The Esports World Cup Foundation has made a big announcement. They have confirmed that the game PUBG: Battlegrounds will be included in the very first Esports Nations Cup. This event is set to happen in 2026. This adds a battle royale style game to the competition where national teams will play against each other. The event will debut in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, later this year.
The Esports Nations Cup is scheduled to run from November 2 to November 29, 2026. The PUBG matches will take center stage during a specific part of this event. The action for this game will happen from November 11 to November 15.
How the PUBG Tournament Will Work
A total of 24 national teams will compete in this tournament. All of these teams are chasing a spot in the Grand Final. The Grand Final will have 16 teams. This final match is expected to be one of the most intense international PUBG events of the year.
The event starts with a group stage. There are 24 teams total, and they will be split into three different groups. Each group will have eight teams. Every group will play five matches. The overall standings from these matches will decide which teams move forward.
The top 16 teams from the group stage will move on to the Grand Final.
Once in the Grand Final, a maximum of 10 matches will be played. These matches will use a special system called the Smash Rule. Teams must reach a required number of points. Then, they must win a match, often called a “Chicken Dinner,” to claim the championship title. If no team meets these conditions early, all 10 matches will be played to find the winner.
Because this is about national pride and not club points, the play style will be different. Fans can expect aggressive moves and high-risk decisions in the late game.
How Teams Qualify for the Event
Not all 24 spots will be decided during live matches on a LAN connection.
- Twelve teams will get direct invitations. These invitations are based on the PUBG National Team Ranking.
- Ten teams will qualify through online qualifiers. These will happen in different regions.
- Two teams will earn Wildcard slots.
The invitations will be decided using KRAFTON’s PUBG Power Rankings. Points earned at official competitions are shared among teammates. Each nation’s ranking is calculated using the top four players on its roster. The deadline for the ranking is June 7, 2026.
The online qualifiers will run from July 10 to July 12. They will use a double-elimination format. Teams must play at least 12 games.
Here is how the regional slots are allocated:
- Americas: Two slots
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa: Four slots
- Asia: Two slots
PUBG’s History at the Esports World Cup
PUBG has been part of the Esports World Cup before. It closed out the action at the 2025 Esports World Cup. That event took place inside the Qiddiya Esports Arena.
During that 2025 tournament, a team called Twisted Minds thrilled the home crowd. They managed to get three Chicken Dinners during the Grand Final.
The tournament in 2025 came down to the very last match. Two teams, Gen.G and Team Falcons, were still mathematically able to win heading into that final game.
More details about which nations will participate and other game titles are expected in the coming weeks. The countdown to Riyadh continues.
