First Stand 2025 Kicks Off With Intense International Showdown

SEOUL, South Korea — Riot Games launched the inaugural First Stand tournament on March 10, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the esports calendar. This international event showcases one team from each major region, with a thrilling opening day featuring matches between Europe and the Americas, as well as Korea versus China.

The day saw nearly 700,000 concurrent viewers tune in for these intense matchups, demonstrating strong interest despite the challenging scheduling for some regions. Korea’s team decisively defeated China’s roster, while a highly anticipated match between Europe’s Karmine Corp and America’s Hanhwa Life Esports proved to be a dramatic contest, stretching to a third and final map.

However, viewership for the Karmine Corp match suffered due to poor timing; it aired early morning for European audiences and in the middle of the night for Americans. Nevertheless, French-speaking fans rallied behind Karmine Corp, nearly matching the English-speaking viewership for the day. As noted in prior predictions, Karmine Corp, hailing from the EMEA region, was expected to attract a significant audience, especially among French viewers.

The First Stand is being hosted at the LoL Park in Seoul, South Korea, although its schedule presents challenges for global audiences, particularly in Europe and North America. Still, the opening day positioned it as one of the most-viewed League of Legends events this year. With many matches still to unfold, excitement is building.

The Round Robin stage is set to continue until March 14, with the top four teams moving on to the Knockout Stage. The grand finals, scheduled for March 16, are anticipated to generate considerable viewership, potentially exceeding 1 million peak concurrent viewers, a target well within reach for the First Stand 2025.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on the upcoming match between Karmine Corp and Hanhwa Life Esports on March 13; it is expected to be a highlight of the group stage.