classic, I think people would be outraged if I put it far down. It’s an amazing song, and it’s true of course legends never die. I remember first being introduced to by esports and my friend teaching me that a lot of players have this mentality that no one remembers second place – and how he thought this was incorrect. And I agree just as the lyric goes ‘they are written down in eternity’ they are, we haven’t forgotten some of the best players who are retired, and I don’t think we will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q46xYqUwZQ

 

That’s the power of being a legend, legends never die – and yes I did scream this one while typing – I'm not even sorry to my poor flatmates at this point, this isn’t a song you sit and hum along to.

 

Number 5 – GODS, Worlds 2023

 

Aside from the fact this made my inner kpop girlie incredibly happy to see NewJeans perform this song – I'm sure Keria would agree with me on that one – I also just really like this song. The start always gives me goosebumps but that’s what many of these players are, they are gods of the game and oh my, I have been shaking when I’ve been in their presence so it only seems fitting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3GouGa0noM

 

More than that though I do just love the beat of this one and it’s so singable (badly in my case) ‘they’re gonna crumble one by one’ whew I love that line so much and the same for ‘baby we’re gods’ I honestly just love it, there’s something so catchy about it. My only but about this song is I wish my games were as successful as these lyrics – not the even the turrets crumble in half my aram games.

 

Number 4 – Phoenix, Worlds 2019

 

It feels impossible to me to not like this, I mean come on, the starting sounds? The lyrics? Something about this song is so motivational to my brain and I love it, ‘it’s all in your mind and its fighting you’ yes absolutely. This song is just one I can sing along to all day, again this was one of my first worlds anthems I stumbled across and so it is special in that respect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1IKnWDecwA

 

But this song in general? Yes. ‘let them swallow their pride’ yes – I am a huge believe in making people believe, proving them wrong, and that lyric is something I resonate with, players prove people wrong all the time. I proved people wrong when I first entered esports.

 

Yes to this song. That is all I have to say.

 

Number 3 – Burn It All Down, Worlds 2021

 

So keep talking, keep laughing one day you’ll wish you hadn’t. Yes. This song is the perfect level of scream-ability for me – yes I am screaming along to it as I type. I love how this song is done, it’s just so perfect in so many ways – I love the lyrics, it’s such a strong sentiment and I feel like it’s a perfect message to haters too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z6CHioIn3s

 

It’s just one of those songs that really hits, and hits hard, and I hope everyone who belittles esports and pro players and everything in between, hears this song and really HEARS it because this song is so on the money. Riot music = bangers

 

Number 2 – Rise, Worlds 2018

 

I'm pretty sure this was the last of the Worlds anthems I first discovered in 2020, again it holds a special place in my esports journey, it’s another one with the perfect scream-ability level for me. ‘push through hell and rise’ whew these lyrics and anthems are just bangers and I cannot help but scream (read: sing badly and loudly) along to them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB8TyLTD7EE

 

I used to listen to this one to wake me up on my walk into school – and I still do for uni classes too – this song just gets me so ready for the day, ‘prove yourself and rise’ I find the lyrics incredibly motivational and the backdrop of the music really has my head in the zone to focus on a task. I just love this one in case you couldn’t tell.

 

Number 1 – Take Over, Worlds 2020

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, my personal number one is Take Over – this song is special to me because it was my first Worlds, and it was the soundtrack for the rest of my year, but I also just love this song. It was my most listened to song in 2020 and I will scream it at every and any opportunity, I love it so much and the remix is good too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbNL9ZyB49c

 

Generally speaking I just love this anthem, the others are great don’t get me wrong but I highly doubt anyone will ever stop me loving this one. There’s something about the drops of ‘we’re taking over’ that just gets me every time and the lyrics of being at the top and wondering what comes next – whew my heart just loves it – especially as now I’ve been in esports long enough to see that you might be at the top, but everything can change in a season and you can’t count out the underdogs.

 

…

 

So, there you have my rundown of Worlds anthems from the very start to now, I hope you liked this piece! I know I excluded some songs that I suppose could have been shoved into this category – such as Reckless with my heart – but I plan to do another tier list at some point of misc Riot songs so will include that then! Have no fear I will rank them all – I doubt you were concerned but I'm going to say it anyway.

 

Anyway by now it’s D-4 to Worlds Finals and I am so EXCITED I have no idea how I will sleep on Friday night – probably not well and I’ve been given instructions by all my esports friends the pictures / signatures they want too… it’s almost Worlds Finals 2024!!!

 

Thanks for reading lovelies, see you on the next one!

Which will be soon hehe!

Hugs,

nia