First Stand 2026 – LCK Teams Preview: Gen.G and BNK FEARX, the favorite and the underdog

For this edition of the First Stand, the LCK will have two representatives instead of just one last year. The LCK Cup delivered its verdict on March 1 with the final at the Kai Tak Arena, Hong Kong: the top seed logically goes to Gen.G, the tournament favorite, while BNK FEARX (BFX) managed to pull off a surprise run to reach the final.

It is without a doubt the biggest surprise of this Winter Split. BNK FEARX have qualified for the first international event in their history after an incredible run in which they defeated both T1 and Dplus KIA.

On the other side, Gen.G did not drop a single best-of series. Whether in BO3s or BO5s, Gen.G were never even one game away from losing a match, showcasing complete control throughout the tournament.

The Beginning of the Golden Road?

Last year didn’t start perfectly for Gen.G, as they fell in the LCK Cup final to Hanwha Life Esports and therefore missed out on First Stand. This time around, they completely steamrolled the competition and will be heading to Brazil. Three trophies slipped through their fingers in 2025: the LCK Cup, First Stand, and Worlds. The first is now secured, and they already stand as the clear favorites to claim the second.

In Gen.G’s other international defeats, it was often fellow Korean teams that stood in their way, KT Rolster at Worlds 2025, T1 in 2024, or DRX in 2022. This time, however, the other Korean representative is clearly not cut from the same cloth and is unlikely to measure up, as illustrated by the two BO5s Gen.G won against BNK FEARX in the playoffs.

One of the only LCK teams to retain the same roster, Gen.G likely boast the best players in the world in almost every role. From a statistical standpoint, Kim “Kiin” Gi-in stands out in particular. Gen.G top laner leads the league in kills among his role while also being the least killed. He also ranks first among LCK top laners in both kill participation (KP) and damage per minute (DPM), according to Games of Legends, underlining just how dominant he has been individually.

In the jungle, Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu was retained despite a somewhat mixed end to the year. However, his start to the new season has been excellent; he remains firmly among the best junglers in the world. The same can be said for his mid laner Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon, who continues to excel year after year.

Finally, the bot lane of Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk and Joo “Duro” Min-kyu dominated the competition in Korea and should have little trouble translating that form onto the international stage as well. The only duo that could realistically challenge them might be Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and Luo “ON” Wen-Jun, Bilibili Gaming’s bot lane.

The Outsiders in Their First International Event

BFX took Korea by surprise this split. The roster is young and remained completely unchanged from last year, when the team finished last in the LCK Cup and sixth in the LCK across the season.

Song “Clear” Hyeon-min may not be the flashiest or most consistent top laner, but he has largely done the job. At 22, Jeon “Raptor” Eo-jin continues to live up to the expectations, pairing well with his mid laner Lee “VicLa” Dae-kwang.

The bot lane remains the team’s main source of firepower. The 2025 LCK Rookie of the Year, Nam “Diable” Dae-geun, keeps making headlines and impressing, alongside Kim “Kellin” Hyeong-gyu. The duo has won some lanes and lost others, but their teamfighting later in the game is often strong, one of the key strengths behind BNK FEARX’s success.

Expectations around LCK for First Stand 2026

As with most international events in recent years, Korea arrives as the clear favorite, and for good reason. The last six international tournaments have all been won by an LCK team, a level of dominance that will be difficult to break, especially with Gen.G coming in as one of the strongest contenders.

BFX, however, lack international experience and will clearly not be favorites against major teams such as Bilibili Gaming or even G2 Esports. They will have to fight hard to make a deep run in the tournament. For them, the real objective will likely be to gain as much experience as possible against the best teams in the world, then return to the LCK and see whether they can maintain such a high level throughout the year.