Jonathan Gaming says Team Apex Gaming went into BMSD 2026 with one rule: no more last-minute scares for their fans. Speaking to TalkEsport ahead of the Grand Finals in Hyderabad, he said the team wanted to qualify “with respect, by playing proper, good games”, and it did.
The BMSD 2026 Grand Finals run from October 16 to 18 at Savaaya Convention. The champion gets a direct slot at the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2026, and Jonathan said a return to the international stage would be “super fun” after a long gap.
Watch the full interview below, or read on for everything he said.
“This Time, No Heart Attacks”
We asked Jonathan why Team Apex Gaming keeps giving fans a scare in almost every tournament, and what the plan was for the Grand Finals. He laughed it off but admitted the team had made a conscious change this time.
“This time we planned it ourselves: let’s give it all. This time, you know, no heart attacks,” Jonathan said.
“I guess people did get a heart attack in between. But the plan this time was to qualify for the finals with respect, by playing proper, good games, and we did it.”
He kept his prediction short. “Hopefully, this time it’s going to happen.”
Jonathan on PMGC and the International Stage
The BMSD 2026 champion qualifies directly for PMGC 2026 in Türkiye. Fans have wanted to see Jonathan back on an international stage for a long time, and he didn’t pretend otherwise.
“It’s been a while since your bhai played on the international stage,” he said. “I had become a little rusty too. But it’s going to be super fun to be playing on the international stage after a long time.”
His approach is simple. “Just enjoy myself, have fun and just keep going. That’s it.”
Why “Bhai Ki Gaadi” Starts Slow
Fans have noticed a pattern. As a Grand Finals gets closer, the aggressive “2019 Jonathan” seems to come back, so we asked whether pressure motivates him or whether he changes his approach in big matches.
His answer was that the early matches are for reading the lobby. “The starting matches take time for me to understand the lobby, how people are playing, what’s working and what’s not,” he said.
“People also know that your bhai’s car starts slow,” Jonathan added. “So as the games get tougher, I adjust according to the games and just give my best.”
Team Apex Gaming’s Road to Hyderabad
Jonathan co-founded Team Apex Gaming in April 2026 after more than four years at GodLike Esports, moving from player to team owner while still playing as an assaulter. Earlier in the year, he had opened up about being benched at BGIS 2026 during GodLike’s run to fifth place.
At BMSD 2026, Apex Gaming qualified through the Semi Finals, where they sat second with 94 points at the halfway mark on October 9. That puts them among the 16 teams in the BMSD 2026 Grand Finals, alongside his old team, GodLike Esports.
The finals feature 18 matches across Erangel, Miramar and Rondo, with a ₹1 crore prize pool. Besides the PMGC slot for the winner, the top six teams qualify for BMIC 2026 in Mumbai.
How to Follow Jonathan at BMSD 2026
All three days stream live on the KRAFTON India Esports YouTube channel in Hindi and English. Team Apex Gaming’s points will update match by match on the BMSD 2026 points table on TalkEsport Wiki.
Heading to the venue? Our BMSD 2026 Hyderabad preview covers tickets, the Smash Rule and what’s at stake.
Jonathan ended the chat with a joke for anyone watching the video. “Guys, whoever is watching, don’t subscribe at all. Run away.”
