First Stand is the year’s inaugural international tournament, setting the tone for yet another round of heated rivalries. However, with so many teams hungry to stamp their mark ahead of the Mid-Season Invitational and Fearless Draft demanding constant adaptation, there’s virtually no room for error on the global stage.
To help you out, we’ve shared our First Stand betting predictions and odds-backed analysis of the top performers capable of making a deep run, along with key tournament details to bring you fully up to speed.
Disclaimer: All odds quoted are accurate as of March 9, 2026, and are subject to change.
First Stand 2026 Schedule & Format
The second edition of First Stand runs from March 16–22, 2026, at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil.
Similar to last year, the tournament will be split into two phases: Group Stage and Knockout Stage, with all matches adopting “Hard Fearless Draft,” meaning each champion can only be picked once by either team during the series.
Group Stage
The Group Stage (March 16–20) will split teams into two groups of four, with each group playing in a double-elimination bracket. Every matchup will be played as a best-of-five series, and only the top two teams in each group will advance to the Knockout Stage. The remaining teams will be eliminated.
Knockout Stage
The Knockout Stage (March 21–22) will follow a single-elimination bracket, with all matches played as a best-of-five series. By the end of the bracket, a single champion will emerge and receive a bye directly into the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) Bracket Stage.
To keep up with the action, refer to the First Stand 2026 schedule below:
| Stage | Day | Date | Match 1 | Match 2 |
| Group Stage | Day 1 | March 16 | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| Day 2 | March 17 | 13:00 | 18:00 | |
| Day 3 | March 18 | 13:00 | 18:00 | |
| Day 4 | March 19 | 13:00 | 18:00 | |
| Day 5 | March 20 | 13:00 | 18:00 | |
| Knockout Stage (Semifinals) | — | March 21 | 13:00 | 18:00 |
| Knockout Stage (Finals) | — | March 22 | 13:00 | — |
Note: All match times are presented in GMT. You can refer to the official LoL esports website for local time conversions and live standings throughout the tournament.
Prize Pool Distribution
This year’s First Stand features a $1 million total prize pool, which will be distributed as follows:
| Place | Prize Money |
| 1st | $250,000 |
| 2nd | $150,000 |
| 3rd–4th | $125,000 (each) |
| 5th–6th | $100,000 (each) |
| 7th–8th | $75,000 (each) |
How To Watch First Stand 2026
You can catch every second of the event right here at Thunderpick. Simply head to the League live betting page and click on the camera icon alongside any matchup. From there, explore the available live in-play markets and incredible odds to level up the action.
Prefer watching the official streams? In that case, tune into English-language live streams on the Riot Games Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok channels, or any of the licensed regional simulcasts and co-streams.
Teams Competing At First Stand 2026
A major change from last year, First Stand will now host eight teams instead of five, pulling in the top performers from each regional league: LCK, LPL, LEC, LCP, LCS, and CBLOL. The teams competing are as follows:
- Gen.G (LCK Cup #1)
- BNK FEARX (LCK Cup #2)
- Bilibili Gaming (LPL Split 1 #1)
- JD Gaming (LPL Split 1 #2)
- G2 Esports (LEC Versus #1)
- Team Secret Whales (LCP Split 1 #1)
- LYON (LCS Lock-In #1)
- LOUD (CBLOL Cup #1)
Our Predictions For First Stand 2026
With both the LCK and LPL sending two representatives each, São Paulo feels far more stacked than ever before.
What’s more, expanding the playing field from five to eight teams raises the level of competition across the board, making it a genuinely tough call to predict who claims the title and, more importantly, the coveted MSI bye.
Important: These predictions reflect the perceived strength of teams based on historical trends and the latest available odds. This analysis should not be interpreted as betting advice. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Always gamble responsibly.
Gen.G (#1)
Unsurprisingly, Gen.G enter First Stand 2026 as the clear favorites, with outright odds of 1.70 (-143) implying a 58.82% probability of victory.
Despite failing to lift the Summoner’s Cup at Worlds 2025, Gen.G still managed to finish the year with a dominant 46–8 record (85.2% win rate), and it seems they’ve carried that momentum into 2026.
The Korean juggernaut recently posted a flawless 5–0 record in the LCK Cup 2026 Group Stage before defeating Dplus KIA and BNK FEARX 3-1 in the Upper Bracket. They then faced BNK FEARX again in the Grand Final, clinching the title with a clean 3–0 sweep (as we predicted) while conceding only two games throughout the event.
Central to their campaign is Finals MVP Canyon, whose impeccable jungle pathing and objective control made him the primary architect of victory. Additionally, there’s legendary ADC Ruler, who capped the LCK Cup with a Pentakill on Yunara, and Chovy’s persistent midlane pressure. Together, they anchor one of the most dominant rosters in the LoL pro scene.
Gen.G roster:
- Kim “Kiin” Ki-in
- Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu
- Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon
- Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk
- Joo “Duro” Min-kyu
- Ryu “Ryu” Sang-wook (Head Coach)
Bilibili Gaming (#2)
Bilibili Gaming is our #2 pick and likely the only team capable of putting an end to Gen.G’s seemingly unstoppable campaign.
The Chinese powerhouse recently stamped their authority, closing the LPL Split 1 Group Stage with a 6–4 record against tough competition. In the Knockout Stage, they proceeded to beat NiP and Weibo 3–0 before dismantling JD Gaming twice, initially going the distance 3–2 in the Upper Final and again 3–1 in the Grand Final to take the title.
As expected, the blockbuster acquisition of ADC Viper from Hanwha Life has paid off, strengthening an already formidable core of midlaner Knight and Finals MVP Bin, the latter of whom continues to be a monster in the top lane, providing the frontline pressure needed to enable his ADC.
At outright odds of 3.50 (+250), BLG have a 28.57% implied probability of winning, which is enough to make them the strongest challengers to Gen.G’s title hopes.
Bilibili Gaming roster:
- Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin
- Yang “Wenbo” Wen-Bo (Substitute)
- Peng “Xun” Li-Xun
- Zhuo “Knight” Ding
- Park “Viper” Do-hyeon
- Luo “ON” Wen-Jun
- Yang “Daeny” Dae-in (Head Coach)
JD Gaming (#3)
With outright odds of 8.50 (+750) and only an 11.76% implied probability of victory, JD Gaming are our cautious pick at First Stand 2026.
While the odds are clearly stacked against them, JDG have done enough to prove their championship caliber. They made a deep run in LPL Split 1, powering through tough contenders like Top Esports, Anyone’s Legend, and Weibo en route to the Grand Final, nearly sending rival BLG into the Lower Final.
GALA remains a world-class ADC and JDG’s late-game insurance, while the duo of new jungler JunJia and Taiwanese prodigy HongQ, who holds his own against veteran midlaners, act as the team’s primary playmakers.
Although JDG have a tough opening match against Gen.G at First Stand, it’s a massive test of their resilience out of the gate. If they pull an upset, it will undoubtedly make them instant favorites for the MSI bye.
JD Gaming roster:
- Xu “Xiaoxu” Xing-Zu
- Yu “JunJia” Chun-Chia
- Tsai “HongQ” Ming-Hong
- Chen “GALA” Wei
- Zhao “Vampire” Zhe-Can
- Wong “Tabe” Pak Kan (Head Coach)
Who Will Win First Stand 2026?
With an expanded field of eight teams and best-of-five series across the board, First Stand is expected to deliver plenty of upsets, which is exactly the kind of volatility that creates real value for bettors who spot momentum early.
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