League of Legends Esports to introduce First Selection in 2026

Ahead of the start of the new season, Riot Games has unveiled a new approach that will be applied to League of Legends competitive play, First Selection. Here is everything you need to know and why it’s important.

LoL First Selection – Adding an extra layer of strategy in pro play

Riot Games has been looking for ways to make competitive play more dynamic, and this year is no exception. Following the introduction of Fearless Draft in 2025, the game publisher will use a new approach for side selection and draft order.

The new system, known as First Selection, will give teams the option to either select a side or choose whether they would like to pick their champions first or second during the draft phase. According to a release, First Selection was implemented in response to match analysis and feedback from pro teams across the world.

This can be extremely important in the modern era of Fearless Drafts, where champion picks and their order matter more and more as teams dive deeper into best-of series. Paired with the gameplay changes from the 2026 season, competitive play is putting more and more emphasis on the team’s strategic approach in addition to raw mechanical skills.

Hall of Legends to return in 2026… but later this year

Riot also unveiled that the third inductee of the Hall of Legends will be revealed later this year. Compared to the previous two inductees, the player will be announced ahead of Worlds 2026.

The 2026 esports season is set to begin this month, with all leagues kicking off their first split in the coming weeks. The top teams from each major league will then come together at First Stand, from March 16 to 22 in São Paulo, Brazil, at the Riot Games Arena. According to this year’s global esports calendar, the Mid-Season Invitational will be hosted in Daejeon, South Korea, with more details to be confirmed soon. Worlds 2026, instead, will take place in the United States, with Texas and New York as the two hosting cities. More details about the season-end tournament will be shared at a later date.