Riot Games has officially announced the details of the highly anticipated 2026 season for League of Legends esports, promising a year full of changes and global events. The kickoff will take place as early as March, with the international First Stand tournament hosted in São Paulo, Brazil, marking the return of a competition of this scale to the country since 2017. This decision reinforces the recognition of the Brazilian fanbase’s passion and puts CBLOL back at the center of the world stage at the start of the year.
The season unfolds with a sequence of high-level competitions, including the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) in South Korea and the World Championship (Worlds) in North America. The relevance of the announcement is huge for fans, as it defines the complete calendar and introduces significant changes to the competitive format, such as the new “First Selection” system, which promises more strategic balance. In this way, Riot seeks to further elevate the level of competition and the experience for the global community.
Packed Calendar and In-Game Changes
The major highlight for Brazil is the First Stand, which takes place from March 16th to 22nd at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo. The tournament will bring together eight teams from around the world in a competition that will award a direct seed to the advanced stages of MSI. Meanwhile, right after this event, attention turns to Daejeon, South Korea, a city that will host MSI for the first time. Later, Worlds 2026 will have its initial phase in Texas, USA, with the grand final marking its return to New York, promising a spectacle worthy of the most important decision of the year.
Beyond the dates, the major technical novelty is the implementation of “First Selection.” This new system replaces the fixed side selection, giving the team with the initial advantage the option to choose between the map side (Blue or Red) OR the champion selection order (first pick or second pick). Therefore, the idea is to reduce predefined advantages from the system and offer more strategic autonomy to the teams, who can prioritize their tactical comfort or the analysis of their opponent. Riot states it will closely monitor the performance of this change throughout 2026.
New Financial Landscape and Expectations
The season also brings adjustments to the financial structure of esports. The company announced that, starting in 2026, it will remove the cash prizes distributed for performance in regional leagues from the Global Revenue Pool. However, the prizes for major international tournaments, such as First Stand, MSI, and Worlds, will remain intact. According to Riot, this change aims to redirect investments to areas with greater long-term impact on the ecosystem, reflecting a phase of greater maturity for professional leagues around the world.
With all these new features, the expectation is for an electrifying season. From Brazil, through Korea, to the United States, the competitive League of Legends scene promises evolution, intense narratives, and a lot of excitement. Thus, fans can prepare to follow epic battles, as the 2026 season is just beginning and promises to redefine esports standards once again.
