With the 2026 FIRST® Championship presented by BAE Systems less than a month away, we’re excited to share some more details about our grand final matches and announce something new we’ve got in store for Saturday afternoon.
We’ve previously highlighted a number of FIRST Championship Updates, including a new Team Judging Experience. This blog is a continuation of our previously published updates, with some exciting new information!
Today we’re happy to answer the question that’s been on everyone’s mind ever since we announced the expansion to six divisions: “How are we determining our FIRST Championship Winners?”
Introducing the da Vinci Round Robin Tournament
After each division finishes their playoff matches all of the six Divisional Winning Alliances will play each of the other division winners one time in a 15-match Round Robin Tournament. The top two alliances after the Round Robin will then face off against each other in a double elimination final. Whichever alliance is the first to win two matches will be the FIRST Championship Winners.
The details on the Round Robin are included in Team Update 30 , and can be found in section 15.5 of the most recent Competition Manual.
But, the Grand Finals aren’t the only exciting things happening…
Saturday, Saturday, Saturday!
On Saturday May 2nd, at the FIRST Championship Event, we will be releasing aspects of the upcoming 2026-2027 FIRST® Tech Challenge game.
During the Grand Finals on da Vinci…
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Witness DECODE shown in its final form, at the highest level of competitive play.
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Celebrate the achievements of our new World Champion teams.
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Get a preview of next year's game before its full unveiling at Kickoff in September.
You won't want to miss this live event: either in-person at the da Vinci fields or on the livestream.
Game Preview: More than a Game Hint
No, this is not going to be a riddle. We'll be specifically unveiling some of next season's field elements and highlighting some of the robot skills which will be needed for success on the field. At the same time, FIRST® and some of our partners will be releasing educational resources design specifically to help teams prepare for these new challenges.
…but don't worry, there are still plenty of surprises left for Kickoff.
Game Preview: FAQ
Why is FIRST Tech Challenge Making this Change?
We know FIRST students don't limit their preparations to the official season. Many teams cite their pre-season activities as key to their learning process, both in educating new members and in preparing their veteran members for success. FIRST Tech Challenge wants to enable the sort of independent projects that teams are already doing, while ensuring the resulting skill growth is directly applicable to the upcoming season.
Did the season just get longer?
Only if you want it to be longer. While we know many teams are already extending their season, we don't want this to be something teams feel is "needed" to be successful. The Game Preview content is specifically structured to be limited, relating to only a few of the game's challenges.
This should enable teams to get an optional head-start on exploration and skill growth, but NOT a head-start on building a high-level competition robot.
FIRST Tech Challenge serves teams and students across a wide spectrum of capabilities. The Game Preview and supporting materials are built around the types of foundational skills that inexperienced teams and inexperienced members of veteran teams will benefit from learning. This will also provide opportunities for veteran teams to publish new resources and share their existing knowledge in these areas.
What about those who can’t attend the FIRST Championship?
We’ll miss seeing you! However, all the fun will be broadcast on the Championship livestream. In addition, the Game Preview content will be published on our website and blog. Teams at home will miss out on the in-person excitement but won’t miss out on any content. Stay tuned.
Will FIRST Tech Challenge be doing this every year?
We don't know. We're excited to try something new which we believe will enable team success. We're eager to see how partners, suppliers, and teams leverage the Game Preview to create new educational resources to enable student learning and skill growth!