It’s almost time for the first international League of Legends event of 2026. First Stand 2026 will bring the most elite rosters from global LoL to São Paulo, Brazil.
First Stand 2026 Schedule & Venue
The event will run from March 16 to March 22 at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo. The event is split into three parts, starting with the Group Stage. The Knockout Stage will follow, as teams have one chance to advance. Every game is being played in a best-of-five format.
- Group Stage: March 16 – March 20
- Knockout Stage: March 21
- Knockout Stage Finals: – March 22
- Start Times: All matches begin at 8 am to 1 pm PDT (14:00 and 19:00 CET)
Participating Teams
- Group A: Gen.G, LYON, LOUD and JDG Intel Esports Club
- Group B: Bilibili Gaming DreamSmart, G2 Esports, Team Secret Whales, and BNK FEARX
The format will see the top two teams advance to Stage two, with all matches played on a best-of-five. Both groups are in a double elimination. The knockout stage is single elimination.
Day one matches will begin with the following:
- G2 Esports vs Team Secret Whales – March 16th
- Bilibili Gaming DreamSmart vs BNK FEARX – March 16th
- Gen.G vs JDG Intel Esports Club – March 17th
- LYON vs LOUD – March 17th
For fans in the West, it does mean we won’t see an NA vs EU match in the first stage.
Prize on the Line
- $1 million prize pool
- $250,000 for first place
- The winning region will receive a bye directly into the MSI 2026 Bracket Stage, skipping Play-Ins
How to Earn First Stand 2026 Drops & Rewards
Final Stand 2026 will once again bring rewards for watching live on Twitch. Fans watching live can earn exclusive in-game loot by following these steps:
- Log in to Lolesports.com with your Riot ID
- Watch live matches to trigger random Drops
- Grand Final Exclusive: Watch the finals to unlock a limited-edition Evelynn emote
The event will also support co-streaming, as with all LoL events in recent memory. A full list of those is expected on March 11th, but all the usual faces are likely to be co-streaming the event.