TSW Pun and Dire discuss the team's development and expectation as LCP representatives ahead of First Stand 2026

arrive at First Stand 2026 as the LCP representative, and one of the youngest teams in the tournament. The team begins its journey in São Paulo with a match against G2 Esports, arguably EMEA’s most accomplished team at LoL Esports’ internationals. On paper, TSW are Group A's underdogs. But LCP representatives have proven to thrive under pressure, and it’s exactly when everyone doubts them that they become surprise contenders.

After reaching the 2025 League of Legends World Championship last year but getting eliminated early, TSW’s second LoL Esport’s international tournament represents another opportunity to prove the roster can bring its region to new heights. But the task is not as simple as the region’s recent benchmark was set by CTBC Flying Oyster, which delivered strong international performances throughout 2025.

In an interview ahead of their First Stand debut, TSW Nguyễn “Pun” Đăng Khoa and Trần “Dire” Duy Đức talked about their team identity, the difficult trip to Brazil, and the challenge of facing G2 in their opening match.

For international viewers who may be seeing TSW for the first time, the players describe a young roster built around aggressive gameplay. “We are a very young team, but we got the [dynamite] and also we are very into combat,” Pun said. “We are like fiercers around the game plays. So I hope the fan can enjoy the games and the matches that we bring because it's going to be very high matches.”

The roster remained mostly unchanged from last year’s, with the only major change happening in the toplane. In 2025, TSW used a six-man roster where Pun shared the toplane with Trần "Hiro02" Lê Trung Hậu, but this season the team moved to a more stable five-player lineup, with Pun becoming the starting toplaner.

“Last year Hiro02 and I shared the top lane because of the different gameplay and mechanics we have,” Pun explained. “But for this year I tried to improve my game skills, my knowledge, and also got feedback from a coach on how to be better.” Dire confirmed Pun’s “significant improvements” since last year’s Worlds, especially in how he communicates and in his mechanics, but according to TSW’s midlaner the team’s biggest strength lies in its flexibility.

“We have multiple excellent players, and so as long as we have an advantage on one particular lane, anyone of us could be a carry,” he said. Dire also pointed to the qualities of his teammates, describing ADC Hoàng "Eddie" Công Nghĩa as experienced and reliable in lane, his jungler Lê "Hizto" Văn Hoàng Hải for having a “very high skill ceiling” and” strong mechanics.

TSW landed in Brazil after a tumultuous journey as the team secured their visas only five days before the tournament, leaving little time to adjust before their First Stand debut. “It took us two days to come here,” Pun said, explaining the situation and visa’s delay made adapting to the new time zone difficult. The toplaner tried not to sleep during the ten-hour flight, “trying his best” to stay awake so as to then hopefully have a good night’s sleep. “ That way I can reset my biological clock—but actually it's quite difficult.”

Dire also confirmed the situation was very stressful before departure but improved once the team finally arrived in Brazil. “We went through a lot to get the Visas done in Vietnam and we have to move around quite often just to get the paperwork done,” the TSW midlaner said. “But since we made it here, we have all this free time just to spend on training. So I felt a lot more relieved right now.” With that behind them, the team quickly shifted its focus to their opening match at First Stand against G2 Esports.

In the toplane, Pun will face Sergen “BrokenBlade” Çelik, a player he described as one of the best in the world. Pun said that the two share similar tendencies in lane, especially their willingness to pick off-meta champions and so it'll be a fun matchup. The young TSW midlaner is set to face the veteran G2 player Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther. “Caps is someone who is very experienced in the international tournaments,” Dire said. “I would be really happy if I could beat him somehow.”

From reviewing G2’s recent matches, Dire believes their games often revolve around early advantages in the botlane. But if G2’s botlane doesn’t get ahead, Dire believes TSW will have a chance to take the EMEA’s powerhouse down.

Besides First Stand, a recent report by Esports Charts found that the LCP’s Winter Split was the only major LoL Esports region to decline “across all major metrics” compared to the previous year. The early elimination of popular teams, PSG Talon leaving the league, major roster changes, and changes to broadcast start times were among reasons for the decline.

And even if the LCP is still a relatively new regional competition formed through the merger of multiple Asia-Pacific circuits, last year’s performances should have incentivized fans to follow the region.

Pun agrees that the main reason as to why the viewership declined so much is linked to results. He suggested that the early elimination of GAM Esport and CFO teams reduced interest among local fans. For Dire, when matches from the LCP overlap with the LCK, he believes many viewers will choose to watch the Korean league instead, as it’s widely regarded as one of the highest levels of play in the esport.

Taken together, the viewership issue is a mix of factors rather than a single cause, but for TSW, strong performances on the global stage may be one way to bring attention back to the region. After CFO set a high standard for the region last year, TSW now carry the responsibility of representing the LCP internationally—and their match against G2 is the best opportunity to prove the LCP is still a threat not to be underestimated.