Riot Games has brought back its virtual hip-hop group True Damage to perform ‘Know My Name’, the official anthem for the 2026 League of Legends World Championship (Worlds).
The song will be released on all major streaming platforms on October 8th at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET / 2 AM BST (October 9th). The official music video will premiere on the League of Legends YouTube channel at the same time. According to a release, it is the 13th anthem made for the tournament, and it is being put out through Riot Games and Virgin Music Group.
True Damage is one of several virtual music acts Riot has built around League of Legends, its 2009 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game in which two teams of five characters fight to destroy each other’s base. The group is made up of five of those playable characters, known as champions. Akali and Ekko rap, Qiyana both sings and raps, Senna provides vocals and Yasuo acts as the group’s DJ and producer. Real-world artists perform the parts.
For the 2026 return, SOYEON of K-pop group i-dle is back as the voice of Akali. She is joined by Grammy-winning R&B singer Coco Jones as Senna, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa as Ekko and Mexican pop singer-songwriter Sofía Reyes as Qiyana. The group will perform the song live at the Worlds 2026 Opening Ceremony, presented by Mastercard, at Barclays Center in New York on November 14th.
A first for the Worlds anthem
‘Know My Name’ is True Damage’s first release since its 2019 debut single ‘GIANTS’, which Riot says has since passed 230m streams across platforms. According to the release, the members have spent the years in between developing their own individual identities before reuniting for this track. It is also the first time Riot has given the Worlds anthem to one of its own virtual acts. Past anthems have been performed by artists including NewJeans, Linkin Park and Chinese singer G.E.M.
Maria Egan, Global Head of Music & Events at Riot Games, said the decision was partly tied to this year’s host city. She explained that “with Worlds coming to New York this year, True Damage felt like the perfect artist to take on the anthem.”
“Much like our host city, True Damage has always been about bringing together distinct voices, styles, and cultures to create something unique and bigger than the sum of its parts,” Egan added. “For our most dedicated players and esports fans, the League Champs in our virtual bands are the superstars they most want to see on the Worlds stage.”
Riot Games Music, the publisher’s music division, has released songs through other virtual acts in the past, such as K-pop-inspired girl group K/DA and heavy metal band Pentakill. The division claims its catalogue of more than 1,500 songs has generated over 16bn lifetime streams.
What the artists said
SOYEON, who has previously voiced Akali in both True Damage and K/DA, called it “such an honor to be part of True Damage again, especially for this year’s Worlds anthem.” “I can't wait to see the reactions of League's fans when they hear the song,” she said. “I'm really excited to create an amazing opening ceremony with all the League players and fans.” Jones, who is new to the group, described the project as “unlike anything I've done before.”
“Riot has really created this incredible world where music and storytelling come to life, and being able to bring my own style and energy into that has been so much fun,” Jones said. Mensa said he spent time learning about his character before recording. “I had a lot of fun stepping into Ekko’s world, diving into his story, and finding ways to bring some of that into my verse,” he said.
Reyes pointed to the mix of languages on the track, saying that hearing them “come together in one song is beautiful.” She added: “It also brought out a fiery side of me that you don't usually hear in my music, so I hope you enjoy it!”
Worlds heads to the US
Worlds is the biggest annual tournament in League of Legends esports. Qualified teams from professional leagues around the world compete over roughly a month for the world champion title, with a different region hosting each year.
This year’s event takes place in the US. The Play-In Stage begins in Los Angeles on October 15th, before the tournament moves to New York for the opening ceremony on November 14th.
