League of Legends First Stand Tournament 2026 heads to São Paulo - Teams, format, schedule, and more

Here's everything you need to know about LoL First Stand 2026.

The League of Legends (LoL) esports scene is about to host its first international competition for 2026. Riot Games has revealed the full details for First Stand Tournament (FST) 2026, an early-season international event designed to bring together top teams from across the globe while the meta is still fresh and strategies are still taking shape.

Taking place from 16 to 22 March at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, the tournament marks the first global showdown of the year for LoL Esports. With a brand-new competitive season underway, First Stand offers the first real test of regional playstyles, champion priorities, and draft creativity as teams look to gain momentum before the season’s bigger international stages.

Beyond lifting the First Stand trophy, teams will also be competing for advantageous regional seeding at the Mid-Season Invitational, adding another layer of stakes to every series played during the week-long event.

Teams and Prize Pool

Eight teams from six regions will be competing for the Lion's share of US$1,000,000. The teams competing are:

The 2025 LoL World Champions T1, and 2025 First Stand Champions Hanwha Life Esports have not qualified for the said tournament.

Format and Schedule

The tournament format is designed to emphasise adaptation and high-stakes gameplay right from the start. First Stand 2026 will consist of two stages: the Group Stage and the Knockout Stage, with every match played as a best-of-five series.

The full tournament schedule is as follows:

Group Stage: 16 to 20 March
Knockout Stage: 21 March
Grand Final: 22 March

Matches will begin daily at 6:00 AM PST/ 10:00 PM KST / 9:00 PM SGT.

With the competitive year only just beginning, teams are expected to experiment with new drafts, push unconventional picks, and test emerging strategies while facing opponents from other major regions.

Runeterra Fan Fest brings Demacia to São Paulo during the finals

Riot is also turning Finals Day into a broader community celebration with the Runeterra Fan Fest on March 22 at the Visual Farm Gymnasium in São Paulo. Fans attending the event will be able to watch the First Stand Finals live while also exploring gameplay stations featuring Teamfight Tactics, League of Legends, 2XKO, and Wild Rift.

The event will also feature cosplayers, opportunities to support local creators through the Artist’s Gallery, exclusive event swag, and appearances from members of Riot’s development team who will be on-site to meet players and creators. Tickets for the event are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Warhound Senna skin supports LoL Esports teams during the event

Fans who want to support teams during the event will be able to do so through an in-game cosmetic promotion. From 18 March to 15 April, Riot will share a portion of proceeds from Warhound Senna and related bundles with LoL Esports teams. Warhound Senna can be purchased as a standalone skin, a border set bundle, or a chroma bundle, with individual chromas also available.

Drops, Twitch rewards, and watch perks available during the tournament

Even if fans cannot attend the event in Brazil, Riot is offering several incentives for viewers watching from home.

Fans who tune in through LoLEsports.com while logged in with their Riot ID can earn Drops throughout the tournament. The Finals broadcast will feature an exclusive Evelynn emote drop, with additional surprise drops expected during the event.

Subscribing to the LoL Esports Twitch Channel will give players benefits.

Twitch viewers can also unlock additional perks. Subscribers to participating LoL Esports channels will receive:

Ad-free viewing
Event-exclusive chat emotes
Subscriber badges
Channel points
Access to subscriber-only chat

LoL Esports Twitch Subcriptions for paid and gifted subs also get additional benefits.

Fans who subscribe using a paid or gifted subscription starting 9 March will also receive the “And That’s It.” Yunara in-game emote. To claim the reward, viewers must:

Connect their Twitch and Riot accounts
Subscribe to a participating channel
Claim the reward from their Twitch inventory
Prime subscriptions are not eligible for the emote reward.

Co-streaming returns with on-site creators and official team streams

Co-streaming will once again be a major part of the viewing experience for First Stand 2026. Riot confirmed that on-site co-streaming will be available this year, with creators attending the event and broadcasting live from the venue across multiple stages of the tournament.

Professional teams participating in the event will also be invited to host official team co-streams, allowing fans to follow the action alongside their favourite organisations and personalities.

Riot will also bring back the Co-Streamer Hub powered by OperaGX, an interactive directory that helps viewers discover official co-streaming channels and filter them by preferred language. The full roster of co-streamers will be revealed on March 11.

With the meta still settling and regional rivalries ready to collide, First Stand 2026 in São Paulo will provide the first international snapshot of the League of Legends competitive season.

Author

Anna Bernardo