League of Legends’ First Stand 2025 ended last week after a thrilling week of upsets, comebacks, and action that set the tone for the upcoming international tournaments. Here are the 10 biggest takeaways from FST 2025.
10 Takeaways from LoL First Stand (FST) 2025
1. Fearless must stay at all cost
Riot Games listened to the esports community and has decided to extend the Fearless draft mode throughout the rest of the 2025 season. While it’s probably not the best decision strictly from a competitive perspective, as some teams might indirectly benefit or be impacted by the changes, the decision is best for the viewers. With over 1.1 million viewers, according to Esports Charts, the final between Karmine Corp (KC) and Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) became one of the most-watched series of the season. And with more fearless drafts coming in this year, fans will definitely witness even more spicy picks.
2. LCK is still the undisputed no. 1 region
The teams change but history repeats itself. HLE continues their streak from the LCK Cup at First Stand by destroying the rest of the competition. Even though KC was able to take a few games from them, it was clear that HLE was a lot more consistent and might even had some extra potential based on the drafts they made throughout the tournament. Considering HLE went to five games against most LCK teams in the LCK Cup, there might be more than one Korean team that can play at a similar level, which might be a worrying sign for the remaining regions. The Mid-Season Invitational will give us a better indication on how regions compare one to another.
3. LPL back to the drawing board
Speaking of regions, the most disappointing one at the end of First Stand is definitely the LPL. Once again, Top Esports (TES) failed to show up at the international tournament, going 1-3 in the group stage and looking lost against HLE, After the incredible run they had in the LPL, it raises the question of whether we saw TES’ real potential at FST. If yes, then it might be a worrying sign for the rest of the Chinese league. With Worlds taking place later this year in their home country, it’s absolutely necessary for the LPL To make a comeback in the following internationals.
4. EU is back
While KC did also go 1-3, the story is completely different here. After going 0-2 in the first two days, the team quickly adjusted and were able to dominate TES and go head-to-head against HLE in the group stage. On top of that, it was clear that KC still has more potential to be explored. Positive signs for EU but there is still a long way to for the region if they want to catch up to the LCK. Will this finally be the year EU breaks the Worlds curse and sends a team into the top eight?
5. LTA region struggling?
My impression is that the LTA region has got potential but just like the LPL, it wasn’t able to extract it when it mattered the most. TL had a decent showing, but several weaknesses emerged, especially when their strong points were nullified. Yeon and CoreJJ shined when it came to the laning phase but they weren’t able to match the LCK and players like Impact and UmTi met their own “kryptonite” at this FST. There are two ways to fix the issue: you either improve on more things and become a more complete team or further improve your strong points to get closer to the teams. Regardless of what they choose, it will be an uphill battle for the LTA but if TL or any other team can make it work, we will see the region do well later in the year.
6. LCP the dark horse of 2025?
The LCP was always considered the last major region when it came to international tournaments. The trend, however, seems to be changing. PSG Talon got a top 8 at MSI in 2024 and did decently at Worlds but this year’s CFO might be a different beast. With a lineup of some of the best players from the PCS as well as young players like Driver and HongQ, the LCP team was able to nearly take down KC in a Bo5 and qualify for the final. If this is just the start, keep an eye on the region for the remainder of the season.
7. First Stand format has flaws?
One of the things that wasn’t well received was the FST format, especially the group stage format. The single round-robin and the fact that the schedule was so packed together made it hard to follow, especially given that five match days were during the work week, which will have somewhat impacted viewership. With only five teams in this tournament, there should be a better way to open up to more cross-regional matches, given that each region only played each other a maximum of two times.
8. Oversatured calendars?
The other issue is related to the oversaturated calendar in the first part of the 2025 season. With the implementation of the three-split structure, FST found itself slotted into a one-week tournament between the end of the winter splits and the start of the spring splits. “We’re still working on the optimal split between regional competitions and international competitions, the goal is to give the teams the most time we can,” said Chris Greeley, Riot Games’ Global Head of LoL Esports, when asked about oversaturated calendars at a roundtable during the competition.
9. It’s all about form
This point is partially related to the one above. We know that form is probably one of the most impacting factors in any competitive sport and LoL esports is no different. The difference between KC on the first two days compared to the last ones was a complete 180 degrees. Sometimes, teams do not show up on the day, even though the potential is there. The impression is that, with maybe the exception of the LCK, any team at the international can upset anyone.
10. The rookies are blooming around the world
At this First Stand, we started seeing the rise of young talents across several major regions. From CFO’s 17-year-old prodigy mid laner HongQ to KC’s Caliste and Vladi, more rookies are gaining valuable experience at international tournaments. And the most important thing is that these players all made an impression during the tournament. While a lot of old guards are still staying at the top, it’s refreshing to see more youngsters taking up the challenge.
