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- What: League of Legends First Stand
- Date: Monday, Mar 16th-22nd, 2026
- Location: The Riot Games Arena, São Paulo, Brazil
- How to Watch: Twitch
The second annual First Stand Tournament kicks off on March 16th in São Paulo, Brazil. Eight teams will compete at the Riot Games Arena through March 22. Every Match across both stages will be played as a best-of-five series. The tournament also uses Fearless Draft, meaning champions can only be picked once per series.
We now know all the teams that will compete at First Stand 2026 🇧🇷:
🇰🇷 Gen.G Esports
🇰🇷 BNK FEARX
🇨🇳 Bilibili Gaming
🇨🇳 JD Gaming
🇪🇺 G2 Esports
🇻🇳 Team Secret Whales
🇧🇷 LOUD
🇺🇸 LYON pic.twitter.com/DGlyNFKmD9— Sheep Esports (@Sheep_Esports) March 7, 2026
The field includes Bilibili Gaming, JD Gaming, Gen. G, BNK FearX, G2 Esports, LYON, Team Secret Whales, and LOUD. Notably, reigning World Champions T1 and the 2025 FST winners, Hanwha Life, both failed to qualify.
Group A features BLG versus BFX and G2 versus TSW. Group B pits Gen.G against JDG and LYON against LOUD. The top two from each group advance to single-elimination knockouts.
Gen.G enters as the clear favorite after an undefeated LCK Cup regular season. They swept BNK FearX 3-0 in the final to claim the title. BLG is widely considered the only roster with enough firepower to challenge them. BLG secured LPL Split 1 with a convincing 3-1 victory over JDG.
For dark horses, keep an eye on BNK FearX and LYON. BFX is an exciting team that continues to defy expectations domestically. LYON, led by jungler Inspired, won the LCS Lock-In and brings Western firepower. The winning region earns a direct bye into MSI 2026’s Bracket Stage, raising the stakes.
Before we dive into the betting picks for the First Stand tournament, check out our guide to the best esports betting sites and the best sports betting apps and mobile options.
LOL First Stand Winner Odds
| Winner |  |  |  |
| Gen. G | -167 | -167 | -167 |
| Bilbili Gaming | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Jd Gaming | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Fearx | +1300 | +1300 | +1300 |
| G2 Esports | +1900 | +1900 | +1900 |
| Lyon | +2400 | +2400 | +2400 |
| Team Secret Whales | +3900 | +3900 | +3900 |
| Loud | +4900 | +4900 | +4900 |
Gen.G
Gen.G had a remarkable 2025 campaign. They won the LCK season, MSI and the Esports World Cup. However, they fell to KT Rolster in the semifinals of Worlds 2025.
Despite changing coaches and moving from KIM to Ryu Sang-wook, the only difference on this squad is that. They are one of the few major teams that retained the same five players for 2026. The roster of Kiin, Canyon, Chovy, Ruler, and Duro know each other inside and out.
Their run in the LCK Cup 2026 was dominant. Gen.G went undefeated in the regular season. They swept BNK Fear X 3-0 in the final at Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong. Chovy credited roster stability as the key to their success.
I can verify this. DSG is just Disguised Gen.G. https://t.co/BNSItZRmqs
— Gen.G Arnold (@arnoldwh) March 7, 2026
Can Gen.G translate its domestic dominance into international success? Is Chovy still thinking about that semifinal loss at Worlds? It was his third semifinal loss at Worlds. Perhaps that heartbreak serves as motivation heading into São Paulo?
If Chovy and Canyon show up like we know they can, it’s difficult to see anyone stopping them from taking home the whole thing. I’d wager on them to lift this trophy at -167 odds.
Bilbili Gaming
BLG overhauled its roster this offseason after a shocking early exit at Worlds 2025. The headline signing was Worlds 2021 champion Park “Viper” Do-hyeon, replacing longtime ADC Elk. They also reunited with jungler Xun and brought in head coach Daeny. The core of Bin, Knight, and ON remains intact from prior years.
BLG secured the LPL split 1 title with a convincing 3-1 win over JDG in the Grand Final. However, their regular season was inconsistent, with a 6-4 record in their group. They frequently built large early gold leads only to throw them away later. That inconsistency is the biggest concern heading into São Paulo.
Bilibili Gaming are your LPL Split 1 2026 champions.
BLG defeated JD Gaming 3 to 1 in the Grand Final, with Bin delivering a dominant performance to secure the title.#LPL #LoLEsports pic.twitter.com/GjKij7gtBt
— Strafe Esports (@strafeapp) March 8, 2026
On paper, BLG are the only roster with enough firepower to match Gen.G in every role. It has been almost three years since the LPL won an international event. BLG has the talent to end that drought. Whether they can maintain composure in the high-pressure Fearless Draft series will determine their ceiling. At +350, I’m not willing to take that chance, I’d pass on BLG at this event.
JD Gaming
JDG underwent a major rebuild this offseason, retaining only top laner Xiaoxu from 2025. The new jungle-mid duo of JunJia and HongQ arrived from the LCP team CTBC Flying Oyster. GALA and Vampire round out the bot lane, forming an entirely new core.
JD Gaming 🇨🇳 take the last spot for First Stand after defeating Weibo Gaming 🇨🇳 in LPL
Article by @maffeoh1 ⬇️https://t.co/BX1kBuFDeJ
— Sheep Esports (@Sheep_Esports) March 7, 2026
The biggest addition may be head coach Tabe, widely regarded as one of the best in the scene. Under Tabe, JDG relies heavily on teamplay, a signature of his coaching philosophy. That approach helped them reach the LPL Split 1 Grand Final twice before falling to BLG 1-3.
International inexperience and uneven regional performances could hold JDG back. Most of their roster has limited time on the global stage. However, Tabe has a track record of peaking at international events.
A realistic goal for JDG is a top-three finish, proving this rebuild has legs. If the new pieces click under pressure, they could surprise in São Paulo. I don’t think they can win the tournament, but do think they to land on the podium.
I’d pass on JD Gaming as well.
G2 Esports
My favorite dark horse for this tournament is G2. They maintained continuity by retaining their entire roster from 2025. The lineup of BrokenBlade, SkewMond, Caps, Hans Sama, and Labrov is well-established. G2 reached three LEC finals across three splits. They capped the year with a Summer title and a Worlds quarterfinal appearance.
They had a lackluster regular season, finishing 6-5, but flipped a switch in the playoffs, reaching the Grand Final without dropping a game. They edged out Karmine Corp 3-2 in a tightly contested final to claim the EMEA spot.
G2 Esports' General Manager Romain has revealed their scrims for #LEC Versus:
Total Win Rate — ✅ 64% (159-88)
Biggest Scrim Partner — 43 games vs MKOI 🇪🇸
Worst Scrim Win Rate — 16% vs KC 🇫🇷 (24 games)Results by team⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8yA79SltKR
— Sheep Esports (@Sheep_Esports) March 4, 2026
A semifinal appearance would validate their status as the West’s strongest team heading into the rest of 2026. At +1900, this is just too much value to pass up. I recommend taking a shot on G2 here.
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