Welcome back!
First Stand 2026 is underway in Sao Paulo, Brazil — the first international of the year. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with players from around the world throughout the event, and you can catch my other stories from the tournament on The Sporting Tribune. Links at the end.
This one is about LYON, the LCS champions. Their season didn’t start the way they wanted, but they finished with a run that earned their spot in Brazil. The story below dives into the team, their relationships, and what they’re actually trying to accomplish here.
Enjoy the read.
Paul
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LYON Gaming isn’t content with simply being the best team in the LCS. For this roster, the domestic title was never the destination. It was the ticket to get here.
That much was clear in the moments after LYON clinched their LCS championship with a remarkable run through the lower bracket. Strategic coach Han “Rigby” Earl said the goal when he, AD carry Kim “Berserker” Min-cheol, and jungler Kacper “Inspired” Słoma agreed to team up wasn’t a domestic title. The trio, along with head coach Kim “Reignover” Yeu-jin, top laner Niship “Dhokla” Doshi, support Jonah “Isles” Rosario, and mid laner Kang “Saint” Sung-in, had no desire to be “noobs” at international events.
First Stand is the first test of whether they’ve cleared that bar — or whether there’s still more work to do.
A Roster Built on Relationships
LYON’s roster resembles an NBA super team. Not necessarily in terms of individual star power, though that case could be made, but in the way previous relationships shaped how the team was built.
Berserker and Rigby had a pre-existing friendship before the season. Berserker and Inspired had history from the Impact House. Isles had played with Rigby the year prior. The through line connecting most of these relationships was Berserker, who recruited Rigby to the team.
“Rigby and I were friends before,” Berserker said. “And then Inspired — we met each other at the Impact House. So we already knew each other.”
Dhokla was the one outlier. The former 100 Thieves top laner was in limbo, in conversations with multiple LCS teams but without an offer, until LYON’s general manager Carlos “Biblos” Gibran reached out. Visa issues had prevented projected starter Frankie “Zamudo” Lin from joining, and Dhokla stepped into the vacancy weeks before the split began.
When LYON traveled to Korea for a boot camp, he wasn’t there. He arrived behind the curve, finding his footing in a new environment while the rest of the team was already gelling.
“Joining late definitely made it harder,” Dhokla said. “I needed more time to just get comfortable in a new environment.”
That discomfort showed in the Swiss phase. Dhokla finished with nine kills, 17 deaths, and 26 assists. LYON ended fifth, barely avoiding the play-in game, and used the resulting bye week to reset. It proved to be the inflection point — not just for Dhokla, but for the team.