League of Legends has announced ‘First Selection’, a revamped system for side selection and draft order ahead of its 2026 esports season.
The new system will allow teams to either select a side (Blue/Red) or choose whether they would like to pick their champions first or second during draft phase.
Previously, Blue Side also had first pick during a game’s draft phase, often making it the preferred side to choose.
In best-of-one (BO1) matches, or for the first game in a best-of-three (BO3) or best-of-five (BO5), the Blue side was typically given to the higher-seeded team.