PUBG: Battlegrounds has been formally included in the lineup for the Esports Nations Cup 2026, placing Krafton’s battle royale at the center of a brand-new, national team-focused event in Riyadh. The Esports World Cup Foundation has formally announced PUBG as one of the featured games for the first-ever Nations Cup, taking place from November 2nd to 29th, 2026, in Saudi Arabia.
Throughout the month-long competition at the Esports Nations Cup, PUBG will take up a dedicated slot from November 11th to 15th, placing it firmly in the mix as one of the major mid-tournament draws. Twenty-four national teams will parachute into the battlegrounds, swapping out their team colors for national flags in what promises to be one of the most storied PUBG events of the year.
The competition is being billed as a genuine “country vs. country” affair, with national pride and regional one-upmanship taking center stage over more traditional org-focused narratives. For PUBG Esports, it marks an extension of a successful Nations Cup format into a broader, multi-game universe presented by the Esports World Cup Foundation.
The PUBG Nations Cup portion will feature 24 national teams competing in a three-group, 24-team opening stage, with each group of eight teams playing five matches. The overall standings will decide which 16 teams will move on to a high-pressure Grand Final.
The Grand Final will feature PUBG’s Smash Rule format, where teams must first reach a points target and then secure the championship with a Chicken Dinner, with all 10 matches played if no team achieves it early. Twelve national rosters will qualify through direct invitations based on a PUBG National Team Ranking constructed from Krafton’s Power Rankings, while 10 teams will qualify through online regional play, and two teams through wildcard spots.
The Esports Nations Cup presence provides PUBG with a second key foundation in national team esports, in addition to the PUBG Nations Cup standalone series, which grew to 24 teams in 2025.
