Kha Y Tran The first international tournament of the year for League of Legends, First Stand 2026, will officially take place from March 16 to March 22 in Brazil.
Notably, the event gathers top teams from major regions around the world. In addition, it continues to use the exciting Hard Fearless Draft format, which encourages teams to explore a wider range of champions and strategies.
Below is the latest First Stand 2026 schedule, along with important information about the tournament format, participating teams, prize pool, and venue.
Follow the full schedule at: https://lolesports.com/en-US/leagues/first_stand,lpl,msi,worlds
First Stand 2026 Match Schedule
First Stand 2026 Fixtures
| Date | Time | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Mar 16 | 20:00 | Bilibili Gaming | BNK FearX | |
| Mar 17 | 01:00 | G2 Esports | Team Secret Whales | |
| Mar 17 | 20:00 | Gen.G | JD Gaming | |
| Mar 18 | 01:00 | LYON | LOUD | |
| Mar 18 | 20:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 19 | 01:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 19 | 20:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 20 | 01:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 20 | 20:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 21 (Semifinals) | 01:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 21 (Semifinals) | 20:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 22 (Grand Final) | 01:00 | TBD | TBD | |
| Mar 22 (Grand Final) | 20:00 | TBD | TBD |
Note: Schedule may be updated after each match.
What is First Stand?
First Stand (FST) is the first international tournament of the year in League of Legends.
Previously, the global competitive calendar only featured two major international events Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and League of Legends World Championship (Worlds).
However, in order to expand the competitive ecosystem, Riot Games introduced First Stand in 2025. As a result, the early part of the season now includes an additional global event.
Furthermore, this tournament allows Riot to implement the Hard Fearless Draft format on the international stage.
First Stand 2026 Tournament Format
For 2026, the tournament format has been adjusted.
First of all, the traditional round-robin stage has been removed. Instead, all matches are played as Best-of-5 (Bo5) series. Therefore, teams must demonstrate deeper champion pools and better adaptation across multiple games.
In addition, the Hard Fearless Draft rule remains in effect. Consequently, teams cannot pick the same champion again once it has been used in the series.
Group Stage Format
During the first phase of the tournament:
- Two groups will be created based on seeding
- Each group contains 4 teams
- A double-elimination bracket will be used
- All matches are played in Bo5
- Meanwhile, the top two teams from each group advance to Stage 2
Knockout Stage Format
After the group stage, the tournament enters the knockout stage.
- Single elimination bracket
- Bo5 series for all matches
- Hard Fearless Draft applied
- Finally, the champion region earns a direct slot in the MSI 2026 Playoffs
Teams Participating in First Stand 2026
Compared to the previous edition, the tournament now includes 8 teams instead of 5.
As a result, more regions are represented on the international stage. Moreover, both China and Korea receive an additional slot. Meanwhile, Brazil is granted a direct entry as the host region.
Participating Teams
LPL (China)
- Bilibili Gaming
- JD Gaming
LCK (Korea)
- Gen.G
- BNK FearX
LEC (Europe)
- G2 Esports
LTA (Americas)
- LYON
LCP (Asia-Pacific)
- Team Secret Whales
CBLOL (Brazil)
- LOUD
First Stand 2026 Prize Pool
The tournament features a total prize pool of $1,000,000.
Notably, the champion will receive $250,000. Meanwhile, the remaining prize money will be distributed among the other teams according to their final standings.
First Stand 2026 Location
The tournament will be hosted in São Paulo, Brazil.
Interestingly, this marks the second time Brazil hosts a major League of Legends international tournament. Previously, the country hosted the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational.
In addition, matches are expected to take place at the Riot Games studio in São Paulo.
Final Thoughts
Overall, First Stand 2026 promises to be one of the most exciting early-season international tournaments in League of Legends.
Thanks to the Hard Fearless Draft format, fans will see a much wider variety of champions and strategies. Therefore, every Bo5 series could deliver unexpected results.
So, which team are you supporting?
Be sure to follow the tournament and cheer for your favorite players throughout the competition.
Follow the results of other matches on Tenkly: https://tenkly.com/
Hastag
#LeagueOfLegends #RiotGames #FirstStand2026
