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First Stand 2026 Bilibili Gaming Preview: Ending the International Drought

Originally posted on Total Apex Entertainment
By Devin Morris | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 10:51 AM ET

An LPL team has not won an international tournament since 2023. Bilibili Gaming broke that streak this year, winning First Stand. They also broke the LPL’s best-of-five series loss streak to the LCK. While they would have preferred to beat Gen.G Esports, a win is a win. Their early-game prowess was evident, and they even had improvements in their late games. BLG is the only team that can achieve the Golden Road this year.

Bilibili Gaming First Stand Results

BLG was the only undefeated team in First Stand. They all four series, losing three games throughout the tournament.

Won 3-2 Versus FearX
Won 3-0 Versus G2 Esports
Won 3-0 Versus JD Gaming
Won 3-1 Versus G2 Esports

Bilibili Gaming Player Review

Image of Viper holding the First Stand trophy, courtesy of LoL Esports

Bin

Total Apex Rating – 7.4 (1st among top laners, tied 2nd among players)
Champions Played
- Gnar (3)
- Jax (2)
- Sion (2)
- Yorick (2)
- Ambessa
- Camille
- Gwen
- Jayce
- Renekton
- Rumble

After a drop off in 2025, Bin is back to his best. The meta shift for 2026 has helped him. He is a dominant top laner who thrives off side lane champions. He was a problem for G2 Esports. Even when G2 put him behind as Camille, he needed one fight to get back into the game. He once again got the better of Xiaoxu in the LPL finals rematch.

XUN

Total Apex Rating – 7.8 (1st among junglers, 1st among players)
Champions Played
- Pantheon (3)
- Poppy (3)
- Xin Zhao (3)
- Wukong (2)
- Jarvan IV
- Maokai
- Nocturne
- Vi

XUN has been the pivotal piece to BLG’s success this year. Not only was he stable, but he also carried the early game. He was pivotal in shutting down all of his jungle opponents. Denying SkewMond value in the Grand Final allowed BLG’s lanes to win in isolation. Without XUN, it is likely this BLG team would have crumbled at First Stand. He was the Total Apex player of the tournament.

Knight

Total Apex Rating – 7.0 (tied 1st among mid laners, tied 6th among players)
Champions Played
- Aurora (2)
- Galio (2)
- Mel (2)
- Ahri
- Akali
- Annie
- Cassiopeia
- LeBalnc
- Morgana
- Orianna
- Ryze
- Syndra

Knight was the only BLG player outside of the top five Total Apex ratings. He had a relatively quiet tournament for his standards. He was the only player in the Grand Final who did not contribute to their win. The lack of Azir at the tournament gave him a leg up. Besides the Grand Final, he was stable throughout and dominated VicLa in their opening series.

Viper

Total Apex Rating – 7.2 (1st among bot laners, 4th among players)
Champions Played
- Ashe (3)
- Sivir (3)
- Ezreal (2)
- Yunara (2)
- Caitlyn
- Corki
- Varus
- Xayah
- Zeri

At times, Viper was a passenger to BLG’s success this tournament. He had a shaky start to First Stand, losing out in the laning phase to Diable. He steadily improved throughout and played a pivotal part in the dominant win over JD Gaming. For his standards, the overall tournament performance was not as good as we have seen from him.

Total Apex Rating – 7.4 (1st among supports, tied 2nd among players)
Champions Played
- Alistar (3)
- Lulu (3)
- Shen (2)
- Anivia
- Bard
- Camille
- Nami
- Neeko
- Seraphine
- Yuumi

Domestically, ON has always been a dominant support. Many expect him to take over international tournaments. However, he has always fallen by the wayside. First Stand was his chance to stand out. He, along with XUN, was excellent at setting BLG up for success. His Anivia pocket pick took over game three against JD Gaming and might have a ripple effect on the support meta.

Bilibili Gaming Review

Image of BLG as First Stand champions, courtesy of LoL Esports

BLG was the only team many expected to challenge Gen.G Esports First Stand. They never got that opportunity because of G2 Esports’ shock victory. The win at First Stand will always come with that caveat. They did not face the potential strongest team. However, unlike Gen.G Esports, BLG showed up when it mattered. G2 Esports was not a team that they could take lightly in the Grand Final. They proved that they deserved the First Stand victory, even without facing Gen.G Esports. The key now is to continue their performances in the LPL and in international competitions.