League of Legends: Season 1 World Championship final

Unlike the normal two banning phases, there was only one banning phase where each team banned three champions each. Each team picked five champions per game.

FNC

Bans: Nunu, Warwick, Amumu
Picks: Malzahar, Rammus, Brand, Corki, Janna

aAa

Bans: Gragas, Alistar, Rumble
Picks: Irelia, Jarvan IV, Anivia, Ashe, Sona

Game

Against All Authority had an early advantage and secured the game's first dragon, but Fnatic would kill three members of aAa. However, FNC did not decide to go for Baron Nashor, which would've evened the game state, lead to aAa taking advantage with the Irelia and Anivia champions to win the first game of the series.^[6] Game 1 ended with a game time of 40 minutes and 59 seconds, and a kill scoreline of 20–7 in favor of Against All Authority, tying the series at one game apiece as Fnatic were given a 1–0 advantage as a result of their victory in the upper bracket final.

FNC

Bans: Malzahar, Jarvan IV, Irelia, Corki, Janna
Picks: Brand, Warwick, Karthus, Ashe, Sona

aAa

Bans: Alistar, Gragas, Anivia
Picks: Brand, Warwick, Karthus, Ashe, Sona

Game

Fnatic got the first kill of the game through the Brand, but Against All Authority continued to be in control of both top and bottom lanes and securing dragon. Despite this state, the Karthus would score three kills. Although Fnatic had a lead in gold, team fights continued to be close, with both teams contesting Baron Nashor multiple times. Late in the game, FNC managed to break into aAa's base, but the latter would go for one more Baron attempt. However, with two players down from aAa, Fnatic took advantage and pushed through the mid-lane to destroy the nexus.^[6] Game 2 ended with a game time of 43 minutes and 59 seconds, and a kill scoreline of 23–12 in favor of Fnatic, winning the inaugural League of Legends World Championship.

The inaugural World Championship had a prize pool of US$100 thousand. Of this, the winners, Fnatic, received 50% ($50,000). For coming second, Against All Authority was rewarded 25% ($25,000), and Team SoloMid received 10% ($10,000) for finishing third. Fnatic remains the only team outside of Asia to win the tournament, as subsequent editions of the World Championship have been won by teams from Taiwan (then-Garena Premier League; now League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP)), South Korea (League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK)), and China (League of Legends Pro League (LPL)). Two years after the 2011 final, the European League Championship Series (EU LCS), now known as the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) was established.

Seven years later, European teams would qualify for two consecutive World Championship finals. Fnatic returned to the final during the 2018 edition, led by mid-laner Rasmus "Caps" Winther and bot-laner Carl Martin Erik "Rekkles" Larsson. In the 2019 edition held in Europe, G2 Esports, which also featured Caps and Luka "Perkz" Perković, became the third European team after Fnatic and Against All Authority to make the finals. Both instances, however, were losses to LPL representatives Invictus Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix, respectively.^[7][8]

2011 Finals MVP Maciej "Shushei" Ratuszniak passed away on 28 April 2025 after a battle with cancer, which was announced by Fnatic the day after.^[9] He was given a tribute in the music video of "Sacrifice", the official song of the 2025 League of Legends World Championship, which depicts Ratuszniak lifting the Summoner's Cup, the tournament's trophy which did not exist in 2011.