Akali Takes the Stage Twice as K/DA and True Damage Open the Worlds 2026 Final

Akali has two groups to perform with before Gen.G and Bilibili Gaming play a single game. The Worlds 2026 Final Opening Ceremony Presented by Mastercard brings K/DA and True Damage to Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, November 14, with SOYEON of i-dle portraying Akali in both lineups. The show begins at 14:00 EST in New York, or 20:00 CET in mainland Spain, ahead of the best-of-five that will decide the League of Legends world champion.

K/DA Returns to Worlds with a New Lineup of Songs

MIYEON of i-dle voices Ahri, with SOYEON as Akali, Sophie Powers as Evelynn, and Mimi Webb as Kai’Sa. It’s the lineup behind K/DA’s latest releases, which have given listeners a fresh run of music in the weeks leading up to Brooklyn. Riot released the FIRESTARTER music video and a separate choreography showcase, followed by WATCH ME, NEVER GOING BACK, and GIRLS, the latter with DJ Sona.

K/DA first appeared in 2018 with POP/STARS, and its return puts that early chapter of Riot’s music catalogue next to a new one. The recent releases also give fans a point of reference for the new lineup: someone who discovered K/DA through POP/STARS can hear how Sophie Powers and Mimi Webb approach Evelynn and Kai’Sa before seeing the group back on the Worlds stage. Riot has confirmed the performers, but its ceremony announcement does not list a complete K/DA setlist.

True Damage Brings “Know My Name” to Brooklyn

True Damage puts SOYEON’s Akali alongside Coco Jones as Senna, Vic Mensa as Ekko, and Sofía Reyes as Qiyana. Yasuo rounds out the virtual group as its DJ and producer. Akali is the link between the two acts, moving from K/DA’s pop lineup to a hip-hop collective where Ekko shares the rap duties and Senna and Qiyana bring different vocal styles.

Riot has confirmed that True Damage will perform “Know My Name,” the Worlds 2026 anthem. It is the 13th Worlds anthem and the first performed by one of Riot’s virtual acts. Its music video looks back at Faker’s career and T1’s three consecutive world titles, using that run to tell a story about recovering from defeat and staying competitive over time.

That retrospective will play out against a different competitive story in Brooklyn. T1 helped inspire this year’s anthem, but Bilibili Gaming knocked them out 3–1 in the semifinals. The team facing BLG is Gen.G, who swept Invictus Gaming 3–0 after doing the same to LYON in the quarterfinals. BLG also swept Dplus KIA in the quarters, so the final brings together two teams that have dropped just one game between them in the knockout bracket.

When to Watch the Ceremony and Final

The ceremony opens the final broadcast on November 14 at 11:00 PST, 14:00 EST, and 20:00 CET. In China, that’s 03:00 CST on Sunday, November 15; in South Korea, it’s 04:00 KST. If you’re tuning in for the music, join the LoL Esports broadcast at the scheduled start, before the Gen.G–BLG series gets underway.

For fans in New York, the weekend also includes Worlds Fan Fest at Pier 36 in Lower Manhattan, running November 12–14 and open to all fans subject to capacity. The programme includes a developer panel, a cosplay showcase, and a special return of Hotline League with Travis Gafford at 11:00 EST on Saturday. Pier 36 will host its own final watch party at 14:00 EST, giving fans another place to see the ceremony and the title match together if they’re outside Barclays Center.

Brooklyn is the last stop of a tournament that began with Play-Ins in Los Angeles before moving to Allen, Texas, for the Swiss stage and the first two knockout rounds. On Saturday, the music takes the stage first. Then Gen.G and Bilibili Gaming will play for the title that brought 19 teams to North America.