G2 Esports and JD Gaming clinched the last knockout berths at the first stand event in Sao Paulo on Friday (ET). G2 swept FEARX 3-0 in the Group A lower-bracket final and JD Gaming beat LYON 3-1 in the Group B lower-bracket final at Riot Games Arena. Those results filled the final slots for the knockout stage and set up Saturday’s semifinals.
First Stand knockout matchups
The first stand tournament moved to single-elimination with matchups now set: Bilibili Gaming will face JD Gaming, and Gen. G will take on G2 Esports in the semifinals slated for Saturday (ET). G2’s 3-0 scoreline came on the back of three decisive games—32 minutes on red, 36 minutes on blue and 30 minutes on blue—while JD Gaming closed its lower-bracket final in four games with alternating 30- and 41-minute contests. The tournament at Riot Games Arena is the first cross-regional competition of the season and carries a $1 million prize pool, with $250, 000 earmarked for the champions.
Match details and standout performances
G2 Esports opened its run in the lower-bracket final with a 32-minute victory on red and followed with two wins on blue to complete the sweep. The MVP of that match was Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan, who finished with 19 kills, seven deaths and 35 assists. JD Gaming began its lower-bracket final with a 30-minute win on blue before LYON tied the series with a 41-minute win on red; JD Gaming then closed the series with 30- and 41-minute wins. Wei “GALA” Chen finished JD Gaming’s match with 25 kills, four deaths and 22 assists. The outcomes confirmed G2 Esports and JD Gaming as the last two qualifiers for the knockout stage of the first stand competition.
Reactions and what’s next
G2 Labrov said after the victory over FEARX: “This win gives us momentum and confidence that we can go for the title. ” The semifinal matchups will test both advancing teams against earlier qualifiers; Bilibili Gaming and Gen. G had already secured their spots, leaving G2 Esports and JD Gaming to join them in the knockout bracket. The prize ladder for the event lists $250, 000 for first, $150, 000 for second, and $125, 000 for each third-fourth place finish, with lower placements also assigned guaranteed payouts.
All remaining matches are best-of-five. The stakes in the knockout stage of the first stand tournament are now focused on which teams can convert momentum and individual performances into a deep run at the $1 million event. Expect semifinals to deliver the next decisive chapter in this first stand competition on Saturday (ET).
