Quick Summary: The countdown is on for the FIRST® Championship 2026. Teams from around the world are heading to Houston for this global robotics event featuring FTC DECODE™ and FRC REBUILT™, bringing together thousands of students, mentors, and innovators. This is where the FIRST® AGE™ season comes to life.
Welcome to FIRST® Championship 2026
The energy is building, the robots are ready, and teams are preparing for one of the most exciting events in STEM. The FIRST® Championship 2026, presented by BAE Systems, takes place from April 29 to May 2 in Houston, Texas.
This event becomes a global hub of innovation, bringing together more than 50,000 attendees, 19,000 students, and over 1,000 teams from 66 countries. For many, this is the moment everything has been building toward: a chance to compete, connect, and celebrate a season of hard work and discovery.
Why the FIRST® Championship Matters
The FIRST® Championship is more than a competition; it’s a global celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the future of STEM. Students, 
mentors, and educators come together not just to compete, but to share ideas, learn from one another, and be part of something bigger. It’s where you see months of iteration come to life on the field, where innovative designs are pushed to their limits, and where teams discover what they’re truly capable of.
From intense matches to inspiring conversations in the pits, every moment is an opportunity to grow. It’s this combination of competition, community, and purpose that makes the FIRST® Championship unlike anything else.
Inside the DECODE™ and REBUILT™ Challenges
This season, innovation takes center stage as teams explore the FIRST® AGE™ archaeology-inspired robotics season and push their designs further than ever.
DECODE™ challenges FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) teams to investigate the power of artifacts in an archaeology-inspired game. With a focus on scoring, strategy, and teamwork, teams must shoot, manage, and adapt in a fast-paced, dynamic field.
REBUILT™, on the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC) side, invites teams to reimagine the past while engineering for the future. With large-scale robots and high-energy matches, precision, performance, and collaboration are key.
On-Site Support for Teams
Studica Robotics will be on-site in the FTC and FRC Robot Service Centers, working directly with teams throughout the event, helping troubleshoot, optimize, and keep robots competition-ready.
Built for STEM. Designed for Competition.
For more than 40 years, Studica has supported education and industry with technology designed to help learners build real-world skills through hands-on experience. Through its robotics division, Studica Robotics continues that mission by developing a modular building platform designed for STEM education and competitive robotics teams.
Engineered for compatibility, strength, and ease of use, Studica Robotics components are designed to integrate with common FRC and FTC ecosystems without requiring specialized tools or complex setup. The platform includes a wide range of robot parts, from structure and motion components to controllers, sensors, IMUs, motors, and navigation tools, supporting teams from early prototypes to competition-ready robots.
Key Solutions for FTC and FRC Teams
This season, several Studica Robotics solutions stand out as teams prepare for competition.
For FTC Teams
The Studica Robotics FTC Starter Kit for the 2025–2026 DECODE™ season is designed to help teams move quickly from concept to competition-ready robot. Available in six structure colors, the kit supports flexible design, rapid prototyping, and hands-on learning throughout the build season. New for this year, the kit includes 6mm HEX components and shafts, and updated Maverick HEX shaft motors with multiple planetary gearbox options, giving teams more control over drivetrain performance, torque, and mechanism design.
The FTC Starter Bot, built using the Starter Kit, provides a functional baseline robot for DECODE™ gameplay. It helps teams spend less time on initial fabrication and more time on iteration, strategy, and refinement. Designed to demonstrate core tasks such as receiving and holding game pieces, moving them across the field, indexing into a mechanism, shooting toward the goal, actuating field elements, and running a basic autonomous routine, it gives teams a clear starting point for development. While fully functional, the design is intentionally a starting point, giving teams room to modify and improve based on their own strategy and ideas.
For FRC Teams
For FRC teams, consistency and control are critical. The NavX3-CAN IMU provides high-speed, accurate motion data to support reliable navigation, stable drivetrain control, and improved autonomous performance. With upgraded sensing architecture and fast CAN-FD communication for reliable, high-speed data transfer, this next-generation inertial measurement unit (IMU) helps teams maintain orientation and improve repeatability in both autonomous and teleoperated modes.
When combined with a range of FRC-ready components, Studica Robotics supports teams building systems that prioritize accuracy, durability, and performance under pressure. From structural components to advanced sensors, Studica Robotics helps teams build with confidence and compete at their best.
More Than a Competition
FIRST® is about more than robots. It’s a global community built on mentorship, innovation, and opportunity.
Through hands-on learning and team-based problem-solving, students gain the skills, confidence, and resilience to succeed, whether they pursue careers in STEM or take these experiences into entirely new paths. Programs like FIRST® Tech Challenge and FIRST® Robotics Competition continue to inspire the next generation of engineers, leaders, and innovators, proving year after year that the impact goes far beyond the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FIRST® Championship 2026?
The FIRST® Championship is the global finale of the FIRST® season, bringing together thousands of students from around the world to compete at the highest level across four programs: FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC), FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC), FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge, and FIRST® LEGO® League Explore.
When and where is the FIRST® Championship 2026 happening?
April 29 to May 2, 2026, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
What are FTC DECODE™ and FRC REBUILT™?
They are the 2025–2026 FIRST® game challenges. DECODE focuses on artifact-based gameplay and strategy, while REBUILT features large-scale robot competition and alliance strategy.
Will Studica Robotics be there?
Yes, Studica Robotics will be supporting teams in the FTC and FRC Robot Service Centers.
Is the FIRST® Championship and “FIRST® Worlds” the same thing?
Yes. “FIRST® Worlds” is a term commonly used by teams to refer to the FIRST® Championship, the official global event that concludes the season.
See You in Houston!
The excitement is building, and the FIRST® Championship 2026 is set to be an unforgettable celebration of innovation, teamwork, and discovery. Whether you’re competing, mentoring, or cheering from the sidelines, this is the moment everything comes together. If you’re heading to Houston, be sure to connect with the Studica Robotics team in the FTC and FRC Robot Service Centers. We’re there to help teams stay ready, solve problems, and keep competing at their best.
Good luck, teams!
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