All next week, League of Legends fans will be focused on Seoul, where five champions of the Winter competition will face each other during the First Stand 2025. In this article, we’ll cover all the key details of the event.

Table of Content
  1. Who is playing in First Stand 2025?
  2. What is the format of First Stand 2025?
  3. Why is First Stand 2025 important?
  4. What is the First Stand 2025 schedule?
  5. Where to watch First Stand 2025?
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Who is playing in First Stand 2025?

The champions of the five major regions:

  • CTBC Flying Oyster (LCP)
  • Hanwha Life Esports (LCK)
  • Karmine Corp (LEC)
  • Team Liquid (LTA)
  • Top Esports (LPL)

Riot Games has prepared a prize pool of $1 million, with a fairly even split: the champion will take 30% of the total, while even the last-place team will walk away with $130,000.

What is the format of First Stand 2025?

It will begin with a round-robin stage, where all teams play a Bo3 match against each other. The team with the worst record is out, and the remaining four will proceed to a single-elimination playoff with first to 3 matches.

All games will follow the Fearless Draft system—once a champion is picked in a series, they cannot be used again. This format has sparked debate: on one hand, fans enjoy the variety, but on the other, players can't always showcase their best performance on their signature champions. However, since this is the first international tournament of the season, it’s a good time for experimentation.

Why is First Stand 2025 important?

At first glance, the tournament might seem like just a friendly warm-up, but its impact could be massive. Think of it as the butterfly effect: a strong performance here could set the stage for success at Worlds.

The winner of First Stand 2025 will earn their region’s second seed an automatic group stage slot at the MSI. Additionally, the two best-performing regions at MSI will gain an extra slot for Worlds, making this event critical for regional strength. In short, teams are playing not only for their own success (and Riot’s prize money) but also for their entire region’s future.

What is the First Stand 2025 schedule?

Each day, except for the final, will feature two matches (all times in CET).

March 10

  • 9:00 — TL vs. KC
  • 12:00 — HLE vs. TES

March 11

  • 9:00 — CFO vs. KC
  • 12:00 — TL vs. TES

March 12

  • 9:00 — CFO vs. HLE
  • 12:00 — KC vs. TES

March 13

  • 9:00 — TL vs. CFO
  • 12:00 — HLE vs. KC

March 14

  • 9:00 — CFO vs. TES
  • 12:00 — HLE vs. TL

March 15

  • 9:00 — Semifinal 1
  • 12:00 — Semifinal 2

March 16

  • 9:00 — Grand Final

Where to watch First Stand 2025?

As usual, Riot Games provides plenty of opportunities to watch the games, including a miriad of co-streamers. Visit lolesports.com and choose the best and most comfortable way for you.

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