Warriors (Imagine Dragons song)

Last updated
"Warriors"
Song Cover for "Warriors" by Imagine Dragons.jpg
Single by Imagine Dragons
ReleasedSeptember 18, 2014
Recorded2014
Genre
Length2:50
Label
Songwriters
Producers
  • Imagine Dragons
  • Alex da Kid
Imagine Dragons singles chronology
"Battle Cry"
(2014)		"Warriors"
(2014)		"I Bet My Life"
(2014)
Music video
"Warriors" on YouTube

"Warriors" is a song by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons released along with its music video for the 2014 League of Legends World Championship, as the first annual song designed for a League of Legends World Championship. It has been described as a rock and arena rock song, written by the band members, Josh Mosser, and Alex da Kid, the latter of whom produced the song along with the band. Lyrically, the song tells a story that reflects on the game's community building up the game from nothing when it was released. Its accompanying music video, released to promote the 2014 World Championship, showcases a competitive gaming team losing but not giving up until reaching the final. The song premiered with its music video on the League of Legends YouTube channel on September 17, 2014, and officially released as a single the day after. It was also included on the deluxe edition of the band's second studio album, Smoke + Mirrors (2015).

Contents

Although "Warriors" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and reached the top 10 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and charted in various other countries, with its highest peak being number seven in Sweden. It has since been certified in various countries, including being certified multi-platinum by Pro-Música Brasil, the Swedish Recording Industry Association, and the Recording Industry Association of America. The music video for "Warriors" spent years as the most viewed video on the League of Legends YouTube channel until the music video for "Pop/Stars" by K/DA overtook it. Since its release, the song has been considered a fan-favorite amongst the League of Legends World Championship songs and often places highly on rankings of them. It has also been used in various media, including films and TV shows, and was used as the official song for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. In 2020, League of Legends premiered its tenth season by releasing a cover of "Warriors" with 2WEI and Edda Hayes.

Background and composition

In 2014, Imagine Dragons were working on Smoke + Mirrors (2015), their second studio album. However, on Twitter, they revealed that they had taken a break from recording the album to collaborate with the multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends , which was the band's favorite game at the time. They released "Warriors" for the game's 2014 World Championship. [1] Following the music video being uploaded, "Warriors" was officially released as a single on September 18, 2014, through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. [2] Upon its release, Riot Games posted on their site regarding the song, "To kick off the start of the action, we set out to craft a war cry to rally behind in a creative collaboration with Imagine Dragons. Whether you're a solo queue warrior or fighting off the LCS jitters –- every moment counts." [3] The song also appears on the deluxe version of Smoke + Mirrors. [4] In a 2021 interview with NME after the band released "Enemy" as a second collaboration with Riot Games for the League of Legends-adaptive show Arcane , Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds said that working with Riot Games "just came out organically" while playing for the 2014 World Championship in Seoul. He continued by saying that "Nothing was forced, it was just fun. Playing Worlds was some of my favourite memories". [5]

"Warriors" has been described as a rock [6] and arena rock [7] song. It was written by Imagine Dragons members Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, and Daniel Platzman, along with Josh Mosser and British record producer Alex da Kid, and produced by the band and Alex da Kid. [4] [8] It is two minutes and 50 seconds long [2] and according to Universal Music Publishing Group's sheet music at Musicnotes.com, is in the key of E minor with a driving tempo and a 2 feel; it has a metronome of 152 beats per minute. Reynolds' vocals range two octaves throughout the song, from B3 to B5. [9] Chris Payne of Billboard called the song "anthemic", [10] whereas Alan Wen of NME said that it "has the vibe of a tournament anthem" [5] and Ashima Grover of LeisureByte described the song as a "Herculean track". [7] For Diffuser, Chuck Armstrong called the song "grandiose", featuring "hard-hitting" pianos and symphonic orchestral elements and that it could be a "'let's get pumped up' jam". [11]

Lyrically, "Warriors" tells a story about "heroes" who built a land "from dust". [6] Amanda "Tania Mae" Tan of ONE Esports said that because of how "Warriors" "speak[s] to and speak[s] about both pro players and League of Legends players", it sets itself apart from later World Championship songs. She further elaborated that the song "echoes the sentiment that the game", explaining that the League of Legends "made [the game] possible [and] 'built this town'" and that the lyric "from dust" at the end of the chorus serves as "a reminder that [League of Legends] started from nothing when it first debuted back in 2009". The song opens with the line "As a child, you would wait / And watch from far away", which Tan described as "incredibly powerful". Other lyrics include "Here we are, don't turn away now / We are the warriors that built this town / From dust" and "When you will have to rise / Above the best and prove yourself / Your spirit never dies". [12]

Music video

"Warriors" premiered with the debut of its music video on the League of Legends YouTube channel on September 17, 2014, to promote the 2014 League of Legends World Championship. [11] The music video showcases a team losing in competitive games but persisting as they do so and continuing without giving up until reaching the final. [6] The scene aligned with the second verse of the song was particularly noted for involving two teams competing on opposite sides of a table on Summoner's Rift, "a perfect reflection of 90s LAN gaming culture". [12] It was the most-viewed video on the League of Legends channel for years until April 2019, when it was surpassed by the music video for "Pop/Stars" by K/DA, which had over 215 million views at the time while "Warriors" had over 214 million. [13] By 2021, the music video had received over 336 million views, which at the time, was still the most views on a League of Legends World Championship song, [12] and as of September 2025, it has over 446 million views. [14]

Commercial performance

"Warriors" debuted at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, and despite not reaching the Billboard Hot 100, [15] spent five weeks on the former chart. [16] The song also spent 20 weeks on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, peaking at number 10. [17] It appeared on the chart's year-end lists for 2014 and 2015 at numbers 68 and 83 respectively. [18] [19] Since its release, it has been certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA, a representation of there having been over two million confirmed sales of the song in the United States. [20]

Outside of the U.S., "Warriors" peaked at number seven in Sweden, the highest it reached in any country, and has been certified 2× Platinum in the country, indicating over 80,000 sales. [21] [22] It also reached number 16 in Lebanon and number 18 in the Czech Republic, the only other countries where it reached the top 20. [23] [24] The song peaked at number 27 in Norway, and it has since been certified Platinum in the country. [25] [26] In the United Kingdom, "Warriors" peaked at number 54 on the UK Singles chart, [27] and has been certified Platinum by the BPI. [28] In Germany, it peaked at number 58 and is certified Gold. [29] [30] The song has also been certified 3× Platinum in Brazil for over 180,000 sales, the highest certification it has received out of any country. [31] In Denmark, the song is certified Platinum overall and Gold for streaming. [32] [33]

Elsewhere, "Warriors" peaked at number 34 in Hungary, [34] number 48 in France, [35] number 56 in Austria, [36] number 60 in Canada, [37] number 66 in the Netherlands, [38] and number 80 in Ireland. [39] It is also certified Platinum in New Zealand [40] and Spain, [41] and in Italy, it is certified Gold. [42]

Reception and legacy

Following "Warriors", League of Legends began a tradition to release a World Championship song every subsequential year. [43] It has been considered a fan-favorite amongst the League of Legends World Championship songs. [44] Grover called it one of the game's songs that "still reign supreme", saying that it "still sticks the landing as one of the most headstrong and best titles of the game. It both fits the game’s hype and builds a crescendo that is hard to beat to this date. Visualizing the gamers in their race to win the title, it’s still one of the grandest songs to invoke goosebumps". [45] In a 2025 ranking, members of the Esports.gg staff ranked it the third-best World Championship song out of the ones from 2014 to 2024, with their consensus being that that is "timeless", a "classic", and "an anthem that has stood the test of time", with members praising its build-up, chorus, and lyrics. [46] The song topped the 2024 ranking of the Worlds songs by ONE Esports, for which Kristine "Kurisu" Tuting said "Even after more than a decade, admit it you keep coming back to this classic". [47] Esports Insider also ranked the song first place in a 2025 ranking, praising it as "iconic" and saying it "suits its role as a LoL Worlds theme [very well]", calling its lyrics and orchestral crescendo "epic". They also praised its music video as "inspirational". [6]

Usage in media

"Warriors" was used in the trailer for the 2015 film The Divergent Series: Insurgent and the final [48] trailer for the 2017 film Wonder Woman . [49] Slate's Matthew Dessem said regarding the latter trailer that when the song was paired with "slow-motion footage of Wonder Woman single-handedly fighting World War I [...] the answer is a resounding 'who did you think was in charge here, anyway?'" He also said that "World War I [...] was decidedly less badass than an Imagine Dragons song, perhaps because Wonder Woman wasn't there". Furthermore, he continued by stating that the Wonder Woman trailer would "seamlessly" blend in with other "terrible" DC films by using the song in the trailer, using The Skin I Live In as an example of being a "more interesting movie buried under all the kickass guitar" with Elena Anaya playing as a female counterpart of Fritz Haber. [48]

Additionally, "Warriors" appears in the South Korean horror show Sweet Home . Alice O'Connor of Rock Paper Shotgun said that the song worked as "the show's anthem for heroic moments". [50] It was also used as the official song for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. [51] WWE Network also used the song as the official theme song for the WWE's Survivor Series 2015. [52] Chrissy Costanza of Against the Current sung a medley of "Warriors" along with the 2019 World Championship song "Phoenix" and the 2017 World Championship song "Legends Never Die", the latter two of which she both performed in, to open the final of the 2025 World Championship. [53]

San (pictured) of Ateez released his own dance performance to "Warriors" in 2023. Choi San (Ateez) in October 2024.png
San (pictured) of Ateez released his own dance performance to "Warriors" in 2023.

In October 2023, San of South Korean boy band Ateez released a dance performance to "Warriors" to the group's channel. Choreography for the performance was also provided by BBtrippin and Tarzan. In the performance, San makes "powerful" moves and facial expressions to "establish the vibe and fervour of the song's vibe". The performance was met with praise from the group's fans, the Atinys, who compared his dancing to Ryomen Sukuna of Jujutsu Kaisen and that it "can stand out as a music video on its own". It was described by Grover as a "ferocious anthem" and that "Even without the ATEEZ members by his side, his power-hungry roar can be heard from a distance". [7] In December of the same year, San also called "Warriors" one of his top picks for songs to listen to while traveling. [54]

2WEI and Edda Hayes version

In 2020, League of Legends collaborated with German composer team 2WEI and Edda Hayes for a cinematic music video with a cover of "Warriors" to begin the game's tenth season. The cover was described as "grim, choral, and bwampy", [55] as well as "slow and melodramatic". [56]

The music video begins with three concurrent scenes: a battle in a castle, a brawl in a building, and a creature-produced artifact. [56] Throughout, it includes nine prior League of Legends champions with their own mini-stories. [57] The video involves League of Legends characters Jayce, Lux, and Galio teaming up to win against Sylas and his followers. It also sees Marksman Champions Ezreal and Kai'Sa fight against various creatures and Vi be assisted by Cailyn for her sniper skills. [58] Turing called the video "absolutely spine-tingling" and that "Hayes' powerful vocals + 2WEI's composition = eargasm" when writing about the cover for ONE Esports. [57] Despite having minimal experience with League of Legends itself, Robert N. Adams of GameRevolution praised the video as "some of the finest animation [he had] seen repping a video game in recent memory". [56]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Apple Music and Spotify. [4] [8]

Imagine Dragons

Additional personnel

Chart performance

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [31] 3× Platinum180,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [32] Platinum90,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [30] Gold200,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [42] Gold25,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [40] Platinum30,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway) [26] Platinum10,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [41] Platinum60,000‡
Sweden (GLF) [22] 2× Platinum80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [28] Platinum600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [20] 2× Platinum2,000,000‡
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [33] Gold1,300,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ McElroy, Justin (September 18, 2014). "Listen to the song Imagine Dragons wrote for League of Legends". Polygon . Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Warriors – Single by Imagine Dragons". iTunes Store . United States: Apple. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ Olivetti, Justin (September 18, 2014). "Get Imagine Dragons' League of Legends song for free". Engadget . Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Warriors by Imagine Dragons". Apple Music . September 18, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Wen, Alan (November 17, 2021). "Imagine Dragons on their collaborations with "kindred spirits" Riot Games". NME .
  6. 1 2 3 4 Haynes, Antonia (October 19, 2025). "Every League of Legends Worlds anthem, ranked". Esports Insider. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Grover, Ashima (October 27, 2023). "ATEEZ San's Warriors Dance Video Consolidates His Presence as the "Best Performer in 4th Gen", Fans React!". LeisureByte. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Warriors". Spotify . October 16, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Warriors". Musicnotes. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  10. ↑ Payne, Chris (September 17, 2014). "Hear Anthemic New Imagine Dragons Song 'Warriors'". Billboard . Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Armstrong, Chuck (September 18, 2014). "Imagine Dragons Release New Song 'Warriors' + Offer Free Download". Diffuser. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 Tan, Amanda (September 25, 2024). "Why 'Warriors' by Imagine Dragons is still the best Worlds song ever". ONE Esports. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  13. ↑ Peroto, Guilherme (April 30, 2019). "K/DA supera Imagine Dragons e se torna o vídeo mais visto de League of Legends no YouTube" [K/DA surpasses Imagine Dragons to become the most watched League of Legends video on YouTube]. Arena eSports (in Portuguese). Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Warriors (ft. Imagine Dragons) | Worlds 2014 - League of Legends". YouTube . September 17, 2014. Archived from the original on September 29, 2025. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Imagine Dragons Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  16. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  18. 1 2 "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Year-End 2014". Billboard . Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  19. 1 2 "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Year-End 2015 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. billboard.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  20. 1 2 "American single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  21. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons – Warriors". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Sverigetopplistan – Imagine Dragons" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  23. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons Lebanese Chart Top 20 History". The Official Lebanese Top 20. November 16, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  24. 1 2 "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 40. týden 2014 in the date selector. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  25. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons - Warriors (Song)" . Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  26. 1 2 "Norwegian single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  28. 1 2 "British single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  29. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons – Warriors" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  30. 1 2 "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Imagine Dragons; 'Warriors')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Brazilian single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  32. 1 2 "Danish single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  33. 1 2 "Danish single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  34. 1 2 "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  35. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons – Warriors" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  36. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons – Warriors" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  37. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  38. 1 2 "Imagine Dragons – Warriors" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  39. 1 2 "Chart Track: Week 40, 2014". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  40. 1 2 "New Zealand single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors". Radioscope. Retrieved September 22, 2025.Type Warriors in the "Search:" fieldand press Enter.
  41. 1 2 "Spanish single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  42. 1 2 "Italian single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Warriors" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  43. ↑ Chen, Amy (September 23, 2024). "All LoL Worlds songs (2014 to 2024)". Esports.gg. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  44. ↑ Down, Aaron (October 10, 2023). "League of Legends Worlds 2023 song Gods is the best in half a decade". PCGamesN . Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  45. ↑ Grover, Ashima (November 6, 2022). "League of Legends Worlds 2022: 7 Iconic Songs by K/DA, Imagine Dragons and More that Pulled Even Non-Players". Leisurebyte. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  46. ↑ Phillips, Lawrence (August 29, 2025). "Best League of Legends Worlds Songs ranked (2014–2024)". Esports.gg. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  47. ↑ Tuting, Kristine (September 24, 2024). "Ranking every Worlds song in League of Legends". ONE Esports. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  48. 1 2 Dessem, Matthew (May 8, 2017). "Wonder Woman's Final Trailer Asks, "Would World War I Have Been Cooler With a Soundtrack From Imagine Dragons?"". Slate . Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  49. ↑ Singer, Matt (June 2, 2017). "The New Trend in Movie Trailers: Imagine Dragons Songs". Screen Crush . Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  50. ↑ O'Connor, Alice (January 4, 2021). "This Korean horror show using Imagine Dragons is killing me". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  51. ↑ Ji-youn, Kwon (June 15, 2015). "Imagine Dragons' dream comes true in Seoul". The Korea Times . Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  52. ↑ "WWE Survivor Series 2015". Cagematch (in German). November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  53. ↑ Ciocchetti, Cecilia (November 28, 2025). "How music has amplified League of Legends esports, featuring an interview with Chrissy Costanza". Esports Insider.
  54. ↑ Wang, Steffanee (February 20, 2024). "What Big Time K-Pop Group Ateez Listens To on the Road". Nylon . Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  55. ↑ O'Connor, Alice (January 9, 2020). "League of Legends kicking off the new season with a Warriors cover". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  56. 1 2 3 Adams, Robert N. (January 9, 2020). "WATCH: League of Legends 'Warriors' Cinematic features epic battles". GameRevolution . Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  57. 1 2 Tuting, Kristine (January 9, 2020). "The 2020 rendition of League of Legends' Warriors is absolutely spine-tingling". ONE Esports. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  58. ↑ Talbot, Carrie (January 9, 2020). "Check out League of Legends' Season 10 cinematic here". PCGamesN . Retrieved September 15, 2025.
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