Viper, The First Stand’s Only Two-Time Champion

On Sunday, March 22, Park “” Do-hyeon further etched his name among the all-time greats of League of Legends by winning the 2026 First Stand (FS) in São Paulo, Brazil, following a 3–1 victory over in the final. It marks Viper’s second title in as many editions of the tournament, the first having come last year with .

Last year, HLE strengthened their roster with the arrival of Choi “” Woo-je in the toplane and enjoyed a stratospheric start to the season, winning both the LCK Cup and First Stand before facing more difficulties later on.

At the end of the year, the 25-year-old AD Carry made his move to China for a second stint, this time joining

Bilibili Gaming

, and found immediate success, securing both the LPL title and the FS trophy.

Viper’s performance at this FS was a clear statement on who the best botlaner in the world is right now. He finished first in KDA with 6.3 and led the tournament in damage per minute, metrics he had already topped last year, highlighting a rare level of consistency and sustained excellence at the highest level.

Last year, the rest of the season proved more difficult in the LCK, but things could be different this time around in the LPL, especially given how dominant BLG have looked domestically. A few AD carries might still challenge the Korean star, Chen “” Wei, Zhao “” Jia-Hao, or even Yu “” Wen-Bo if he returns to peak form after his break.

The 2021 World Champion with EDward Gaming is now in his ninth year as a pro, and whether with Griffin, HLE, EDG, or BLG, he has consistently performed at a world-class level. His transition to China has been seamless, helped by his fluency in Mandarin, this Bilibili super roster looks built to win as many titles as possible.

Could this finally be the year of China? And perhaps even the year of a first-ever Golden Road? In any case, Korea has rarely looked this vulnerable at the start of a year. A disoriented Gen.G, seemingly more fragile than ever, were swept aside by the Samurai.

BNK FEARX, sent as Korea’s second seed, entered with little international experience. Despite having beaten and in LCK Cup, were completely outclassed at First Stand. The gap is therefore wide open for the LPL and BLG, who could very well be on their way back to their former glory.