First Stand 2026: Everything you need to know!

The first international stop of the new LoL Esports season is right around the corner! A total of eight teams from all over the world will head to Brazil to compete at First Stand 2026 starting March 16. 

After exciting first splits across the board, which region will claim the first international trophy of the year? Let's take a look at the First Stand 2026 format, schedule, and list of teams to find out more.

Teams Qualified for First Stand 2026

So far, 6 of the 8 teams at First Stand have been decided. With only the LPL left pending as the Split 1 Playoffs continue to unfold, here's the list of First Stand teams as of now:

While Gen.G are no doubt the absolute favorites to win it all, some teams may have something to say about it. G2 and LYON both put up remarkable runs throughout their respective playoffs, and will be eager to prove the West is not too far behind. All the while, BFX are an exciting team who continue to defy expectations.

Without a doubt, though, Gen.G's biggest threat should come from the LPL. It has been almost three years since the LPL won an international event; will they finally put an end to the drought at First Stand 2026?

Groups

The draw has taken place, and we now have our two groups for the first phase of First Stand 2026! The groups will be split as follows:

• Group A: Bilibili Gaming, BNK FEARX, G2 Esports, Team Secret Whales
• Group B: Gen.G, JD Gaming, LYON, LOUD

First Stand Format and Schedule

First Stand 2026 will feature a different format to the one used at their inaugural edition last year. The tournament will still be split into two stages: the Group Stage and the Knockout Stage. This time, though, the Group Stage features a revamped format. Here's how each stage will work:

• Group Stage:
  • Two groups of 4 teams each
  • Teams play through a double-elimination bracket
  • Top two teams from each group qualify for the Knockout Stage
  • All matches are Bo5
• Knockout Stage:
  • Single-elimination bracket
  • All matches are Bo5

Perhaps the best, and biggest, change is the fact that every single match at the tournament will be best-of-five (Bo5). This should allow for more surprise picks and innovative team compositions as players and coaches are pushed to the limit of their capabilities.

As for the schedule, First Stand 2026 will span one full week, with the tournament running from Monday, March 16, until Sunday, March 22. Here's a closer look at the schedule:

• Group Stage: March 16-20
• Semifinals: March 21
• Grand Finals: March 22

Note that all match days will begin at 6 am PT / 10 am BRT / 3 pm CET.

Opening Matchups

To kick off the action, here's a look at the opening matchups of the Group Stage:

• Group A:
  • Bilibili Gaming vs BNK FEARX
  • G2 Esports vs Team Secret Whales
• Group B:
  • Gen.G vs JD Gaming
  • LYON vs LOUD

Where to Watch

First Stand 2026 will take place at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil. To catch all of the action from home, tune in to the official First Stand broadcast channels on Twitch or YouTube. 

If you'd like the chance to earn drops, make sure to watch the event live from the LoL Esports website. Just log in with your Riot ID, and tune in to watch the games live for the chance to win exclusive League of Legends emotes, and more!

Anyone with a Twitch subscription to participating LoL Esports channels will also receive additional benefits. The list of participating channels is as follows:

• Riot Games channel
• CBLOL channel
• LoL Esports LA
• LoL Esports TW
• League of Legends JP

And, as always, remember that you can also follow the action along with your favorite co-streamers across a wide variety of languages. However you prefer to watch the games, make sure you tune in for the start of First Stand 2026 on March 16!

Follow Strafe Esports for the latest League of Legends news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's channel on YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured image credit: Riot Games

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Read more: 

Inspired and LYON win LCS Lock-In and Qualify for First Stand 2026

G2 Esports win the LEC Versus and qualify to First Stand 2026

Gen.G win the LCK Cup 2026 in flawless fashion