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BLG become the first LPL team to qualify for First Stand 2026
Things looked shaky for a minute there, but Bilibili Gaming (BLG) ultimately became the first Chinese team to qualify for First Stand 2026 after taking down JD Gaming (JDG) in the Upper Bracket Finals of the LPL Split 1 Playoffs.
Now, they will await to find out who their rivals will be in the Grand Finals, where they will compete for the trophy as well as the LPL's first seed at First Stand.
Is BLG Back?
Once the undisputed Kings of the LPL, BLG's 2025 was rough by their own standards. Not only did they fail to win 2 out of 3 LPL titles last year, but they also missed out on the inaugural edition of First Stand altogether before putting up disappointing runs at both MSI and Worlds.
The new year didn't start all that great for BLG at first either. Despite picking up one of the best AD carries in the world in Viper to replace Elk, BLG's form was slow to pick up.
The team finished Group Ascend in second place with a 6-4 record; not terrible by any means, but still far from their usual dominant runs. Once the Playoffs kicked off, though, BLG found a new gear, sweeping Ninjas in Pyjamas and Weibo Gaming to reach the Upper Finals without breaking a sweat.
Working for It: ON to the Rescue
Faced against the new and improved JDG, BLG's qualification to First Stand was far from easy. The two teams started constantly trading blows; BLG finding the kills, and JDG enjoying better objective control.
After 2 hours and 17 minutes of game time, BLG and JDG found themselves going into Game 5 with everything tied up and a plethora of options exhausted throughout the long Fearless Draft series.
Forced to dig deep, that's when BLG pulled out the ol' switcharoo, baiting everyone into thinking knight would be playing Anivia when, instead, it was ON who wanted the pick for himself over in the Support role.
As niche as the pick was, it proved incredibly effective. BLG would go on to swiftly win what would end up being the shortest game of the series, securing their spot at First Stand 2026 off the back of dark tech and some bold decision-making.
The LPL Split 1 Grand Finals will take place on Sunday, March 8, where BLG await to find out whether they will need to face JDG once more or take on a new challenge for the trophy.
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Featured image credit: Bilibili Gaming
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First Stand 2026: Everything you need to know!
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