Riot Games is facing a wave of criticism from the global League of Legends (LoL) community following the confirmation that First Stand 2026 will be held at the Riot Games Arena in São Paulo. With a maximum capacity of just 140 people, the venue choice has sparked a heated debate over whether Riot is underutilising one of the most passionate esports markets in the world.
Brazil has history of filling massive venues for esports, including the Rio Major 2022 and the IEM Rio 2024 at the Farmasi Arena, and the Rainbow Six Invitational and Riot’s own VALORANT LOCK//IN at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in São Paulo in 2024 and 2023 respectively. Despite this, the first international LoL event in the territory since MSI (Mid-Season Invitational) 2017 will be played in a studio smaller than wedding venues—a point driven home by Gen.G CEO Arnold Hur.
In a public post that quickly went viral, Hur noted: “I had more people at my wedding than FST capacity.”
The decision has been met with significant pushback from analysts and fans alike, who point to the undeniable growth of the local scene. According to the report, the 2026 CBLOL Cup finals—the first major event following the rebrand from the LTA (League of the Americas) format—reached a staggering peak of 443,000 viewers according to Esports Charts, nearly doubling the 254,000 peak seen during the 2025 LTA South Split 1.
Following the outcry, Brazilian outlet Mais Esports reached out to Riot Games for clarification on the decision. In a statement to the publication, Chris Greeley, Global Head of League of Legends Esports, acknowledged the frustration while explaining the strategic reasoning behind the “Studio-first” approach.
“We’ve heard the sentiment that international competitions should feel larger in scale than our regional studio shows… That feedback is fair, and it’s something we take seriously,” Greeley stated. “At the same time, part of the purpose behind hosting First Stand in our own studios is flexibility. It allows us to experiment with format, scheduling, and timing in ways we simply can’t with larger arena events that require long lead times and early lock-ins.”
Greeley further noted that this year’s event is a testing ground: “We’re going to take a hard look at how First Stand is constructed and what role it should play in the international calendar. We expect to share more about that direction in the back half of the year.”
Though the decision in 2026 sparks controversy, it mirrors the inaugural First Stand held in South Korea in 2025. That event was hosted at LoL Park in Seoul, which, while larger than the São Paulo studio, still only accommodated 450 fans. The main difference rests in the fact that South Korea hosts international LoL events more frequently.
First Stand 2026 serves as the opening international event of the League of Legends competitive season. Held from March 16–22 in São Paulo, the tournament brings together top-seeded teams from every major region to establish the early-season meta and compete for advanced seeding at the MSI 2026.
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