The opening matches of First Stand 2026 have been set after the draw ceremony, which followed the LPL Split 1 Grand Finals. The event is the first international tournament of the 2026 League of Legends calendar following the conclusion of the first domestic splits of2026.
As such, the event can give fans and teams insight into the regional hierarchy early in the year, but there is little doubt that LCK and LPL teams will be the favourites coming into the São Paulo event.
First Stand 2026 Opening Matches
Group A:
March 16, 09:00 EDT/13:00 GMT: Bilibili Gaming vs BNK FEARX
March 16, 14:00 EDT/18:00 GMT: G2 vs Team Secret Whales
Group B:
March 17, 09:00 EDT/13:00 GMT: Gen.G vs JD Gaming
March 17, 14:00 EDT/18:00 GMT: Lyon vs LOUD
The LCK and LPL teams knew their initial opposition based on the seeding, with only the group they were in to be decided. The LPL Split 1 champions BLG face LCK Cup runners-up BNK FEARX in Group A. FEARX shocked the world by defeating T1 3-1 in the Upper Bracket. LCK Cup champions, Gen.G, will face JD Gaming, whose new roster made a positive start under former AL coach, Wong ‘Tabe’ Pak-kan.
That left the South American, North American, European, and LCP teams to be decided, with G2 drawing the LCP’s TSW and Lyon drawing CBLOL Cup winners, LOUD in Groups A and B, respectively.
Lyon and G2 avoiding each other will come as a shame to Western fans, as the rivalry between G2 and EU’s most-prized export, Kacper ‘Inspired’ Słoma, has heated up in recent days following Inspired’s comments regarding G2 on the LCS broadcast.
The Pole said that “At this point it seems like it’s me against G2,” adding that he was “always interested in joining the team, and they never gave me a shot.” Hell hath no fury like a Jungler scorned, especially after Inspired’s FlyQuest fell to G2 at Worlds 2025 in the match-up that shifted the balance of power back to Europe.
In this new Lyon roster, in which Inspired likely has more say and influence than ever, an EU vs NA clash would not only reignite that rivalry but also provide fascinating insights into where Inspired and G2’s philosophies differ and why G2 may have not made that move.
However, both teams would have to make the playoffs in order to play each other, either by one of the teams winning the group and the other finishing second, or by meeting in the Grand Final. Either outcome is an extremely tough ask, with the Korean and Chinese representation being doubled in the 2026 iteration of the event.
However, fans who want to measure the strength of the European LEC against the re-established North American LCS may have to wait for MSI, as EU representatives G2 were drawn in the opposite group to LCS 2026 Lock-In champions, Lyon.
First Stand 2026 format changes explained
First Stand 2026 sees multiple format changes from the 2025 inaugural event, with the Round Robin group stage being replaced by two double-elimination groups, and all matches moving to a Best of 5 fearless format.
Additionally, the event moves from five to eight teams. CBLOL and LCS are each contributing one team from their reestablished regions, rather than a singular LTA representative.
Most ominously for the opposition, both the LCK and LPL will field two teams at the event. Gen.G and FEARX will represent Korea’s league, while BLG and JDG represent the Chinese contingent.
The event will take place in São Paulo from March 16-22. Some fans were left disappointed by the decision to hold the event in CBLOL’s Riot Games Arena, a venue with a capacity of only 140 people, drawing comment from Gen.G COO Arnold Hur, who quipped, “I had more people at my wedding than FST capacity.”
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Following the departure of Los Ratones after LEC Versus, see the LEC’s plans for LEC Spring 2026 here.
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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