Korea’s Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) has claimed victory in the inaugural First Stand tournament, a new international League of Legends competition.
In the grand final on Sunday, they defeated French team Karmine Corp (KC) with a dominant 3-1 performance, securing their place as the tournament’s first-ever champions.
A New Global Competition
First Stand took place at LoL Park in Seoul, Korea, running from March 10 to 16 with a $1 million prize pool. The tournament brought together five top teams from different regions:
- HLE (Korea)
- Top Esports (China)
- Karmine Corp (Europe)
- Team Liquid (North America)
- CTBC Flying Oyster (APAC)
First Stand also introduced a “Fearless Draft” system, where once a champion was picked, it became unavailable for both teams for the rest of the series. This forced teams to constantly adapt their strategies, creating new and unpredictable champion matchups.
HLE’s Road to Victory
HLE entered the tournament as favorites and lived up to the hype with a flawless 4-0 record in the group stage, securing an early spot in the semifinals. They then swept Top Esports 3-0, showcasing their dominance.
Meanwhile, KC had a rocky group stage, finishing 1-3, with their only win coming against Top Esports. However, they narrowly advanced to the playoffs due to favorable results from other teams. KC then staged a thrilling 3-2 comeback win against CTBC Flying Oyster in the semifinals—a series that drew 863K peak viewers, 130K more than the first semifinal.
Grand Final: HLE’s Unstoppable Form
KC shocked fans by winning Game 1, raising hopes of an upset victory for the European squad. However, HLE quickly took control, winning the next three games in just 29, 27, and 35 minutes respectively.
In Game 2, multiple HLE players achieved perfect KDAs, highlighting their dominance:
- Peanut: 0/0/9
- Zeka: 6/0/2
- Viper: 3/0/5
Zeus, HLE’s top-laner and former T1 star, delivered a standout performance throughout the series.
Zeka was named Finals MVP for his exceptional plays.
Prize Pool Distribution
The Prize pool of USD 1,000,000 was distributed as below:
- 1st Place: $300,000 – Hanwha Life Esports
- 2nd Place: $225,000 – Karmine Corp
- 3rd-4th Place: $172,500 each – CTBC Flying Oyster and Top Esports
- 5th Place: $130,000 – Team Liquid
Viewership
According to Esports Charts, the grand final peaked at 1.1 million viewers (excluding Chinese platforms), making First Stand the second most-watched League of Legends event of 2025 so far.
The tournament’s unique format, high-stakes competition, and fan-favorite teams like Karmine Corp contributed to its massive audience.
With First Stand’s successful debut, could this tournament become a staple in the international League of Legends calendar?
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