G2 Esports ranks as most popular team at First Stand 2026

The 2026 League of Legends winter season wrapped up with the conclusion of First Stand 2026. The tournament delivered several notable upsets and arguably reshaped the balance of power between regions. Despite falling short in the Grand Final, G2 Esports emerged as the event’s most popular team by average viewership.

G2 Esports ranked first by average viewership at First Stand 2026, reaching 789,100 concurrent viewers. The EMEA representative also delivered a historic performance for Western teams at international Tier-S events. G2 secured two dominant 3:0 victories over LCK opponents, including a semifinal win against Gen.G. The run stands as one of the organization’s strongest international results to date. Strong audience engagement ultimately pushed G2 3.5% ahead of the second-ranked team in average viewership.

Bilibili Gaming: Tournament champions & second most popular
Tournament champions Bilibili Gaming followed as the second most popular team by average viewership. The LPL representative maintained dominant form throughout the event, dropping only three maps across the entire bracket. The victory secured the organization’s first major international title since its founding in 2018. Top laner Chen “Bin” Ze-Bin earned the Finals MVP award for his standout performance. While the team attracted massive domestic audiences in China, it still ranked as the second-most popular team globally across international platforms.

Gen.G’s international inconsistency and viewership
Gen.G rounded out the top three by average viewership. The roster remains one of the LCK’s strongest teams, though its international consistency continues to draw scrutiny. Their semifinal defeat to G2 broke the long-standing trend of LCK dominance over Western rosters in best-of-five series. It also marked a rare instance of a Korean contender being eliminated by a European team in a decisive bracket match. Despite the earlier exit, Gen.G maintained strong viewer interest and finished third overall in audience engagement.