Gen.G CEO Arnold Hur took a public shot at Riot Games over the announced venue for First Stand 2026.
The international League of Legends tournament is set to take place in a Riot-operated studio in São Paulo with a capacity of roughly 140 people. Arnold posted on X that he “had more people at my wedding than FST capacity.”
The comment points to an unusual setup for what’s positioned as a major international tournament. First Stand sits third in Riot’s annual calendar behind MSI and Worlds.
São Paulo is one of the biggest esports markets in the world. The city regularly hosts massive gaming events and has the infrastructure to support arena-scale productions. Riot previously brought MSI 2017 to Rio de Janeiro with thousands in attendance.
Instead, First Stand 2026 will run from Riot’s own studio space in São Paulo. The same facility typically hosts the CBLOL regional league during the regular season.
Arnold later added context to his original jab. “Bruh you’re gonna get me in trouble. To be fair I had a very big wedding. All the guests got a +1.”
Last year’s First Stand took place at LoL Park in Seoul. That venue holds approximately 450–500 people. The drop to 140 seats represents a significant downgrade in live audience capacity.
The 140-seat setup raises practical questions about ticket availability. Once you account for team staff, broadcast crew, partners, and media, the number of seats available to paying fans shrinks considerably.
