First Stand is the first international League of Legends tournament of Season 2026. In a season that has completely changed the way people play LoL, most teams have made large roster changes. Therefore, this is a new scene we’re walking into.
The global order of LoL, however, has largely remained the same over the years. Looking at regional performances, we can estimate how the teams rank at First Stand. Here are the First Stand 2026 teams, divided into three categories: favorites, dark horses, and underdogs.
Here are the outright odds given by GG.Bet, showcasing how the best LoL teams rank at First Stand 2026.
| Team Name | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Gen.G | 2.15 |
| Bilibili Gaming | 3.5 |
| JD Gaming | 7.5 |
| BNK FearX | 8.5 |
| G2 Esports | 17 |
| LYON | 19 |
| Team Secret Whales | 26 |
| LOUD | 29 |
Here are the teams that can realistically win First Stand 2026 and have a solid chance of advancing to the semifinals.
Gen.G is the best First Stand team. Image source: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games
Gen.G was the best team in the world through most of 2025. However, they lost once again in the Worlds Knockout Stage. Going into 2026, they stuck with the same roster, aiming to build on what already worked so well. The Winter split delivered exactly what was expected: a Gen.G that is the best team in the world.
Gen.G is once again undefeated in series, going 8-0 for a total game score of 20-2. This team sits far above the competition and are the heavy favorites to win the tournament. All teams are underdogs compared to them, and they’re always a safe bet. Needless to say, their LoL odds reflect that.
BLG are a weird team. In 2025, they were a major force during the second half of the year but showed terrible form at Worlds. In 2026, they were never the favorites but avoided their main rival and ended up as the LPL champions.
Bilibili Gaming is an LPL team, and yet their teamfighting leaves much to be desired. However, they make up for that by having excellent laners. The acquisition of Viper to play alongside Bin and Knight has only strengthened that advantage. BLG’s micro skills can destabilize any opponent – and they’ll do their best to avoid teamfighting.
While not being favorites, these teams have the most potential to overthrow the order of the tournament. If they start picking up momentum, they might rise quickly above the competition.
In the LPL, JDG have grown to become one of the best teamfighters. And the best teamfighting team in the LPL is usually the best teamfighting team in the world.
JD Gaming has inconsistent laners. Usually, they’re great, but they’ve also faltered often. The team’s other weakness is its macro around side lanes that has regularly hindered them. However, their fighting prowess allows them to claw back from deficits they shouldn’t be able to recover from.
JDG are the best teamfighting team at First Stand. Image source: JDG
BNK aren’t a hyped team. BNK FearX aren’t T1 or Hanwha Life Esports and they’re not part of the LCK’s golden trio. BNX aren’t even Worlds runner-up KT Rolster. Due to that, nobody thinks much of them.
However, they’re here because they beat those teams. FearX outperformed T1, KT, and HLE, and they’re a top two-team in the best region in the world. Because of that, while BLG, JDG or even G2 will draw more eyes, they’re a very likely candidate for second place.
Like Gen.G, G2 kept the same roster for 2026. However, this is a team that had a forgettable MSI 2025 and went no further than the quarterfinals at Worlds. In the LEC, they came back from a terrible regular season and stomped their way through the playoffs.
G2 have always been a creative team, playing by their own rules to achieve the best results Europe has ever had. While their ideas are great, the team’s form often holds them back.
Caps can look like the best mid laner in the world—or far from it. Hans Sama and Labrov have low lows, and SkewMond and BrokenBlade are inconsistent. G2, on the other hand, are incredibly resilient and will always find a second chance in the mid-game.
If everything clicks, G2 can even reach the finals of the event. However, everything rarely clicks at the same time, and they might not even make it out of groups.
G2 are a dark horse among the First Stand teams. Image source: Hara Amoros / Riot Games
The underdogs come in with little expectations, but also the least pressure put on them.
LYON will be as explosive as the dark horses, only with a weaker foundation. With one of the best LCS player in Inspired and a squad that’s afraid of nothing, the team has what it takes to upset.
While most teams still focus on objective fights, LYON looks to generate leads in other ways, through smarter map decisions. In fact, they’re never afraid of surrendering drakes if they have other plans, and win against Dragon souls more than any other team.
While this has worked well in the LCS playoffs, Eastern opponents might just overpower their strategies.
In 2025, CTBC Flying Oyster elevated the LCP to a top four, or even a top three league. Now, after losing their best players to JDG, they’re out of the competition, and TSW will attempt to carry on their spark.
It is unlikely that TSW can replicate CFO’s magic, and the LCP risks falling back to its status of pseudo-major region.
Since 2013, Brazil has only won a single-digit number of games against other major regions at international tournaments. However, the recent Americas Cup suggests that the CBLOL might be on a different level now. Although, LYON will be much fiercer competition than Cloud9 and Sentinels were.
On top of it, while they might take that match, they stand no chance against JDG and nevermind Gen.G.
Featured image source: Riot Games
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