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Fearless Draft Returns: First Stand, MSI, and Worlds 2026 Locations and Format Changes Revealed
Ahead of the Grand Finals of Worlds 2025, Riot Games organized a press conference. During which, they announced the format changes and locations for First Stand, MSI and Worlds 2026. As expected, North America will host the grandest League of Legends tournament in 2026 – and now we have the host city as well.
Locations Unveiled for First Stand, MSI, and Worlds 2026
Following a fairly successful debut run of First Stand, Riot appears satisfied with their newest international tournament, enough to now take it on the road. For 2026, First Stand will head to São Paulo, where teams across different regions will assemble for the first time in the iconic Brazilian city.
Midway through the season, we have the fan-favorite Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). After four years away, MSI will return to South Korea in 2026. This time, the city of Daejeon, with its natural beauty, will play host to the second international event of the season.
Finally, Worlds will return to North America. The last time the teams assembled in the region, we witnessed the Cinderella run from DRX and Deft. This time, the city of Allen, Texas will host the biggest LoL Esports tournament of the calendar for the Play-In, Swiss Stage, and Playoffs. Meanwhile, New York City returns as the host city, this time for the Grand Finals.
Fearless Draft Returns!
First Stand 2025 was the first international tournament to implement Fearless Draft. Its success and popularity at the tournament ensured it stuck around for the rest of the year, with both MSI and Worlds 2025 adopting the new draft.
Not only does it add extra layers to the draft phase, but it also makes for more dynamic and entertaining games. With so much to offer, it’s no surprise that Riot Games announced the return of Fearless Draft for the 2026 season.
Format Adjustments for 2026 Season
With the separation of the LTA back into the LCS and CBLOL brands for 2026, both First Stand and MSI will see format changes for 2026.
First Stand will see the biggest adjustments, understandable given that this will only be its second iteration. The number of teams will increase from 5 to 8 teams, with LCK and LPL receiving one additional slot each and CBLOL now receiving a slot. Moreover, the entire event is set to be played in Bo5 format.
As a reminder, First Stand consists of two stages: the Group Stage with its Single Round Robin and Bo3 (Best-of-Three) matches, and the Knockout Stage consisting of the top 4 teams from Group Stage competing in a Bo5 (Best-of-Five) single elimination bracket.
MSI will see the increment of one team slot back to 11. The format will reportedly remain fairly identical to this year, with 4 teams in Play-Ins still. However, only one Play-In team will advance to the Playoffs.
For Worlds, the number of teams will be set to 18 with no format changes. Reports from Esports Insider has also confirmed from Chris Greeley that double elimination will not be implemented for Worlds 2026.
But before the next season starts, KT Rolster will take on T1 at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Multifunctional Gymnasium. Tune in to watch the Grand Finals of Worlds 2025 this Sunday, November 9th, at 8 am CET.
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Featured Image Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
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