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How First Stand fits into LoL’s pro season structure
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Hamza Rashid
Gamer
28 Jul 2025
Posted On
The League of Legends [1] competitive scene continues to grow and evolve with the game. To account for the growing number of playable champions, professional players are expected to go with the fearless draft system, for example. That isn’t all, since there are changes in the actual tournament structures too.
The biggest change has been the addition of First Stand. First Stand is League of Legends' newest international tournament, designed to kick off the global competitive year. Introduced as part of Riot’s revamped three-split season format, First Stand takes place in March and only one team per major region qualifies.
If this is your first time hearing about this tournament, worry not, because we’re here to explain how it ties into the League of Legends pro season structure.
What is the League of Legends tournament First Stand?
First Stand is an international tournament held in March, right after the conclusion of each region’s Split 1 playoffs. The winning team from each major region (five in total) earns a spot. While MSI and Worlds include runners-up and third-place finishers, First Stand is more exclusive. Only one team per region qualifies, based solely on Split 1 results.
The tournament itself features a full-rotation phase followed by knockout playoffs. Matches are played as best-of-threes in the full rotation, with the top four teams advancing to best-of-five semifinals and finals. Riot also uses a unique drafting system called Fearless Draft, where champions picked in earlier games of a series can’t be used again. This adds variety and emphasizes team versatility.
From a structural standpoint, First Stand is more than just a bonus tournament. It’s a key part of the season’s pacing. It aligns perfectly with Riot’s goal of making League of Legends esports a globally connected experience year-round. Moreover, the tournament provides continuity between regional and international stages, high-stakes gameplay early in the season, and motivates teams to take Split 1 seriously.
By positioning First Stand after Split 1 and tying it directly to MSI’s tournament placement, Riot has created a structure where no part of the season feels like downtime. This system keeps fans engaged, pushes teams to perform early, and makes the road to the Worlds more competitive.
How many professional splits are in League of Legends?
To understand how First Stand fits, first, you need to look at how the 2025 LoL season is now structured. Riot moved from a two-split system to a three-split competitive calendar, with each regional league (like the LCK, LPL, LEC, etc) dividing their year into Split 1, Split 2, and Split 3. Each of these splits leads to a different stage of international competition.
Split 1: Qualifies teams for First Stand
Split 2: Determines representatives for Mid-Season Invitational (MSI)
Split 3: Used for World Championship (Worlds) qualification
This new format allows each part of the season to feed directly into a major event, where First Stand comes in. It serves as the first international checkpoint of the year, immediately following Split 1.
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Where does First Stand fit in the professional LoL season?
First Stand marks the first clash between regional champions and international competition each season. It’s the first time teams go global after their local Split 1 campaigns. Beyond the hype, First Stand delivers real consequences for the season ahead.
The tournament sets the stage for MSI, which takes place after Split 2. The region that wins First Stand earns a seeding advantage at MSI. Their second-place team (from Split 2) skips the play-in stage and goes directly into the main MSI bracket. That makes First Stand not just a proving ground, but a strategic advantage for any region looking to dominate internationally throughout the season.
How does it balance the season?
Before 2025, there was a long stretch between spring playoffs and MSI, with no global matches to bridge the gap. This made the season feel unbalanced, with the biggest international moments packed into the back half of the year. First Stand fixes that.
This timeline ensures each split connects to an international event, giving fans meaningful matches year-round. First Stand completes the loop by making Split 1 as impactful as the others. It also gives teams more global exposure earlier in the year, letting rosters adapt and evolve well before Worlds.
FAQs
Who won 2025’s First Stand?
The Korean esports team Hanwha Life Esports was the victor of 2025’s First Stand. The team absolutely dominated every other team in the tournament and faced off against Karmine Corp in the grand final.
What is the Fearless Draft format?
Fearless Draft is a unique system where any champion used in one game of a series becomes unavailable for the rest of that series. This forces teams to prepare deeper champion pools and invent creative strategies. It rewards adaptability and punishes one-dimensional drafts.
When does First Stand take place?
First Stand is held in March, right after all major regions wrap up their Split 1 playoffs. It fills the international gap before MSI and Worlds, bringing meaningful global matches to the front half of the season.
Why did Riot add a third split and First Stand?
Riot introduced a three-split system in 2025 to create a more balanced competitive calendar. Before this, there was a long break between the spring playoffs and MSI. First Stand now ensures each split leads to a major international event, keeping the stakes high year-round.
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