League of Legends First Stand: A New International Showdown
As we approach the one-third mark of the League of Legends esports season, excitement builds for the inaugural First Stand tournament. This groundbreaking event, scheduled to begin on March 10th, will bring together champion teams from the Americas, Europe, Korea, China, and the Asia-Pacific region in an unprecedented global competition. Let’s explore what viewers can expect and which teams have earned their spots.
The Qualified Teams
The regional qualifiers have delivered some unexpected results, setting the stage for intriguing matchups at First Stand.
Korea (LCK)
Hanwha Life Esports captured the LCK Cup 2025 title in dramatic fashion. Their path to victory mirrored last season’s performance when they secured a World Championship berth. Once again, they eliminated the reigning world champions T1 before overcoming Gen.G in a nail-biting 3-2 final series. While impressive, this result means the immensely popular T1 and their star player Faker won’t be appearing at First Stand.
Americas
In the unified Americas league—combining North America, Brazil, and Latin America—North American organizations maintained their dominance. Team Liquid emerged victorious in the Winter Split, culminating in a decisive 3-0 victory over 100 Thieves during the Cross-Conference stage. Sean “Yeon” Sung’s performance was particularly noteworthy in securing Team Liquid’s qualification.
Asia-Pacific (LCP)
The restructured Asia-Pacific region now features teams from Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, and Australia competing together from the group stage. Taiwan continues to dominate this competitive ecosystem, with CTBC Flying Oyster claiming their first championship since 2022 by defeating their longtime rivals TALON. This marks a shift from the previous season when TALON had controlled the league.
China (LPL)
Top Esports completed an impressive lower bracket run in the LPL, defeating multiple tournament favorites en route to the Grand Final. There, they overcame Anyone’s Legend to secure their first championship since 2021.
Europe (LEC)
Perhaps the most competitive regional qualifier came from Europe, where four elite teams—G2 Esports, Fnatic, KOI, and Karmine Corp—battled for supremacy. French fan favorites Karmine Corp ultimately claimed the LEC title, marking their first qualification for an international tournament after previously competing only in the pan-European EMEA Masters.
Viewership Projections
While the qualified teams all have established fan bases, viewership analysis suggests the tournament won’t reach its maximum potential audience.
The European representative, Karmine Corp, represents an ideal choice for maximizing viewership. Their massive French following, bolstered by co-streams from owner Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, should ensure strong European engagement.
Korea’s representation presents the most significant viewership challenge. T1’s absence removes the most-watched team in League of Legends, as their audience typically doubles that of Hanwha Life Esports. However, Korean viewers tend to support all teams from their region, which may mitigate some viewership loss.
For the Americas, while Team Liquid will draw North American viewers, the absence of a Brazilian team—particularly LOUD—will likely reduce engagement from Brazil’s passionate fan base.
The Chinese representative (Top Esports) and Asia-Pacific representative (CTBC Flying Oyster) are similarly not optimal for maximizing international viewership. Invictus Gaming from China and GAM Esports from Vietnam would have attracted larger global audiences based on historical data.
Viewership Predictions
Based on the tournament format, qualified teams’ popularity, and typical audience growth for international events, First Stand is projected to accumulate between 40-52 million hours of watch time. This would place it slightly below last year’s Mid-Season Invitational playoffs.
Had the “ideal” teams qualified (including T1, a Brazilian representative, and others with larger international followings), projections suggest viewership could have been up to 46% higher, potentially reaching 59-76 million hours watched.
The inaugural First Stand tournament begins Monday, March 10th. Despite some viewership challenges, this new addition to the League of Legends international calendar promises exciting competition between regional champions from around the world.