Both League of Legends (LoL) teams debuted in The First Stand series. G2 and Gen.G aimed for the trophy, but only one was considered the favorite in the epic semifinal.
There were no losses for Gen.G in The First Stand 2026. While this League of Legends esports tournament was relatively short, Gen.G made a strong statement in the group stage: no dropped games and a win over one of the potential favorites, JD Gaming from China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL).
G2 Esports had a different run with ups and downs. They lost to Bilibili Gaming (BLG), the LPL 2026 Split 1 champions. Still, G2 won a crucial match against the second-place team from the LoL Champions Korea (LCK) Cup 2026. That victory is meaningful since European teams are often underdogs in clashes with Korean ones. Defeating Gen.G would have been a major international breakthrough for G2 — and that upset really happened!
Gen.G and G2 faced each other in The First Stand semifinal.
How to watch The First Stand LoL esports semifinal between Gen.G and G2: Stream
All The First Stand tournament matches are on the official LoL Esports YouTube and Twitch channels.
Gen.G versus G2 Esports: The First Stand semifinal details and result
It was a best-of-five (Bo5) League of Legends esports match, so to win here, G2 Esports and Gen.G had to secure three games. The winners advanced to the tournament’s grand final. There were no second chances for the losers.
GEN 0:3 G2 — G2 Esports won the match and advanced to The First Stand grand final
| Game | Winners |
|---|---|
| 1 | G2 |
| 2 | G2 |
| 3 | G2 |
| 4 | – |
| 5 | – |
Picked and banned champions
| Game | Gen.G bans | G2 bans |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karma, Jarvan IV, Rumble, Gnar, Ahri | Orianna, Ryze, Varus, Mel, Sylas |
| 2 | Karma, Bard, Caitlyn, Jarvan IV, Jax | Orianna, Ryze, Rumble, Ambessa, Gnar |
| 3 | Karma, Bard, Caitlyn, Aphelios, Syndra | Orianna, Ryze, Rumble, Nocturne, Wukong |
| 4 | – | – |
| 5 | – | – |
| Gen.G bans | Gen.G Esports | Position | G2 Esports | G2 picks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renekton (G1) Vayne (G2) Gwen (G3) | Kiin | Top | BrokenBlade | Sion (G1) K’Sante (G2) Shen (G3) |
| Xin Zhao (G1) Vi (G2) Ambessa (G3) | Canyon | Jungle | SkewMond | Pantheon (G1) Zaahen (G2) Jarvan IV (G3) |
| Galio (G1) Ahri (G2) Azir (G3) | Chovy | Mid | Caps | Aurora (G1) Viktor (G2) Akali (G3) |
| Ashe (G1) Sivir (G2) Yunara (G3) | Ruler | Bot | Hans Sama | Miss Fortune (G1) Varus (G2) Kog’Maw (G3) |
| Seraphine (G1) Alistar (G2) Neeko (G3) | Duro | Support | Lavrod | Nautilus (G1) Braum (G2) Lulu (G3) |
Match recap
Gen.G weren’t themselves in this match. Or was it G2 who drank from a source of League of Legends power? Despite all the predictions, G2 were much stronger than their opponents, commonly named the best team in the world.
The game plan for G2 looked simple and extremely effective. Early advantages with cool kills, proper development in the mid game, and then the final blow. In Game 3, Gen.G seemed to be even panicking, desperately trying to turn the situation around.
G2 Esports defeated Gen.G, proving their potential for The First Stand 2026 trophy.
Game 1
G2 started the game with patient and disciplined pressure, and they kept this playstyle until the successful finale.
Thanks to the hook by Labrov’s Nautilus, G2 accumulated kills and gold. A small early advantage snowballed with objectives.
Gen.G tried to play a slow game with their composition, but it didn’t work. In an almost desperate move, Gen.G forced Baron, but G2 stole the buff and eventually took down the Nexus — to secure Game 1 in the semifinal.
Game 2
Once again, G2 earned an early advantage and built it up to a game win.
The first blood went to Hans Sama, a lot thanks to Duro’s overstep on the bot lane. This led to a big lead for G2’s attack damage carry (ADC) throughout the game. Gen.G were ahead on the top lane, but it didn’t work out for them.
The mid-game was successful for G2 thanks to Braum’s defense. It looked impossible to take him down since Gen.G had nothing in tanks after attacking that shield. K’Sante of BrokenBlade was also a menace since he escaped almost certain deaths in key team fights.
G2 took Baron on minute 22, and they finished the game despite a great but desperate team fight from Gen.G right on their demolished base.
Game 3
The general scenario of G2’s success was similar to those in the previous games. Canyon tried to contest the first dragon: G2 earned the first blood on him — and they secured the objective.
The small advantage snowballed with another dragon, and then it grew into confident dominance. G2 players were ahead all over the map and in the stats. When they claimed the soul, their win became inevitable!
Head-to-head before The First Stand 2026
Gen.G players were the favorites in their match against G2, and it’s clear on most betting platforms — which confirms the unpredictability of esports.
The reasons for these expectations goes beyond the regions’ strength as Gen.G most often finish League of Legends international tournament with a high placement.
- Gen.G finished 3rd-4th at the LoL Worlds 2025. G2 were in the top 8.
- At the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI 2025), Gen.G defeated G2 in the upper round 1 — to win the tournament a bit later.
- At the LoL Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC 2025), Gen.G won the semifinal against G2 and then claimed the trophy.
The grand final at The First Stand LoL Esports tournament happens on Sunday, March 22. The opponents for Gen.G and G2 are determined in the semifinal between BLG and JD Gaming.