First Stand 2026 Match Review: G2 Crush the LCK Giants For a Grand Finals Appearance

By:Devin Morris
The First Stand Logo, the first international event of the year

Gen.G Esports dominated the LCK Cup and the first two matches of First Stand. They are heavy favorites to win the tournament. G2 defied the odds and destroyed the LCK first seed. Gen.G did not have a single lead at any point in the games. G2 have now won two consecutive series at First Stand against LCK with no game losses. They have achieved the greatest upset in the international League of Legends since DRX’s win over T1 in the 2022 World Championship. G2’s win spells the end of LCK’s dominance over international events since the 2023 World Championship.

First Stand 2026: Game One Review

G2 Beating Gen.G in the Semi-Final of First Stand
Image of G2 beating Gen.G, courtesy of LoL Esports

Draft

G2 Esports – Blue Side

  • Sion
  • Pantheon
  • Aurora
  • Miss Fortune
  • Nautilus

Gen.G Esports – First Pick

  • Renekton
  • Xin Zhao
  • Galio
  • Ashe
  • Seraphine

Early G2 Focus on Bot Lane

Labrov’s hooks pressure Ruler and Duro early. SkewMond’s early pathing also burns Ruler’s Flash. SkewMond visits again, while Ruler’s Flash is still down. Labrov lands the hook, and Ruler dies to Hans Sama for First Blood. Duro dies twice in a matter of minutes while his Flash is down.

G2 Win the First Teamfight

After forcing Kiin’s Flash and Dominus, G2 turns their attention to the Rift Herald. Gen.G contests, but the Herald dies before Canyon can get close enough. When the dust settles, G2 gets two kills to Gen.G’s one. G2 loses the third Drake, but their plays around the map build a 5k gold lead. Caps and SkewMond each have an individual lead of 1.5k gold.

SkewMond Steals The Baron

Gen.G uses their tempo to force a Baron. BrokenBlade splits Gen.G’s focus, and SkewMond steals the Baron. Only Canyon lives the fight, with G2 running over them thanks to Caps’ Between Worlds. They also get the Mountain Soul. G2 closes out cleanly to hand Gen.G their first loss of First Stand.

Total Apex Ratings

Gen.G Esports

  • Kiin – 4
  • Canyon – 4
  • Chovy – 4
  • Ruler – 4
  • Duro – 4

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 7
  • SkewMond – 9
  • Caps – 7
  • Hans Sama – 8
  • Labrov – 9

Player of the game – SkewMond

First Stand 2026: Game Two Review

Draft

G2 Esports – Blue Side

  • K’Sante
  • Zaahen
  • Viktor
  • Varus
  • Braum

Gen.G Esports

  • Vayne
  • Vi
  • Ahri
  • Sivir
  • Alistar

Another G2 Bot Lane Win

Duro tries to run at Hans Sama, but the G2 AD Carry flashes to Alistar combo. Hans Sama and Labrov turn to earn the First Blood kill. Minutes later, Duro has to recall, which makes Ruler vulnerable under Tower. SkewMond shows up to dive Ruler, and he burns to Ignite.

BrokenBlade Dies While G2 Earns Gold

Gen.G sends four players to kill BrokenBlade. They earn a position on the Drake to earn their second of the game. At the same time, G2 pushes the mid and top lanes. They get gold in their pockets and have a 2k gold lead.

Picks Into Baron

G2 pick Gen.G apart on the map to earn three kills and move towards the Baron. G2 safely secures the objective, but can not get towards the Mountain Drake before Gen.G takes it away. G2 continues to play exquisite League as they accept the Gen.G mistakes.

Duro Finds The Angle

Duro catches Hans Sama to set the trigger for Gen.G to win their first teamfight of the series. The lead goes from 12k hold to 4k. G2 stabilizes to kill Canyon and uses the advantage to end the game. G2 double Gen.G’s game loses in one series.

Total Apex Ratings

Gen.G Esports

  • Kiin – 3
  • Canyon – 4
  • Chovy – 6
  • Ruler – 5
  • Duro – 5

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 7
  • SkewMond – 9
  • Caps – 8
  • Hans Sama – 8
  • Labrov – 9

Player of the game – Labrov

First Stand 2026: Game Three Review

Draft

G2 Esports – Blue Side

  • Shen
  • Jarvan IV
  • Akali
  • Kog’Maw
  • Lulu

Gen.G Esports – First Pick

  • Gwen
  • Ambessa
  • Azir
  • Yunara
  • Neeko

More Early Kills For G2

Canyon face checks the Drake pit to contest the objective, but dies to Caps for First Blood. G2 pick up their second kill of the game with a 2v1 on Kiin. The first skirmish is a trade of kills with both Supports dying. G2 gets the objective and is up two Drakes.

Mid-Game Control

SkewMond and Labrov control the map in the mid-game. Duro ties to ward for Rift Herald but dies to SkewMond. At the same time, Chovy dies to BrokenBlade after cancelling BrokenBlade’s Stand United. Caps chunks Ruler before the Cloud Soul spawn, and it forces Gen.G to give up the objective.

G2 gets a chokehold over Gen.G as they increase the gold lead to 4k. Gen.G finally connects on Hans Sama, but he is the only player they kill. Kiin threatens a 1v3, but G2 dances around him.

An Elder Drake To Close

Gen.G has to fight for the Elder Drake while down 8k. G2 set up the flanks, and they slam Gen.G in the fight. G2 completed the surprise 3-0 upset victory over the LCK first seed. They become the first team to beat Gen.G in 2026.

Total Apex Ratings

Gen.G Esports

  • Kiin – 4
  • Canyon – 3
  • Chovy – 3
  • Ruler – 3
  • Duro – 4

G2 Esports

  • BrokenBlade – 8
  • SkewMond – 9
  • Caps – 9
  • Hans Sama – 8
  • Labrov – 9

Player of the game – SkewMond

First Stand 2026: Player Summary

G2 at First Stand and their LEC Results
Image of G2’s LEC results and their First Stand roster, courtesy of LoL Esports

Gen.G Esports

Kiin – 3.7

Kiin had the winning matchups against BrokenBlade in the series. However, he did not utilize his leads at any point.

Canyon – 3.7

SkewMond outplayed Canyon in the series. He had no impact at any point in the series. Canyon was always second to plays and made multiple mistakes.

Chovy – 4.3

Chovy was mostly stable in the early game, while the map exploded around him. He died a few times on bad timers.

Ruler – 4.0

Ruler lost out in the lane to Hans Sama. SkewMond and Labrov punished every mistake that either he or Duro made in the lane.

Duro -4.3

Duro almost got Gen.G a recovery in the second game. He also caught Hans Sama on the Baron fight. However, they were too far behind to recover.

G2 Esports

BrokenBlade – 7.3

Another series where BrokenBlade was on tank duty. He went down in gold in the laning phase. Once he rocked up to teamfights, he was the frontline G2 needed.

SkewMond – 9.0

SkewMond was everywhere in the series. If there was a winning G2 play, SkewMond was at the scene. He earns another Total Apex player of the series for First Stand.

Caps – 8.0

Caps was not good against Bilibili Gaming and FearX. He woke up today and was crucial in the mid-game plays.

Hans Sama – 8.0

Many have doubted Hans Sama at international events. He has delivered in the past two series, taking down Diable and Ruler back-to-back.

Labrov – 9.0

Labrov’s impact on the series was as pivotal as SkewMond. He could have easily gotten the player of the series, but SkewMond narrowly had the edge.

A Surprise Meeting

G2 will face Bilili Gaming in the Grand Final of First Stand, following the LEC team’s dominant victory over Gen.G Esports.

More First Stand Content

The articles below will provide more information on the First Stand event and the team’s participation. You can expect further preview and review coverage of all the matches taking place in the coming week.

Author

  • Devin Morris

    I am a gaming fanatic from little old South Africa. I have had a passion for gaming and writing from a young age. My early favorites were Age of Empires, FIFA and Need for Speed games. As I grew older I moved into more competitive gaming, focusing on Overwatch, League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. I also sink way too many hours into Destiny 2!

I am a gaming fanatic from little old South Africa. I have had a passion for gaming and writing from a young age. My early favorites were Age of Empires, FIFA and Need for Speed games. As I grew older I moved into more competitive gaming, focusing on Overwatch, League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics. I also sink way too many hours into Destiny 2!

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