PUBG Mobile developers have revealed details of the upcoming season’s esports calendar. The structure of the competition has undergone significant modifications compared to previous years.
The coming year will bring fans not only the traditional World Cup and Global Championship, but also a couple of additional international competitions.
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Structure of PUBG Mobile tournaments in 2026: regional qualifications and PMGO
The calendar is divided into two parts. Each half includes selections at the national and regional levels leading to the PUBG Mobile Global Open. According to a statement from KRAFTON, over thirty national championships will cover more than eight regions of the planet. The leaders of the zonal stages get access to PMGO.
The Global Open structure itself has been redesigned. Now there are two tournaments instead of one — this will allow teams to accumulate points to qualify for the world championship.
The strongest teams will receive direct invitations to national and zonal selections based on the results of last season.
Geography of events and fees: from PMGO in Southeast Asia to PMGC in Turkey
The year starts with the PUBG Mobile Global Open of the first season. The site is located in Southeast Asia (the exact location is still hidden), half a million dollars is at stake — about 374 thousand pounds.
At the end of the first wave of qualifiers, the World Cup returns as part of the Esports World Cup. The venue chosen is Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The financial reward reaches three million dollars, which is equivalent to 2.2 million pounds.
The second season of PMGO will move to Pakistan, where the teams will once again compete for 500 thousand dollars in rewards.
The final point of the year will be the Global Championship on Turkish territory. The prize money repeats the World Cup target — three million dollars. In total, the four main tournaments will offer seven million dollars (about 5.2 million pounds) in total prize money.
Ecosystem improvements: updated registration system and support for third-party tournaments
The built-in tournament registration system will be updated in the upcoming season. The developers promise to improve the conditions for offline activities and expand the possibilities of the viewer experience.
KRAFTON is modernizing its third—party assistance program. The goal is to create a smoothly functioning competitive environment. This solution appeared after the introduction of a specialized platform that simplifies the submission of applications for external event companies wishing to host tournaments under the brand of the game.
PMGC 2025 in Bangkok: final matches and broadcasts
Before we fully embark on the plans for next year, it is worth mentioning the final of PMGC 2025, which is taking place in the Thai capital these days.
The sixteen remaining teams will compete in a three-day showdown (December 12-14) for the title of the strongest on the planet. The current Dplus champion intends to defend the crown and repeat the triumph.
Broadcasts are available on the game’s official channels on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok — fans can track what’s happening in real time.
Contenders for 2026: favorites and forecast of regional forces
It is logical to consider the Korean Dplus as the main favorite: if the base line-up remains, the team is showing good, calm and even stability for the second year in a row, constantly going through the playoffs stages of major international battles with the experience of championship comebacks at critical moments.
Other contenders include the teams that appeared at the World Cup and entered the final stage of PMGC 2025: Regnum Carya, Alpha Gaming, DRX, Alter Ego Ares and R8. These organizations demonstrate steady top-8 finishes and strong mid-match play on classic Erangel and Miramar maps.
Taking a broad look at the competitive picture, the game meta of 2026 is almost guaranteed to strengthen the position of the Asian region. Precise zone control, aggressive division of forces between 1-3 players, and competent information gathering have already ensured Asian organizations a series of victories and a high percentage of hits in the decisive stages.
In analytical assessments, it is important to take into account the new tournament structure: early lan events such as PMGO will allow dark horses from Southeast Asia and the MENA region to gain combat experience and join the discussion about favorites by the middle of the year.
