JD Gaming Claims Final First Stand 2026 Qualification Spot Following LPL Split 1 Playoff Run

JD Gaming qualifies for the First Stand international tournament in São Paulo as the LPL second seed after a resilient lower bracket run in the China playoffs.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 9, 2026, 9:12 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Esports Insider

The Final Piece of the First Stand Puzzle

JD Gaming has finalized the international lineup for First Stand 2026, the first global event of the current League of Legends competitive cycle. By advancing to the grand final of the LPL Split 1 Playoffs, the organization ensured its travel to South America as the second representative from the Chinese region. This qualification marks a significant achievement for a roster that had to navigate a high-pressure lower bracket gauntlet, eventually outlasting several of the region's most decorated teams to confirm their attendance in Brazil.

Resilience Through the LPL Lower Bracket

The path to São Paulo was far from linear for the Chinese second seed, following an initial setback in a highly competitive upper bracket series against Bilibili Gaming. To keep their international aspirations alive, JD Gaming was forced to eliminate Anyone’s Legend and Weibo Gaming, two organizations that had been widely tipped as favorites for the final qualifying spot. According to team performance data, the squad’s ability to recalibrate after losses was a deciding factor in their successful playoff trajectory, despite their eventual defeat in the regional finals.

A Successful Roster Overhaul Under Tabe

The current success of the organization is particularly notable given the massive structural changes implemented during the off-season. Head coach Wong ‘Tabe’ Pak Kan oversaw a near-total revamp of the starting lineup, with top laner Xu ‘Xiaoxu’ Xing-Zu remaining as the sole returning member from the 2025 campaign. The new iteration of the team features a strategic mix of veteran stability, provided by Yu ‘JunJia’ Chun-Chia and Chen ‘GALA’ Wei, alongside the mechanical potential of emerging talents Tsai ‘HongQ’ Ming-Hong and Zhao ‘Vampire’ Zhe-Can.