The second semifinal of The First Stand 2026 sees JDG and BLG bring Chinese dominance to the stage.
The First Stand 2026 is nearing its end, and it’s going out with a bang. Two Chinese powerhouses, JD Gaming (JDG) and Bilibili Gaming (BLG), are set to collide in a blockbuster semifinal. Will JDG claim revenge after falling to BLG in the first split, or will BLG continue their dominant run and deliver yet another victory for their fans?
By the time JDG and BLG take the stage, they’ll already know who awaits them in the Grand Final on March 22. On the opposite side of the bracket, G2 will be fighting to keep Europe’s hopes alive, but standing in their way is one of the tournament’s most dominant teams, Gen.G.
Where to watch the semifinal
You can watch both semifinals on League of Legends esports’ official YouTube and Twitch channels. The first semifinal starts at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. CET. Both matches will be best-of-five (Bo5) series. The JDG vs BLG game will start right after the end of the first semifinal.
JDG 0:3 BLG – Score
As a Bo5 series, either team needs to win three games to secure their spot at The First Stand 2026 Grand Final, where they will either find G2 Esports or Gen.G.
| Game | Winners |
| 1 | BLG |
| 2 | BLG |
| 3 | BLG |
| 4 | – |
| 5 | – |
Champions banned
| Game | JDG bans | BLG bans |
| 1 | Pantheon, Xin Zhao, Poppy, Ezreal, Yunara | Karma, Rumble, Seraphine, Galio, Ryze |
| 2 | Seraphine, Pantheon, Lulu, Xin Zhao, Annie | Rumble, Karma, Ryze, Rakan, Kalista |
| 3 | Gwen, Pantheon, Lulu, LeBlanc, Akali | Rumble, Karma, Ryze, Jax, Twisted Fate |
| 4 | – | – |
| 5 | – | – |
Champions picked
| JDG Picks | JDG Player | Role | BLG Picks | BLG Players |
| Ambessa (G1) Renekton (G2) Tryndamere (G3) | Xiaoxu | Top | Bin | Gnar (G1) Sion (G2) Yorick (G3) |
| Jarvan IV (G1) Vi (G2) Olaf (G3) | JunJia | Jungle | Xun | Nautilus (G1) Poppy (G2) Xin Zhao (G3) |
| Viktor (G1) Ahri (G2) Hwei (G3) | HongQ | Mid | Knight | Orianna (G1) Mel (G2) Aurora (G3) |
| Varus (G1) Caitlyn (G2) Senna (G3) | GALA | Bot | Viper | Corki (G1) Yunara (G2) Ashe (G3) |
| Allistar (G1) Lux (G2) Seraphine (G3) | Vampire | Support | ON | Bard (G1) Neeko (G2) Anivia (G3) |
JDG vs BLG: Match recaps and analysis
Come back to this section as the series goes on.
Game 1
The first match of the Chinese clash was very even between the two teams. Some kills here and there didn’t give either team much of an advantage. In the mid-game, BLG started punishing JDG for their mistakes, especially with Bin carrying the fights with Gnar. However, GALA’s Varus was starting to get scary, as he started to collect kills everywhere.
As the game went on, the advantage could have easily shifted, as the late game would favor JDG’s composition, especially with Viktor in the mid lane. However, BLG were determined not to let it reach that stage, diving Xun under the Nexus towers and letting Bin keep racking up kills. While HongQ was being impactful, that was not enough to lead JDG to an advantage big enough to change the matches’ outcome.
Game 2
The Caitlyn–Lux duo in JDG’s bot lane came as a surprise, especially since Lux hasn’t been a common pick in the competitive scene. The last time she appeared in Tier 1 play was, coincidentally, when BLG’s ON picked her against Team WE in the LPL 2025 Split 2.
While the game initially looked promising for JDG, BLG began to build a gold advantage. JDG’s attempts to engage in fights often proved unprofitable, ultimately benefiting BLG more than themselves. JDG’s biggest mistakes were attempting fights in places where they should not have been fighting, which ended up with BLG punishing them. In the end, JDG was unable to stand out in all roles.
Game 3
If you’re looking for an insane match to watch, this game should be the first on the list. Similar to your solo queue, we had Tryndamere, Olaf, Anivia support, Senna, and Seraphine in the bot lane. It was pretty much a reflection of a ranked game in Gold, which made this game even more fun.
The third match was looking incredibly good for BLG, with Anivia proving to be a big choice on ON’s hands. His impactful plays, alongside Viper’s great Ashe arrows in the mid lane, were giving BLG the early advantage they needed to get closer to the 3-0. Every time JDG attempted a play, they weren’t able to gain much from it. HongQ was having the hardest day in his life because Viper was not missing an arrow at him, leading him to be 1/5.
JDG vs BLG: A rivalry renewed on the international stage
The teams know each other too well, having faced each other regionally more than 30 times. However, at the international stage, they don’t cross each other’s path that much. The First Stand 2026 is JDG’s return to international tournaments after three years. In fact, it was in 2023 that JDG defeated BLG to win the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI).
Returning to the present, JDG comes into this match after a 1–3 loss to BLG in the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) Split 1 final, raising the stakes even higher for a team eager to prove itself on the international stage. After a tough regional defeat, this is JDG’s chance to respond and bring pride to their fans. However, BLG arrive in strong form, building momentum at The First Stand with back-to-back victories over BFX and G2.
In their most recent encounters in grand finals, the results were:
- LPL 2026 Split 1 Finals: JDG 1 – 3 BLG
- Demacia Cup 2023: JDG 0 – 3 BLG
- MSI 2023: JDG 3 – 1 MSI
- LPL 2023 Spring Finals: JDG 3 – 1 BLG
Although JDG has been absent from recent international competitions, this series still presents a major challenge, with both teams vying for a spot in the Grand Finals. For both JDG Xu “Xiaoxu” Xing-Zu and Zhao “Vampire” Zhe-Can, The First Stand 2026 marks their first international experience in their careers.
The Grand Finals are scheduled for March 22 at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. CET. The winner of this series will face G2 Esports, who secured a 3–0 victory over Gen.G, eliminating one of the tournament favorites and reigniting hope for a region that hasn’t claimed an international title since MSI 2019.