First Stand Group Stage Seeding: LCK and LPL Set to Face Off

The 2026 First Stand will take place from March 16 to 22 in São Paulo, Brazil. League of Legends’ first international event of the year will feature eight teams, up from just five last year, with six already confirmed: and for the LCK, for the LEC,

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for the LCS, for the CBLOL, and for the LCP.

The LPL has yet to deliver its final verdict. While are already guaranteed to attend, their seeding remains undecided and will only be confirmed after the LPL Grand Final on Sunday, November 8, where they will face either or .

The First Stand’s group draw will take place immediately after the LPL final to determine the groups for the GSL-style competition. The team seeding is as follows:

Each group will feature one team from Pool 1, one from Pool 3, and two teams from Pool 2. Regional matchups will not be allowed in the group stage. As a result, Gen.G are guaranteed to face the LPL’s second seed, while the LPL champion will take on BNK FEARX.

While only five teams were invited last year, the champions of the major leagues, with LTA South and North fighting for a single spot, this year all six regions will have their own slot. Additionally, the two strongest regions in the world, the best-performing in 2025, the LCK and LPL, were each awarded a place for their finalists.

However, the competition still faces significant criticism. First, the duration is seen as too short, with just one week for the event. Second, its organization at the LoL Park in São Paulo is problematic, as the arena only holds 140 people, far too small for a region that has previously hosted major League of Legends moments, such as the MSI 2017.