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First Stand 2026 JD Gaming Review: Falling to the Same Opponent

Originally posted on Total Apex Entertainment
By Devin Morris | Last updated Mar 30, 2026 10:21 AM ET

JD Gaming got the better of Bilibili Gaming during the best-of-three matches. However, they have struggled to beat them in best-of-five series. First Stand was the same as they lost to Bilibili Gaming, which eliminated them from First Stand. JDG finished where they should have, but had a disappointing tournament. Will they continue their international appearances later this year at the Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship?

JD Gaming First Stand Results

JDG had an even series record in their four matches. In those matches, they won six out of the thirteen games.

Lost 3-0 Versus Gen.G Esports
Won 3-0 Versus Loud
Won 3-1 Versus Lyon
Lost 3-0 Versus Bilibili Gaming

JD Gaming Player Review

Image of JDG’s First Stand roster, courtesy of LoL Esports

Xiaoxu

Total Apex Rating – 5.6 (4th among top laners, 24th among players)
Champions Played
- Renekton (4)
- Rumble (2)
- Ambessa
- Jax
- Ornn
- Sion
- Tryndamere

Xiaoxu is a good top laner until he meets Bin. The Bilibili Gaming top laner has Xiaoxu’s number, both in the LPL and at First Stand. Xiaoxu was JDG’s most consistent player up until the Semi-Final. Even in the loss to Gen.G Esports, he held his own against Kiin.

JunJia

Total Apex Rating – 5.8 (6th among junglers, tied 20th among players)
Champions Played
- Vi (3)
- Xin Zhao (3)
- Jarvan IV (2)
- Poppy (2)
- Maokai
- Olaf
- Wukong

JunJia was the linchpin for JDG against Loud. He set up his botlane for success in every game. He was competitive against both Canyon and Inspired. However, his performance dropped against Bilibili Gaming. He died alone, often at unnecessary times. XUN kept him quiet in the early games.

HongQ

Total Apex Rating – 5.6 (5th among mid laners, tied 24th among players)
Champions Played
- Ahri (3)
- Annie (2)
- Hwei (2)
- Aurora
- Mel
- Orianna
- Twisted Fate
- Veigar
- Viktor

Similar to JunJia, HongQ got caught out during their series against Bilibili Gaming. He had a stable performance in the two victories. However, he was rarely the reason for JDG winning. He managed a solo kill on Chovy in their opening game, but struggled for the rest of the series.

GALA

Total Apex Rating – 5.7 (5th among bot laners, tied 22nd among players)
Champions Played
- Corki (2)
- Ezreal (2)
- Jinx (2)
- Yunara (2)
- Caitlyn
- Jhin
- Senna
- Varus
- Xayah

GALA was often a side character during JDG’s games. His most impactful performance was against Loud. The ganks from JunJia afforded him all the resources he needed to carry. A concern for GALA is that he lost out in the laning phase to Beserker. While Berserker had a good series, GALA must be better for JDG to succeed internationally.

Vampire

Total Apex Rating – 6.0 (5th among supports, tied 17th among players)
Champions Played
- Alistar (2)
- Karma (2)
- Nami (2)
- Seraphine (2)
- Lulu
- Lux
- Neeko
- Rakan
- Thresh

In his first international tournament, Vampire performed exceptionally well. He was the reason why JDG had a chance in their series against Bilibili Gaming. He was the first to punish their mistakes. He was pivotal to building a lead for GALA in the Caitlyn Lux game, but it fell apart around them. He has a bright future ahead of him in later tournaments.

First Stand Review

Image of BLG beating JDG, courtesy of LoL Esports

Finishing in the top four was the expected result for JDG. They had the easier of the two groups. Lyon did not match G2 Esports’ performance. Their victory over the LCS first seed was not as impressive as it should have been. However, for a first international appearance, there is a lot to take from the games. They can be competitive in future tournaments. If Xiaoxu can figure out how to play against Bin, they will have a chance to be the best team in the LPL. They are far from the dominant team that 2023 JDG was, but they have a chance to restore that glory.