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PMGO 2026 Season 2 Prize Pool Distribution: Wolves Earn $60,000, ALA Named MVP

Pranav Nalawade
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PMGO 2026 Season 2 Prize Pool Distribution: Wolves Earn $60,000, ALA Named MVP

Wolves Esports took home $60,000 from the PUBG Mobile Global Open (PMGO) 2026 Season 2, the biggest payout from the event’s $500,000 prize pool. That figure is $50,000 for winning the Grand Finals in Lahore plus $10,000 for topping Group B. Runners-up AK Gold Esports collected $25,000 from the Grand Finals, third-placed 4K Esports got $20,000, and 4K’s ALA was named Grand Finals MVP after 23 eliminations.

Below is the full stage-by-stage prize structure, what each top team earned, the PMGC points on offer and the award winners.

How much prize money did Wolves Esports win at PMGO 2026 Season 2?

$60,000 in total. Wolves finished first in Group B with 64 points on October 21, which paid $10,000, then won the Grand Finals on October 25 for another $50,000. The title came through the Smash Rule, with a Chicken Dinner in Match 12 after the team had already crossed the 67-point match point.

Six players were part of the run: Juancho7, WhiteLegy, SLONIK, Lmntrixxx, NCSSRY and Baton. Back at Season 1 in Jakarta this same organisation finished 21st and banked $11,000. By our math, Season 2 paid them roughly five and a half times as much.

The Wolves Esports roster of Juancho7, WhiteLegy, SLONIK, Lmntrixxx, NCSSRY and Baton shown on the big screen as the team celebrates its PMGO 2026 Season 2 title in Lahore.
Image credit: PUBG Mobile Esports

PMGO 2026 Season 2 Grand Finals prize money by place

The Grand Finals carried the largest share of the pool. These are the payouts for the top eight places:

PlaceTeamGrand Finals prize
1stWolves Esports$50,000
2ndAK Gold Esports$25,000
3rd4K Esports$20,000
4thHoraa Esports$18,000
5thOLD NOT$16,000
6thThe MongolZ$15,000
7thInfluence Rage$14,000
8thULF Esports$13,000

Wolves earned twice what AK Gold did from the Grand Finals, even though AK Gold finished with eight more points (94 to 86). Run the same event as a straight points race and AK Gold take the title, with Wolves landing third or fourth depending on the tiebreak with Horaa. By our math, the Smash Rule moved $25,000 away from AK Gold and added $30,000 to $32,000 to Wolves’ Grand Finals payout.

How much did each top team earn in total?

Teams also earned money in the Group Stage and the Survival Stage, and award winners were paid on top. Reported total earnings for the top 10 finishers were:

Grand Finals finishTeamTotal earnings
1stWolves Esports$60,000
2ndAK Gold Esports$32,000
3rd4K Esports$35,000
4thHoraa Esports$26,500
5thOLD NOT$23,500
6thThe MongolZ$23,000
7thInfluence Rage$22,000
8thULF Esports$21,500
9thAlpha7 Esports$26,500
10thBigetron by Vitality$20,000

4K Esports earned more than AK Gold despite finishing a place lower, and Alpha7 out-earned five teams that finished above them. Earlier-stage payouts and award prizes are added to the Grand Finals money, so a strong Group Stage or an individual award can lift a team past rivals who placed higher on the final day.

Checking the math for Group B teams

We know the Group B order (Wolves, Vampire Esports, ULF, The MongolZ, Regnum Carya, BUF Esports), so the totals for three of those teams can be rebuilt from the stage payouts:

TeamGroup B prizeGrand Finals prizeTotal
Wolves Esports$10,000 (1st)$50,000 (1st)$60,000
The MongolZ$8,000 (4th)$15,000 (6th)$23,000
ULF Esports$8,500 (3rd)$13,000 (8th)$21,500

All three match the reported totals exactly, which is a good sign the stage tables below are right.

Wolves Esports players stand arm in arm under falling confetti as one of them holds the PMGO 2026 Season 2 trophy on stage in Lahore.
Image credit: PUBG Mobile Esports

Group Stage and Survival Stage prize money

PMGO 2026 Season 2 ran 32 teams through two Group Stage pools on October 20 and 21, a Survival Stage on October 22 and the Grand Finals on October 24 and 25. Krafton laid out the format in its official PMGO Season 2 announcement. The top eight in each earlier stage were paid as follows:

PlaceGroup Stage (per group)Survival Stage
1st$10,000$8,500
2nd$9,000$8,000
3rd$8,500$7,500
4th$8,000$7,000
5th$7,500$6,500
6th$7,000$6,000
7th$6,500$5,500
8th$6,000$5,000

Group winners S2G Esports (Group A, 60 points) and Wolves (Group B, 64 points) each picked up the $10,000 top prize. For context on how the groups played out, see our PMGO 2026 Season 2 Grand Finals preview, which lists how all 16 finalists qualified.

Who won MVP and the other awards at PMGO 2026 Season 2?

ALA of 4K Esports was the Grand Finals MVP. He recorded 23 eliminations across the 12 matches and helped the Iraqi side to third place on 88 points. AK Gold’s Satar was reported as the event’s best IGL after leading the Indonesian team to the highest points total in the lobby.

PMGO awards also cover Eagle Eye, Grenade Master and Field Medic categories. At Season 1, according to the published results, ULF Esports’ Kecth222 took both Finals MVP and best IGL, so ALA and Satar splitting the two headline awards this time is a change.

How many PMGC points did teams earn?

The top three left Lahore with these PUBG Mobile Global Championship points:

PlaceTeamPMGC points
1stWolves Esports150
2ndAK Gold Esports96
3rd4K Esports60

Points earned across the 2026 circuit decide the guaranteed places at PMGC 2026, which Krafton is staging in Istanbul, Turkiye later this year. The South Asian race for those spots is still open, as our look at every PMGC scenario if Team SouL wins BMIC 2026 explains.

Official PUBG Mobile Global Open 2026 Season 2 key art showing the PMGO trophy on a mountain peak.
Image credit: Krafton / PUBG Mobile Esports

How does Season 2 prize money compare with Season 1?

Both seasons offered $500,000. The champion’s share went down slightly. 4Thrives Esports won Season 1 in Jakarta and earned $62,500, about $2,500 more than Wolves collected in Lahore. 4Thrives had a rougher time defending the crown, going out in the Group Stage on home soil after finishing last in Group B with 11 points.

Horaa Esports was the best South Asian earner at $26,500 for fourth place. The Nepali side led after Day 1 of the Grand Finals and was the first team to reach match point on Day 2. If you want the bigger picture on the event itself, our PMGO 2026 Season 2 guide covers the venue, teams and format. Per-match results are on Liquipedia, and full replays are on the PUBG Mobile Esports YouTube channel.

FAQ

What was the prize pool for PMGO 2026 Season 2?

PMGO 2026 Season 2 had a $500,000 prize pool shared across all 32 teams, the same total as Season 1.

How much did the PMGO 2026 Season 2 winner get?

Wolves Esports received $50,000 for winning the Grand Finals and $10,000 for topping Group B, so $60,000 in total. They also earned 150 PMGC points.

Who was the MVP of PMGO 2026 Season 2?

ALA from 4K Esports was the Grand Finals MVP with 23 eliminations.

How much did the runner-up win at PMGO 2026 Season 2?

AK Gold Esports earned $25,000 from the Grand Finals and 96 PMGC points. Its reported total across all stages was $32,000.

Why did 4K Esports earn more than AK Gold?

Total earnings include Group Stage payouts and award prizes. 4K finished third in the Grand Finals but its overall haul of $35,000 was higher than AK Gold’s $32,000 once those extras were added.

Wolves Esports Win PMGO 2026 Season 2 on the Smash Rule, 8 Points Behind AK Gold

Pranav Nalawade
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Wolves Esports Win PMGO 2026 Season 2 on the Smash Rule, 8 Points Behind AK Gold

Wolves Esports are the PUBG Mobile Global Open (PMGO) 2026 Season 2 champions. The North American team won Match 12 of the Grand Finals in Lahore on October 25 while sitting above the Smash Rule match point, and that Chicken Dinner ended the event on the spot. AK Gold Esports finished with more points (94 to Wolves’ 86), but under this format the trophy goes to the first team that crosses the threshold and then wins a game.

It is a remarkable turnaround for a roster that finished 21st at Season 1 in Jakarta back in June.

Who won PMGO 2026 Season 2?

Wolves Esports won. The squad competes in the Americas region but is built around Ukrainian players: Baton, captain SLONIK, Lmntrixxx, NCSSRY and WhiteElegy. Wolves Esports is the gaming arm of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the club’s own site covers the PUBG Mobile team’s Americas title run from 2025.

For the title, Wolves collected $50,000 from the Grand Finals and 150 PMGC points. Add the $10,000 they picked up for topping Group B and their total haul from Lahore comes to $60,000.

PMGO 2026 Season 2 Grand Finals standings

FinishTeamRegionPoints
1 (Smash Rule)Wolves EsportsUnited States86
2AK Gold EsportsIndonesia94
34K EsportsIraq88
4Horaa EsportsNepal86
5OLD NOTUzbekistan83
6The MongolZMongolia82
7Influence RageBrazil81
8ULF EsportsTurkiye77
9Alpha7 EsportsBrazil75
10Bigetron by VitalityIndonesia73

The bottom six were S2G Esports (66), Vampire Esports (59), AlUla Club (58), Alter Ego Ares (56), BUF Esports (53) and Regnum Carya (36). The full match-by-match breakdown sits on the Liquipedia page for PMGO 2026 Season 2.

Bar chart of PMGO 2026 Season 2 Grand Finals points showing AK Gold Esports on 94, 4K Esports on 88 and champions Wolves Esports on 86.
Chart: TalkEsport | Data: PUBG Mobile Esports

How did the Smash Rule decide the title?

Day 1 of the Grand Finals ran as a normal six-match points race. Day 2 switched on the Smash Rule. The match point is set 10 points above whoever leads after Day 1, and Horaa Esports led with 57, so the target became 67. Reaching 67 is only half the job. A team then has to win a match to take the title, and the event stops right there.

Krafton also added a safety net for this season. In its official format announcement, the publisher said a Match 13 would be played if nobody was crowned through the Smash Rule by the end of Match 12, with the showmatch winner banning one of three maps and the points leader picking from the rest. Wolves made that decider unnecessary.

The logic matches our PMWC 2026 Smash Rule explainer. Points only put a team in the zone, and a Chicken Dinner from there ends the tournament.

Day 2 match winners

MatchChicken DinnerWhat it changed
Match 7OLD NOTHoraa moved into the Smash zone
Match 8AK Gold EsportsAK Gold and OLD NOT joined Horaa above the line
Match 9Bigetron by VitalityFive teams now on match point
Match 10Influence RageBrazil’s Influence Rage start a back-to-back run
Match 11Influence RageSecond straight win for Influence Rage
Match 12Wolves EsportsTitle decided, Match 13 not needed

Match 12 came down to a three-versus-three final fight between Wolves and S2G Esports. Wolves won it, and with that the event was over.

Graphic listing the Day 2 Chicken Dinner winners from Match 7 to Match 12 at PMGO 2026 Season 2, ending with Wolves Esports clinching the title.
Graphic: TalkEsport

How did Wolves go from sixth after Day 1 to champions?

Wolves ended Day 1 on 39 points, level with OLD NOT and 4K Esports and 18 behind Horaa. Most of those points came late, with a 20-point Chicken Dinner in Match 6 (10 placement plus 10 eliminations) dragging them back into contention after a slow start that included a 10-point opener.

Day 2 was a different story. By our count, Wolves added 47 points across the six Smash Rule matches (86 minus 39). AK Gold added 50 and 4K Esports added 49 over the same stretch. Wolves trailed both on Day 2 points, but their Match 12 win was the only result that mattered.

Horaa Esports led the lobby overnight and entered Day 2 needing just 10 points to reach match point, which they got in Match 7. Then they were knocked out early in the next game and added only 29 points across Day 2 by our math, finishing fourth.

From 21st to champions in four months

This roster has climbed fast in 2026. Wolves won the Season 1 North America Finals in May, then placed 21st at the Season 1 main event in Jakarta, which 4Thrives Esports won. They came second to RoW Esports at the Season 2 Americas Finals in Sao Paulo in September, topped Group B in Lahore with 64 points, and closed it out on Sunday.

Official PUBG Mobile Global Open 2026 Season 2 key art showing the PMGO trophy on a mountain peak.
Image credit: Krafton / PUBG Mobile Esports

How much prize money did the top teams win?

PMGO 2026 Season 2 had a $500,000 prize pool spread across all 32 teams. These are the Grand Finals placement prizes for the podium:

PlaceTeamGrand Finals prizePMGC points
1stWolves Esports$50,000150
2ndAK Gold Esports$25,00096
3rd4K Esports$20,00060

Group Stage earnings and individual awards are paid on top, which is why some teams’ total payouts are higher than the figures above. ALA from 4K Esports was named Grand Finals MVP after recording 23 eliminations.

What does the win mean for PMGC 2026?

Wolves also banked 150 PMGC points. Krafton has confirmed that circuit points earned through 2026 decide who gets a guaranteed place at the PUBG Mobile Global Championship, which is being held in Istanbul, Turkiye later this year. That haul puts Wolves in a strong spot heading into the year-end event, though their final position depends on how the remaining circuit events play out.

The points race is also live in South Asia. Our breakdown of every PMGC qualification scenario if Team SouL wins BMIC 2026 shows how the Indian side of that picture is shaping up.

How did South Asian teams do at PMGO 2026 Season 2?

Horaa Esports carried the region. The Nepali side led after Day 1, reached match point first on Day 2 and finished fourth on 86 points, tied with the champions. Host nation Pakistan had a far rougher week, with Season 1 winners 4Thrives knocked out in the Group Stage after finishing last in Group B with 11 points. No Indian team was in the field, a point covered in our PMGO 2026 Season 2 format and teams guide.

For the full list of the 16 finalists and how each one qualified, see our PMGO 2026 Season 2 Grand Finals preview. Replays of every match are on the official PUBG Mobile Esports YouTube channel.

FAQ

Who won PMGO 2026 Season 2?

Wolves Esports won PMGO 2026 Season 2 on October 25, 2026 in Lahore, Pakistan, by taking a Chicken Dinner in Match 12 after crossing the 67-point Smash Rule match point.

Why did Wolves win with fewer points than AK Gold?

The Grand Finals used the Smash Rule on Day 2. Once a team reaches the match point, its next Chicken Dinner wins the event outright, regardless of the overall points table. AK Gold finished on 94 points to Wolves’ 86.

How much did Wolves Esports win at PMGO 2026 Season 2?

Wolves earned $50,000 for winning the Grand Finals plus $10,000 from the Group Stage, for $60,000 in total. They also received 150 PMGC points.

Who was the MVP of PMGO 2026 Season 2?

ALA of 4K Esports was named Grand Finals MVP with 23 eliminations. 4K Esports finished third with 88 points.

Where was PMGO 2026 Season 2 held?

The event ran from October 20 to 25, 2026 in Lahore, Pakistan, the country’s first official global PUBG Mobile esports event.

What If Team SouL Wins BMIC 2026? Every PMGC Qualification Scenario Explained

Divyesh Moghe
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What If Team SouL Wins BMIC 2026? Every PMGC Qualification Scenario Explained

If Team SouL wins BMIC 2026, the champion’s PMGC 2026 Gauntlet slot drops to the runner-up, because SouL already holds a Gauntlet spot from winning BMSD 2026. The runner-up’s Group Stage slot then moves to the third-placed team, or further down if that team has already qualified.

That one rule explains most of the confusion around BMIC 2026. Three of the 16 teams in Mumbai already hold PMGC places, so the final standings on November 1 won’t always match who actually flies to the PMGC. A team finishing fourth or even fifth could qualify. We’ve gone through every realistic scenario below using the real BMIC 2026 field.

How the BMIC 2026 PMGC Slots Work

BMIC 2026 hands out two PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2026 places directly. The champion gets a Gauntlet Stage spot and the runner-up gets a Group Stage spot.

The Gauntlet is the better ticket. Teams there get a faster route to the PMGC Grand Finals, while Group Stage teams have a longer path. That’s why teams that already hold a Group Stage slot still have something to play for in Mumbai. Winning BMIC upgrades them.

The other rule to remember is simple. One team can hold only one PMGC qualification. When a team earns a slot it already has, the spare slot moves to the next eligible team.

All 16 teams play one lobby across 18 matches from October 30 to November 1, 2026, at The Dome, SVP Stadium (NSCI) in Mumbai, with points carrying over each day. The BMIC 2026 page on Liquipedia tracks the live standings, and our BMIC 2026 rosters and qualifiers list has every team and player.

Official BGMI International Cup 2026 For the Crown artwork showing the trophy and the Korea, Japan and India regions
Image credit: KRAFTON India Esports

Which BMIC 2026 Teams Already Have PMGC Slots?

Three teams arrive in Mumbai with PMGC 2026 qualification already secured:

TeamRegionHow they qualifiedCurrent PMGC slot
Team SouLIndiaBMSD 2026 champion (155 points)Gauntlet Stage
Nongshim RedForceSouth KoreaKorean regional qualificationGroup Stage
ValorJapanPMJL Season 6 Phase 2 champion (341 points)Group Stage

BMIC itself is the international leg of the KRAFTON India esports roadmap for 2026, and SouL’s position in it is unique. A Gauntlet slot is already the best qualification BMIC offers, so SouL can’t improve its PMGC path in Mumbai. Whatever happens, SouL keeps its Gauntlet place. The team won BMSD 2026 with 155 points in Hyderabad to earn it.

Nongshim RedForce (NSR) and Valor are in a different spot. Both hold Group Stage slots through their regions, and both can upgrade to the Gauntlet by winning BMIC. That is where most of the scenarios start.

Scenario 1: What If Team SouL Wins BMIC 2026?

The BMIC Gauntlet slot goes to the runner-up. Say SouL finishes first and Gladiators Esports second. SouL can’t take a second Gauntlet place, so Gladiators get it. The runner-up’s Group Stage slot then goes to the third-placed team, provided that team isn’t already PMGC-qualified.

SouL first, Gladiators second, NS RedForce third

Gladiators still take the Gauntlet slot. The Group Stage slot should go to third place, but NSR already holds a Group Stage spot and can’t take another one. So it moves to fourth place. If Valor were sitting fourth, it would drop again to fifth.

SouL first, NS RedForce second

This is the most interesting version. SouL’s spare Gauntlet slot passes to NSR, which upgrades from the Group Stage to the Gauntlet. NSR’s old Korean regional Group Stage slot then goes to KRX through Korea’s regional order. The BMIC Group Stage slot moves to the next eligible team below second, usually third place.

One result, three teams affected. That’s how much a single placement can shift the PMGC picture.

Scenario 2: What If SouL Finishes Second?

The champion takes the Gauntlet slot as normal, SouL keeps its own Gauntlet place, and the BMIC Group Stage slot drops to the next eligible team. Giving SouL a Group Stage slot it doesn’t need would make no sense.

Take NSR first and SouL second. NSR upgrades to the Gauntlet, KRX inherits NSR’s Korean slot, and third place gets the BMIC Group Stage slot. If Valor is third, the slot goes to fourth instead, and further down if the fourth-placed team is also qualified.

The same applies if an unqualified team like Team 8Bit or K9 Esports wins with SouL in second. The champion goes to the Gauntlet, SouL keeps its slot, and the Group Stage spot goes to the best eligible team from third downwards.

BMIC 2026 For The Crown artwork with BGMI characters in team jerseys, announcing the Mumbai event from October 30
Image credit: KRAFTON India Esports

Scenario 3: What If Nongshim RedForce Wins BMIC 2026?

NSR upgrades from the Group Stage to the Gauntlet, and its old Korean Group Stage slot goes to KRX. Nothing gets wasted.

NSR are the favourites for a reason. They won PMPS 2026 Season 2 by 55 points over DRX in 12 matches, as we covered in why every team fears NS RedForce at BMIC 2026.

If NSR finish first and Gladiators second, the picture is clean. NSR go to the Gauntlet, Gladiators get the BMIC Group Stage slot and KRX get Korea’s regional slot.

If NSR finish first and SouL second, SouL keep their Gauntlet slot, and the Group Stage slot goes to third place. If Valor is third, it moves to fourth.

Scenario 4: What If Valor Wins BMIC 2026?

Valor move from the Group Stage to the Gauntlet, and Japan’s regional Group Stage slot passes to REIGNITE, who finished second in PMJL Season 6 Phase 2 with 328 points.

Suppose Valor win and Team 8Bit finish second. Valor go to the Gauntlet, 8Bit take the BMIC Group Stage slot and REIGNITE inherit Japan’s slot.

If Valor win and SouL finish second, SouL get nothing new. The BMIC Group Stage slot goes to the next eligible team from third place down. Japan’s form makes this the least likely of the four winner scenarios on paper, but all five Japanese teams that qualified for BMIC 2026 finished within 45 points of each other in PMJL, so the region has depth.

What If NS RedForce or Valor Finish Second?

They keep the Group Stage slot they already hold, and the BMIC Group Stage slot moves to the next eligible team. Second place can’t upgrade anything, because the BMIC runner-up prize is the same Group Stage spot they already have.

Example: Gladiators win and NSR finish second. Gladiators take the Gauntlet, NSR stay in the Group Stage, and third place gets the BMIC Group Stage slot. Swap NSR for Valor in second and the outcome works the same way.

What If SouL, NS RedForce and Valor Finish in the Top Three?

The fourth-placed team takes the BMIC Group Stage slot, as long as it hasn’t already qualified. This is where the cascade gets deepest.

SouL first, NSR second, Valor third: SouL’s spare Gauntlet slot goes to NSR. NSR upgrade, and KRX take Korea’s regional Group Stage slot. Third place would normally get the BMIC Group Stage slot, but Valor already have one, so it falls to fourth.

NSR first, Valor second, SouL third: NSR win the Gauntlet slot outright and KRX inherit Korea’s spot. Valor keep their Group Stage place from second, and SouL keep their Gauntlet place from third. The BMIC Group Stage slot goes to fourth.

Either way, an Indian team like Gladiators, 8Bit, K9 Esports, Blitz Epigrotive Gaming or Team Outrage could qualify for PMGC from fourth.

TalkEsport graphic summarising who gets the PMGC 2026 slots if Team SouL, NS RedForce or Valor win BMIC 2026
Graphic: TalkEsport

The Edge Case: When the Slot Goes to Fifth Place

The regional slots have one more twist. When NSR or Valor upgrade to the Gauntlet, their old regional slot goes to KRX or REIGNITE. But if the inheriting team has already qualified for the Group Stage through BMIC itself, it can’t take a second slot. The spare qualification then goes to the next best BMIC team without a PMGC place.

In practice this matters for REIGNITE, who are playing in Mumbai. KRX aren’t part of the 16-team BMIC field, so they can’t qualify through the event and would simply inherit Korea’s slot.

KRAFTON India’s qualification rules also cover a further case. If a Korean or Japanese regional runner-up finishes fourth at BMIC and already holds Group Stage qualification, the extra Group Stage slot can move to the fifth-placed BMIC team.

For the general version of these rules, written before the full field was locked, see our original BMIC 2026 PMGC qualification explainer.

BMIC 2026 PMGC Scenarios at a Glance

BMIC resultGauntlet slotBMIC Group Stage slotKnock-on effect
SouL win, unqualified team 2ndRunner-up3rd place (or next eligible)None
SouL win, NSR 2ndNSRNext eligible below 2ndKRX get Korea’s slot
SouL 2ndChampionNext eligible from 3rdSouL keep Gauntlet
NSR winNSRRunner-up (if eligible)KRX get Korea’s slot
Valor winValorRunner-up (if eligible)REIGNITE get Japan’s slot
NSR or Valor 2ndChampionNext eligible from 3rdThey keep Group Stage
SouL, NSR, Valor top threeDepends on order (NSR in both examples)4th place (or next eligible)KRX get Korea’s slot

That’s why watching the BMIC points table on the final day means checking more than the top two. A team could finish its last match in fourth and then wait on results elsewhere in the lobby to learn whether it’s going to the PMGC. Beyond the PMGC places, there’s also a ₹1 crore BMIC 2026 prize pool, with ₹30 lakh for the champion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if Team SouL wins BMIC 2026?

SouL keep their existing PMGC Gauntlet slot from BMSD 2026. The BMIC Gauntlet slot goes to the runner-up, and the Group Stage slot moves to the next eligible team, usually third place.

Which BMIC 2026 teams are already qualified for PMGC 2026?

Team SouL (Gauntlet Stage), Nongshim RedForce (Group Stage) and Valor (Group Stage).

Can a team finishing fourth or fifth at BMIC 2026 qualify for PMGC?

Yes. If already-qualified teams finish in the top three, the Group Stage slot can drop to fourth. A specific regional runner-up case can push it to fifth.

Who gets Nongshim RedForce’s slot if they win BMIC?

NSR’s Korean regional Group Stage slot goes to KRX, while NSR move up to the PMGC Gauntlet.

When is BMIC 2026?

BMIC 2026 runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026, at The Dome, SVP Stadium (NSCI) in Mumbai, with 18 matches across three days.

How Many GTA 6 Pre-Orders Have Been Sold? Every Estimate So Far

Pranav Nalawade
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How Many GTA 6 Pre-Orders Have Been Sold? Every Estimate So Far

Around 6.45 million. That is the latest estimate of how many GTA 6 pre-orders have been sold, and it comes from analytics firm Sensor Tower, not from Rockstar. The figure covers digital pre-orders on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S up to October 20, 2026, and puts revenue at roughly $630 million with less than four weeks left before the November 19 launch.

Take-Two has not shared a single official unit number. So every count you have seen online traces back to Sensor Tower’s tracker, which has been updated in steps since pre-orders opened on June 25. Below, we have lined up every estimate in order, worked out what the pace means for launch week, and separated what is confirmed from what is modelled.

How Many GTA 6 Pre-Orders Have Been Sold So Far?

Sensor Tower’s most recent estimate puts GTA 6 at about 6.45 million digital pre-orders and $630 million in revenue as of October 20, 2026. The PS5 accounts for about 4.8 million of those copies ($468 million), and Xbox Series X|S for about 1.66 million ($162 million). That is a 74/26 split in Sony’s favour.

One week earlier, on October 13, the same tracker had GTA 6 at just over 6 million units and about $594 million. That jump of roughly 370,000 copies in seven days shows demand still building as launch gets closer.

Our first report on these numbers, GTA 6 pre-orders crossing an estimated $630 million, covers the revenue side in detail. This page tracks the unit count over time and will be updated as new data lands.

Line chart of estimated GTA 6 digital pre-orders rising from 4.08 million on July 20 to 6.45 million on October 20, 2026
Chart: TalkEsport | Data: Sensor Tower estimates

GTA 6 Pre-Order Sales Timeline: Every Estimate in Order

Every public number below comes from Sensor Tower’s Video Game Insights data, as published by the firm or relayed by its analysts. These are digital storefront estimates. Rockstar and Take-Two have confirmed none of them.

Data as ofTotal pre-ordersRevenuePS5Xbox Series X|S
June 25, 2026Pre-orders open worldwide on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
July 20, 2026~4.08 million~$395 million3.15 million0.93 million
August 18, 2026~4.38 million~$429 million~3.38 million (77%)~1 million (23%)
Early September 2026~4.55 million~$446 million~3.51 millionNot given
October 13, 2026~6.08 million~$594 million4.51 million1.57 million
October 20, 2026~6.45 million~$630 million~4.8 million (74%)~1.66 million (26%)
Source: Sensor Tower estimates (digital only, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S). Table compiled by TalkEsport.

The July figure comes straight from a Sensor Tower blog post on its GTA VI sales tracker, which also says its tracker refreshes weekly. Later figures were shared by Sensor Tower staff and reported across the trade press.

Look at the first row with numbers. About 4.08 million of the 6.45 million tracked pre-orders were placed in the first 25 days. That is roughly 63% of everything sold so far, which tells you how much of GTA 6’s audience was simply waiting for the store pages to go live.

The middle stretch was slower. From late July to mid-August the count grew by only about 300,000 copies. Then Netflix happened.

Why Pre-Orders Spiked After the Netflix Extended Look

Rockstar’s 26-minute Extended Look premiered on Netflix on August 27, and Sensor Tower estimated that GTA 6 pre-orders that day rose 436% over the day before. The PS5 side jumped about 606% day over day while Xbox rose about 127%.

You may also have seen a “570%” figure. Same event, different maths. That number compares August 27 against the average day in the preceding month, which is a lower baseline than the day before the show, so the percentage comes out bigger. Both are accurate for what they measure.

If you missed the show itself, our breakdown of the GTA 6 Extended Look gameplay reveal goes through everything Rockstar showed.

Official GTA 6 screenshot of Jason and Lucia robbing a jewellery store in Leonida
Image credit: Rockstar Games

PS5 vs Xbox: Who Is Selling More GTA 6 Pre-Orders?

PlayStation leads by a wide margin, with roughly three out of every four tracked GTA 6 pre-orders sold on PS5. On October 20 that meant about 4.8 million PS5 copies against about 1.66 million on Xbox Series X|S.

Xbox pushed back on the “heavily skewed to PS5” story in September. On September 24, Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball said in a post on X that GTA 6 was “breaking records for XBOX” and that internal analysis showed its pre-order share matching its share of the console market. He did not give a percentage.

Both claims can hold up at once. Reports put PS5 sales at more than 90 million units and Xbox Series X|S at just over 30 million, which gives Xbox roughly a quarter of the current-gen install base. Sensor Tower’s latest split hands Xbox 26% of GTA 6 pre-orders. That lines up almost exactly with what Ball described. PS5 wins on volume because far more PS5s sit under TVs right now.

Sony’s own momentum helps too. US hardware data for September showed PS5 sales climbing, which we covered in our report on PS5 sales rising 22% ahead of GTA 6.

Bar chart comparing estimated GTA 6 pre-orders of 4.8 million on PS5 and 1.66 million on Xbox Series X|S
Chart: TalkEsport | Data: Sensor Tower estimates

Ultimate Edition vs Standard: What Players Are Buying

Close to nine in ten buyers are paying for the $99.99 Ultimate Edition rather than the $79.99 Standard Edition. In mid-August, Sensor Tower’s Karl Kontus, SVP and GM of Video Game Insights, put the Ultimate share at about 89% overall, 90% on Xbox and 88.5% on PlayStation, and said he had “never seen a 90% premium share before”.

That edition mix explains the revenue figure. Divide $630 million by 6.45 million copies and you get about $97.70 per pre-order, which sits right next to the Ultimate Edition’s price tag.

Grand Theft Auto VI official artwork collage featuring Jason and Lucia
Image credit: Rockstar Games

Rockstar’s pre-order announcement lists two editions on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Anyone who buys before November 20 gets the Vintage Vice City Pack, digital pre-orders include one free month of GTA+, and preloading opens on November 12. For a closer look at the premium options, see our guide to the GTA 6 Collector’s Edition vs Ultimate Edition.

What Take-Two Has Officially Said About GTA 6 Pre-Orders

Take-Two has described GTA 6 pre-orders in glowing terms but has refused to put a number on them. On the company’s August 7 earnings call, CEO Strauss Zelnick called demand “unprecedented and astonishing”, then declined to share a figure. His reasoning was blunt: “We haven’t sold one unit yet. You can cancel a preorder.”

The company’s fiscal first quarter 2027 results kept its full-year net bookings outlook at $8.0 billion to $8.2 billion, a forecast built largely around GTA 6. The $1.39 billion in net bookings Take-Two reported for that quarter is company-wide revenue, not a GTA 6 pre-order figure, even though some posts have mixed the two up.

Take-Two reports its next quarter on November 9, ten days before launch. Expect more adjectives on that call. A hard unit count is more likely after the game is out, which is when Take-Two shared GTA 5’s opening sales back in 2013.

What Sensor Tower’s Numbers Don’t Include

The 6.45 million figure is almost certainly an undercount of total demand, because it only tracks digital pre-orders. Physical copies bought at retailers are not in it.

That gap matters more than usual for GTA 6. According to Rockstar, the physical edition contains a download code in the box, and it becomes available on November 12 so buyers can preload. Retail pre-orders for those boxes, plus any regional storefronts Sensor Tower doesn’t cover, sit outside the tracker. Whether the boxed version counts as a disc release is a separate debate, and our explainer on whether GTA 6 will get a disc version covers it.

There is no PC version at launch either, so Steam and Rockstar’s PC launcher add nothing yet.

Scope is another wrinkle. Sensor Tower’s worldwide totals cover PS5 and Xbox storefronts, while its comparisons against other games use US data only, and some coverage has blurred the two.

Treat every figure here as a modelled estimate. Sensor Tower builds them from its own panel data and has not published a detailed methodology for the GTA 6 tracker.

How Many Pre-Orders Could GTA 6 Have by Launch Day?

Our rough projection lands between 7.5 and 8 million digital pre-orders by November 19. That comes from a simple assumption. If the October 13 to October 20 pace of about 370,000 a week holds for the final four weeks, the tracked total ends near 7.9 million. Preloads opening on November 12 usually pull in late buyers, so the final week could beat that pace.

For context, Sensor Tower’s own blog cites about 7 million pre-orders for GTA 5 in 2013, followed by 11 million copies on launch day and 16 million in the first week. GTA 6’s digital-only count alone is on course to pass GTA 5’s total pre-order figure around launch week, before you add a single physical copy.

Kontus pitched a much higher number in August, saying he expected around 25 million pre-orders by launch and about $2 billion in revenue. The tracked digital pace would need to roughly triple over the next month to get there. Possible, given how GTA launches tend to behave, but the public data doesn’t point that way yet.

If you are still counting down, our GTA 6 November 19 release date update has the launch details in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many GTA 6 pre-orders have been sold?

About 6.45 million digital pre-orders as of October 20, 2026, according to Sensor Tower estimates. Physical pre-orders are not included, and Rockstar has not confirmed any number.

How much money has GTA 6 made from pre-orders?

Roughly $630 million from digital pre-orders on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, based on Sensor Tower’s October 20 estimate.

Is GTA 6 selling more on PS5 or Xbox?

PS5. About 74% of tracked pre-orders, or 4.8 million copies, are on PlayStation. Xbox’s roughly 26% share is close to its share of the current console install base.

Has Rockstar or Take-Two confirmed GTA 6 pre-order numbers?

No. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called pre-orders “unprecedented and astonishing” in August but declined to give a figure. Take-Two reports earnings again on November 9.

When does GTA 6 release and when can you preload it?

GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Digital pre-orders can preload from November 12.

FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals: Teams, Champion Rush, Prize Pool and How to Watch

Divyesh Moghe
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FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals: Teams, Champion Rush, Prize Pool and How to Watch

The FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals go live today, October 25, at 5:30 PM IST, and twelve teams from six countries will play under Champion Rush rules until somebody earns the title with a Booyah. The first-place cheque is $15,000 from a $50,000 pool, and four Indian squads are still alive heading into the final day of the Free Fire MAX Asia Invitational.

Vietnam’s P Esports tops the field after a 221-point group stage. Bigetron by Vitality, the Summer champion, arrives fourth without a single Booyah to its name. India’s Team Apex Gaming, fresh off a second straight FFMIC crown, sits sixth. Here is who made it, how the finale works, what the money looks like and where to watch.

FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals at a glance

EventFree Fire MAX Asia Invitational (FFMAI) 2026 Fall Grand Finals
OrganiserGarena
DateSunday, October 25, 2026
Start time5:30 PM IST
Teams12 (top 12 from the Group Stage)
FormatChampion Rush, 110-point threshold, no fixed match count
Prize pool$50,000 (winner gets $15,000)
ModeOnline, Battle Royale squads
StreamFree Fire MAX Esports India Official on YouTube

How the 12 finalists got here

The road started on October 16 with the South Asia Play-ins, where 18 teams from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal fought for seven Main Event spots. Those seven joined 11 invited sides from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. If you missed the early stages, our FFMAI 2026 Fall South Asia Play-ins guide covers the groups and how the qualifiers were decided.

The Group Stage then ran from October 22 to 24. Eighteen teams were split into three groups of six, each team played 12 matches, and the top 12 on the overall table moved on. The bottom six went home. You can read how the groups were drawn in our FFMAI 2026 Fall Group Stage preview.

FFMAI 2026 Fall Group Stage final standings

RankTeamRegionPointsStatus
1P EsportsVietnam221Grand Finals
2All GamersThailand197Grand Finals
3RRQ KazuIndonesia178Grand Finals
4Bigetron by VitalityIndonesia178Grand Finals
5Buriram United EsportsThailand175Grand Finals
6Team Apex GamingIndia175Grand Finals
7Orangutan X EliteIndia172Grand Finals
8S8UL EsportsIndia170Grand Finals
9Team RageBangladesh165Grand Finals
10Clutza EsportsIndia154Grand Finals
11GOWVietnam152Grand Finals
12Team VamosMalaysia142Grand Finals
13Team InfinityBangladesh137Eliminated
14Resurrection EsportsIndia123Eliminated
15Revenant XSparkIndia113Eliminated
16Horaa EsportsNepal112Eliminated
17Total Gaming EsportsIndia102Eliminated
18Total Winner EsportsPakistan100Eliminated

Group Stage points do not carry into the finale. Every team starts the Grand Finals on zero, so P Esports’ 44-point cushion over second place is gone the moment the first plane takes off. The table still tells you who arrives in form.

FFMAI 2026 Fall Main Event Day 3 Group A vs C broadcast graphic featuring Asian Free Fire players
The Group Stage wrapped up on October 24 (Image via YouTube/Free Fire MAX Esports India Official)

Champion Rush explained: why 110 points is only half the job

Champion Rush is the finals system Garena now uses across its big Free Fire events. Teams score normally for placement and eliminations until one of them reaches 110 points. That team becomes “Champion Rush eligible”. From the next match onwards, the first eligible team to win a Booyah is crowned champion, and the event ends right there.

Two details catch people out. A team that crosses 110 during a match and also wins that same match does not take the title. It has to finish the game, become eligible, then win a later one. And there is no match cap. Garena’s rules say the finals only end once a champion meets those conditions. Our earlier FFMAI 2026 Fall schedule and format breakdown walks through the same example in more detail.

The threshold has jumped from 80 to 110

This is the change worth watching. The FFMAI 2026 Summer finals in June used an 80-point threshold. Fall raises it to 110, which pushes eligibility much later into the night.

Run the numbers on the Group Stage leaders. P Esports averaged about 18.4 points per match across its 12 games (221 divided by 12). At that pace it would need roughly six matches just to become eligible, and that is the best-performing team in the event. Mid-table sides averaging 13 to 14 points a game would need eight or more. When Bigetron won FFWS SEA 2026 Fall in Surabaya last month under the same 110-point rule, the decider went to Game 12, with Bigetron entering that match on 111 points.

FFMAI 2026 Fall prize pool distribution

The total pot is $50,000. All 18 Main Event teams get paid, so the six eliminated sides have already locked in their share. The 12 finalists are playing for everything from $1,400 up to the $15,000 top prize.

PlacementPrize (USD)Team
1st$15,000TBD
2nd$7,500TBD
3rd$3,500TBD
4th$3,000TBD
5th$2,800TBD
6th$2,600TBD
7th$2,400TBD
8th$2,200TBD
9th$1,900TBD
10th$1,700TBD
11th$1,500TBD
12th$1,400TBD
13th$1,000Team Infinity
14th$900Resurrection Esports
15th$800Revenant XSpark
16th$700Horaa Esports
17th$600Total Gaming Esports
18th$500Total Winner Esports

The winner takes double the runner-up’s money, and 30% of the entire pool goes to one team. Expect teams to chase Booyahs late in the night once someone gets close to 110, because a safe top-four finish pays a fraction of the title.

Teams to watch in the FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals

FFMAI 2026 Fall Main Event Day 2 Group B vs C broadcast graphic with players from Bigetron, Buriram and Indian teams
Players from the FFMAI 2026 Fall Main Event (Image via YouTube/Free Fire MAX Esports India Official)

P Esports (Vietnam)

P Esports led the Group Stage by 24 points and picked up two Booyahs along the way. The Vietnamese side put up 129 points on its first day alone. Consistent fragging plus late-circle wins is exactly the profile that suits Champion Rush.

Bigetron by Vitality (Indonesia)

The defending champion is the most in-form team in Asia right now. Bigetron won FFMAI 2026 Summer in June and then took FFWS SEA 2026 Fall in Surabaya in September. The odd part of its Fall run so far is that it finished fourth on 178 points without winning a single one of its 12 group games. That works in a points race. It will not work in Champion Rush, where the title only comes with a Booyah.

Buriram United Esports (Thailand)

Buriram went the other way. The Thai side finished fifth but won four Booyahs, double the tally of group leader P Esports. It is also the reigning world champion. Garena’s own recap of the FFWS Global Finals 2025 in Jakarta credits Buriram with the title and Wassana with both Grand Finals MVP and Predator awards. A team that already knows how to close out a Champion Rush final is dangerous here.

All Gamers and RRQ Kazu

All Gamers finished second with 197 points and is the second Thai threat. RRQ Kazu tied Bigetron on 178 and added one Booyah. Both organisations have years of international Free Fire experience, and RRQ Kazu has already secured its place at this November’s world championship through FFWS SEA 2026 Fall.

Indian teams in the FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals

India sent eight teams into the Play-ins and had one direct invite. Four Indian squads made it to the final day, which is a decent return given the strength of the Southeast Asian field.

Team Apex Gaming is the headline name. It entered the Main Event as India’s invited team after winning TEZ FFMIC 2026 Fall in Noida, its second straight India Cup title. Apex finished sixth on 175 points, and 118 of those came from eliminations. That aggression will matter once teams start forcing fights for Booyahs.

Orangutan X Elite came through the Play-ins and finished seventh with 172 points and one Booyah. S8UL Esports was right behind on 170. Clutza Esports squeezed in tenth on 154.

Three Indian teams fell short. Resurrection Esports, Revenant XSpark and Total Gaming Esports finished 14th, 15th and 17th. Resurrection’s exit stings a little because it is one of India’s three qualifiers for the FFWS 2026 Global Finals, alongside Apex and TSG Pros.

Where and when to watch the FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals

The finals stream live on the Free Fire MAX Esports India Official YouTube channel, with the broadcast starting at 5:30 PM IST. The channel has already scheduled separate English and Hindi Champion Rush streams, and you can open the English Grand Finals broadcast directly.

Because the event is online and spread across several countries, here is the start time in each participating region:

CountryLocal start time
India5:30 PM (IST)
Pakistan5:00 PM (PKT)
Nepal5:45 PM (NPT)
Bangladesh6:00 PM (BST)
Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia (WIB)7:00 PM
Malaysia8:00 PM (MYT)

There is no fixed end time. With a 110-point threshold and no match cap, plan for a long evening.

FFMAI 2026 Fall Main Event Day 1 Group A vs B broadcast graphic
All FFMAI 2026 Fall matches stream on the official Free Fire MAX Esports channel (Image via YouTube/Free Fire MAX Esports India Official)

Why FFMAI Fall matters before the world championship

The timing raises the stakes. Garena’s 2026 Free Fire esports roadmap confirmed that the FFWS Global Finals expand to 24 teams this year and begin on November 6 in Bangkok. That is 12 days after tonight’s final.

Several FFMAI finalists have already booked tickets to Bangkok. Bigetron and RRQ Kazu qualified through FFWS SEA 2026 Fall, and Team Apex Gaming earned one of India’s three slots at FFMIC. For them, tonight is the last competitive test against familiar Asian rivals before the biggest event of the year. Our guide to the FFWS 2026 Global Finals dates, Indian teams and format has the full road map for November.

Frequently asked questions

When are the FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals?

The Grand Finals are on Sunday, October 25, 2026, starting at 5:30 PM IST.

How many teams play in the FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals?

Twelve. They are the top 12 from the 18-team Group Stage held from October 22 to 24.

What is the Champion Rush threshold for FFMAI 2026 Fall?

It is 110 points. A team must reach 110 to become eligible, then win a Booyah in a later match to take the title.

How much does the FFMAI 2026 Fall winner get?

The champion receives $15,000 from the $50,000 prize pool. Second place earns $7,500 and third gets $3,500.

Which Indian teams qualified for the FFMAI 2026 Fall Grand Finals?

Team Apex Gaming, Orangutan X Elite, S8UL Esports and Clutza Esports.

Where can I watch FFMAI 2026 Fall live?

On the Free Fire MAX Esports India Official YouTube channel from 5:30 PM IST.

Apex, Orangutan, S8UL and Clutza all start on zero tonight, the same as P Esports and Bigetron. Whichever team reaches 110 first still needs one more Booyah, and that last match is usually where Champion Rush finals get decided.

Sony Steps Up PS5 Jailbreak Crackdown: Hacked Consoles Lose PSN Access Without Firmware 14.10

Satyam Kumar
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Sony Steps Up PS5 Jailbreak Crackdown: Hacked Consoles Lose PSN Access Without Firmware 14.10

Sony is making life harder for anyone running a jailbroken PS5. Since mid-October, consoles on firmware older than 14.10 can no longer sign in to PlayStation Network, and owners of modified systems now face a simple choice: update and lose the jailbreak, or stay on old firmware and play offline. At least one ban has been reported, and fresh reports suggest traces of a hack can survive a console reset.

The fallout reaches past the homebrew crowd. Anyone buying a used PS5 right now could end up with a console that was modified by its previous owner.

How the PS5 Jailbreak and Sony’s Response Unfolded

The cat-and-mouse game moved fast over about four weeks.

Date (2026)What happened
September 16Firmware 14.00 released, breaking the Byepervisor Reborn hypervisor bypass
September 29The Relapse jailbreak goes public, working on firmware up to 13.60
October 1Firmware 14.10 (build 26.06-14.10.00) released with unnamed security fixes
October 7-8A jailbroken PS5 in Turkey reportedly gets a PSN suspension
October 13-16Outlets report PSN enforcing 14.10 as the minimum version
October 25iXBT.games, citing Kotaku, reports forced updates and hack traces surviving resets

It worked on every firmware version except 14.00, and Reddit users said it could run recent games like Marvel’s Wolverine. Two days later, Sony shipped 14.10. We covered what that update changed in our PS5 26.06-14.10.00 patch notes, though Sony’s own changelog only mentions general security and stability fixes.

What Happens to a Jailbroken PS5 Now

The key change is on Sony’s servers. Modified PS5 consoles can no longer connect to PSN without firmware 14.10. A post on the r/ps5homebrew subreddit showed even consoles on 14.00 being refused.

Being stuck offline costs more than it sounds. Here’s what owners on older firmware lose:

FeatureOn firmware 14.10On older firmware
PSN sign-inWorksBlocked
Online multiplayerWorksBlocked
PlayStation StoreWorksUnavailable
Cloud savesWorksBlocked
Digital games needing license checksWorksMay fail to launch
Offline playWorksStill works

Sony isn’t forcing the update onto consoles or stopping them from booting. It is closing the door to online services until the firmware is current. Over the same period, the Overdrive homebrew app, an unofficial storefront that listed game backups, vanished. Notebookcheck suspects a cease-and-desist from Sony, although clones showed up soon after.

Are Jailbroken PS5 Consoles Getting Banned?

At least one reportedly has been, but there’s no evidence of a mass wave yet.

The clearest case came from an unofficial Turkish PlayStation group in early October. A user connected a jailbroken PS5 to the internet and reportedly lost access to PSN on both the console and the account. A screenshot shared on X showed error code WS-116332-6, which says the console’s access has been “temporarily or permanently suspended.” The original post was later deleted.

The newest report, from the Russian site iXBT.games on October 25 and credited to Kotaku, describes a Reddit user whose console demanded a system update before restoring PSN access. iXBT.games says information about a jailbreak is stored at a low system level and stays there after a console reset. It also says plainly that “a mass ban campaign by Sony has not yet been confirmed.”

So the picture is mixed. Most jailbroken consoles are being pushed to update, not banned outright. One individual ban has been reported. Sony hasn’t said anything publicly about either.

Why This Matters if You Buy a Used PS5

PlayStation 5 console with a DualSense wireless controller
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

This is the part that affects regular players. If the reports about jailbreak traces surviving a reset are accurate, a factory reset won’t make a modified console clean. A buyer could pick up a second-hand PS5 that was jailbroken by its previous owner and run into PSN trouble later.

A few simple checks help when buying used:

  • Ask the seller to sign in to PSN on the console in front of you, or test it yourself before paying.
  • Check the firmware version under Settings, then System, then System Software. A console sitting well behind 14.10 is a warning sign.
  • Run a system update before you hand over the money. If the update fails or the seller refuses, walk away.
  • Buy from retailers or marketplaces with a return window when you can.

Used prices are already high ahead of GTA 6, as our look at whether a used PS5 Pro is worth it for GTA 6 shows. Paying a premium for a console that can’t go online would be a bad deal.

GTA 6 Raises the Stakes for Jailbreakers

Timing matters here. Data mining suggests GTA 6 will require firmware 14.10 when it launches on November 19, which we reported earlier in GTA 6 blocks PS5 jailbreaks with a mandatory firmware update. Anyone holding out on 13.60 to keep the Relapse jailbreak won’t be able to play the biggest release of the year without updating.

The scene isn’t standing still either. TechPowerUp reports that firmware 14.10 has been jailbroken in private, while the hypervisor protection is still holding. Until a public exploit appears, jailbreak users have to choose between their mods and online play.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a jailbroken PS5 still go online?

Only if it runs firmware 14.10. PSN refuses sign-ins from older versions, and updating to 14.10 removes the Relapse jailbreak.

Is Sony banning jailbroken PS5 consoles?

There is one widely reported case of a permanent PSN suspension, from Turkey, with error code WS-116332-6. Sony hasn’t confirmed a mass ban wave, and most affected users report being forced to update rather than banned.

Does a factory reset remove a PS5 jailbreak?

According to iXBT.games, citing Kotaku, traces of a jailbreak are stored at a low level and aren’t removed by a reset. Sony hasn’t commented on this.

What PS5 firmware does the Relapse jailbreak work on?

Relapse works on firmware versions up to 13.60. It doesn’t work on 14.00 or 14.10.

BMIC 2026 Prize Pool Distribution: Champion Gets ₹30 Lakh From ₹1 Crore Purse

Divyesh Moghe
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BMIC 2026 Prize Pool Distribution: Champion Gets ₹30 Lakh From ₹1 Crore Purse

The BMIC 2026 prize pool distribution is out, and the winner of the Battlegrounds Mobile India International Cup will take home ₹30 lakh from a total purse of ₹1 crore. Every one of the 16 teams gets paid, with the last-placed squad still earning ₹1.25 lakh. Three individual awards worth ₹4.75 lakh complete the pool.

The event runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026, at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium in Mumbai. Six Indian teams face five from South Korea and five from Japan, with two PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2026 spots also on the line.

BMIC 2026 Prize Pool Distribution by Placement

Here is the full placement breakdown, as announced by Krafton India Esports. We’ve added each spot’s share of the ₹1 crore pool.

PlacePrize moneyShare of pool
1st₹30,00,00030%
2nd₹15,00,00015%
3rd₹10,00,00010%
4th₹7,50,0007.5%
5th₹6,25,0006.25%
6th₹4,50,0004.5%
7th₹3,75,0003.75%
8th₹3,75,0003.75%
9th₹2,50,0002.5%
10th₹2,50,0002.5%
11th₹2,00,0002%
12th₹2,00,0002%
13th₹1,50,0001.5%
14th₹1,50,0001.5%
15th₹1,25,0001.25%
16th₹1,25,0001.25%

The money is heavily weighted toward the top. The top three split ₹55 lakh, more than half the pool. Teams finishing 9th to 16th share ₹14.5 lakh between eight squads.

BMIC 2026 Special Awards

Three individual awards round out the purse.

AwardPrize money
MVP₹2,50,000
Best IGL₹1,25,000
Best Clutch₹1,00,000

Add it up and the numbers check out: ₹95.25 lakh in placement prizes plus ₹4.75 lakh in awards makes exactly ₹1 crore.

Same Split as BMIC 2025

Krafton hasn’t changed a thing from last year. At BMIC 2025 in New Delhi, the prize pool was also ₹1 crore, and the payouts matched rank for rank. DRX won the event and the ₹30 lakh first prize. India’s True Rippers finished second for ₹15 lakh, and Japan’s CAG Osaka took ₹10 lakh in third, according to Krafton India’s official recap.

The awards were the same too. DRX’s Hyunbin won MVP for ₹2.5 lakh, DRX’s Qxzzz was named Best IGL for ₹1.25 lakh, and M4xHero from Mysterious 4 took Best Clutch for ₹1 lakh.

That makes DRX the defending champion, and the Korean side is back in Mumbai to try again. We looked at whether DRX can defend their BMIC title with their new roster.

All 16 Teams Competing for the BMIC 2026 Prize Pool

BMIC 2026 For The Crown artwork with BGMI characters in team jerseys
BMIC 2026 runs from October 30 to November 1 in Mumbai. Image credit: Krafton India Esports
IndiaSouth KoreaJapan
Team SouLNS RedForceValor
Gladiators EsportsDplusREIGNITE
Team 8BitDRXMaking The Road
K9 EsportsFOCUSVersus
Blitz GamingGAME PTKINOTROPE
Team Outrage

India’s six teams came through the BGMI Showdown (BMSD) 2026. Team SouL won it, Gladiators Esports, Team 8Bit and K9 Esports finished second to fourth, and Blitz and Outrage claimed the last two places. Our BMIC 2026 rosters guide lists every player on all 16 teams.

Team SouL Could Earn ₹60 Lakh in a Month

Team SouL already collected ₹30 lakh for winning BMSD 2026, along with a PMGC spot. Another win in Mumbai would double that to ₹60 lakh in prize money within a few weeks.

It won’t be easy. NS RedForce won PUBG Mobile Pro Series 2026 Season 2 in Korea, and Valor won Phase 2 of Japan League Season 6. Both, like SouL, have already booked PMGC 2026 spots through their home leagues. Last year, India’s best finish was second place.

PMGC 2026 Slots and Format

On top of the money, two PMGC 2026 tickets are available:

  • Champion: qualifies for the PMGC 2026 Gauntlet stage
  • Runner-up: qualifies for the PMGC 2026 Group Stage

The announcement doesn’t explain what happens if a team that has already qualified for PMGC, like SouL, NS RedForce or Valor, finishes in the top two.

BMIC 2026 has 18 matches spread across three days. Every game streams live on the Krafton India Esports YouTube channel, and fans can also attend in person in Mumbai. The opening day is reportedly set to feature a show from Alan Walker on October 30.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the BMIC 2026 prize pool?

BMIC 2026 has a total prize pool of ₹1 crore, about US$105,000. Teams share ₹95.25 lakh by placement, and ₹4.75 lakh goes to individual awards.

How much does the BMIC 2026 winner get?

The champion receives ₹30 lakh and a spot in the PMGC 2026 Gauntlet stage.

How much does the BMIC 2026 MVP get?

The MVP earns ₹2.5 lakh. The Best IGL gets ₹1.25 lakh and the Best Clutch award is worth ₹1 lakh.

Where and when is BMIC 2026?

BMIC 2026 runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026, at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium in Mumbai.

Who won BMIC 2025?

DRX from South Korea won BMIC 2025 in New Delhi and earned ₹30 lakh. True Rippers from India finished second.

MIBR Benches Entire Valorant Roster, aspas and zekken Now Open to Transfers

Pranav Nalawade
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MIBR Benches Entire Valorant Roster, aspas and zekken Now Open to Transfers

MIBR has moved its whole Valorant roster to inactive status, putting Erick “aspas” Santos, Zachary “zekken” Patrone, Andrew “Verno” Maust, Roberto “Mazino” Rivas and Ian “tex” Botsch on the market ahead of VCT 2027. The Brazilian organization announced the move on X on October 23, 2026, less than a week after it was reported as one of eight VCT Americas partner teams for the next two-year cycle.

The players are still under contract. Any club that wants one of them has to negotiate a transfer with MIBR directly.

What MIBR Said About the Valorant Roster Change

MIBR’s statement was posted in Portuguese. According to Insider Gaming’s translation, the club said it made the decision after talks with the players’ representatives and because of “significant changes to the competitive structure” planned for 2027, including what it called a regional transition and the challenges that come with it.

The statement adds that “all existing contractual obligations remain in effect, and any potential transfers will be negotiated directly with MIBR.” In other words, these players aren’t free agents. A team that wants aspas or zekken will probably have to pay a buyout.

The staff stays. VLR.gg lists fRoD as head coach, Happy as assistant coach and Nandinnn as manager, and none of them were part of the announcement.

PlayerNationalityStatus
Erick “aspas” SantosBrazilInactive, contract runs through 2027
Zachary “zekken” PatroneUnited StatesInactive
Andrew “Verno” MaustUnited StatesInactive
Roberto “Mazino” RivasChileInactive
Ian “tex” BotschUnited StatesInactive, announced free agency in September

Why the Brazil Division Changes Everything

The key detail is the new regional setup. Sheep Esports reports that VCT Americas will run four divisions in 2027: North America, LATAM North, LATAM South and Brazil. LOUD and MIBR are the two partner teams placed in Brazil.

VLR.gg reports that teams in the region can field a maximum of two imports, which means at least three Brazilian players in the starting five. MIBR’s 2026 lineup had one, aspas. Verno, zekken and tex are American, and Mazino is Chilean.

VLR.gg also reports that partner teams could have kept their current rosters despite the import rule. That makes this a choice, not a forced move. MIBR looked at a lineup that cost a lot, missed every international event this year and didn’t fit the new division, and decided to start again.

Riot cut each region from 10 partners to eight for 2027 and 2028, so 32 teams hold partner slots in total. Our full list of VCT partner teams for 2027-2028 covers who got in and who missed out.

A Superteam That Never Delivered

aspas of MIBR reacting after a loss at VALORANT Champions Paris 2025
MIBR finished in the top six at Champions 2025. Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

On paper, this was one of the most exciting rosters in the Americas. MIBR finished in the top six at Champions 2025, then rebuilt around aspas and Verno. It added zekken, who won Masters Madrid 2024 with Sentinels, and brought in Mazino and tex to reunite the core of the 2024 LEVIATÁN team.

The results never matched the hype. Here’s how MIBR’s 2026 season played out, per VLR.gg:

EventResult
VCT Americas Kickoff 2026Lost three straight best-of-five qualifiers, missed Masters Santiago
VCT Americas Stage 1Top six
Esports World Cup 2026Top eight
VCT Americas Stage 2Top six, missed Champions Shanghai

That’s zero appearances at Riot’s three global events in 2026. It stings more because two rival Americas teams did win this year. Insider Gaming notes that LEVIATÁN won Masters London and LOUD won Champions Shanghai. Both are partner teams for 2027 as well. MIBR was one of the big names that missed Valorant Champions 2026.

Where Could aspas, zekken and Verno Go Next?

Nothing is confirmed. Spilled noted fan talk linking zekken to Sentinels or G2, Verno to Sentinels and aspas to LOUD, but no outlet has reported actual talks or offers.

aspas is the most interesting case. He re-signed with MIBR through the end of 2027, so he is the most expensive player to buy and also the one who fits the Brazil division best. MIBR could still bring him back once it rebuilds around Brazilian talent. Benched players have returned before. Fans pointed to 100 Thieves, which later brought back players it had sidelined.

The timing works in the players’ favor. Free agency opens on November 3, and teams are reshuffling everywhere. Tyson “TenZ” Ngo even posted “LFT” on X this week, adding another big name to an already crowded market.

What Happens Next for MIBR

MIBR hasn’t named any replacements. It has about 10 weeks before the 2027 Kickoff, which runs from January 14 to February 7 in São Paulo, according to Sheep Esports. As a partner, it gets direct entry into Kickoff, so there’s no qualifier to worry about.

The likely path is a roster built mostly from Brazilian players, with at most two imports. MIBR could also keep aspas as its anchor if it wants to. The next few weeks of transfer news will show which way the club goes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did MIBR release aspas?

No. aspas was moved to inactive status, but his contract is still active. MIBR said any transfer has to be negotiated directly with the club.

Why did MIBR bench its Valorant roster?

MIBR cited changes to the 2027 competitive structure, including a regional transition. In 2027, MIBR plays in a Brazil division where teams can field at most two imports, and the 2026 roster had only one Brazilian player.

Is MIBR still a VCT partner team in 2027?

Yes. MIBR was reported as one of eight VCT Americas partner teams for the 2027-2028 cycle, alongside LOUD, Sentinels, KRÜ Esports, NRG, G2 Esports, LEVIATÁN and 100 Thieves.

When does VCT free agency start?

Free agency for the 2027 season opens on November 3, 2026.

PS5 Sales Jump 22% in the US as Marvel’s Wolverine Tops September Charts Ahead of GTA 6

Pranav Nalawade
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PS5 Sales Jump 22% in the US as Marvel’s Wolverine Tops September Charts Ahead of GTA 6

PS5 sales in the United States rose 22% year over year in September 2026, according to Circana data shared by analyst Mat Piscatella on October 22. Dollar sales climbed even faster, up 43%. That made the PS5 the best-selling console of the month in both units and revenue, and it happened during the same five-week window in which Marvel’s Wolverine launched and the hype for GTA 6 kept building.

So which one moved the needle? Probably both. The numbers give a clearer answer than you might expect, though, and they also say a lot about what November could look like for Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

PS5 Sales in September 2026: The Circana Numbers

Circana’s September period ran for five weeks, from August 30 to October 3, 2026. All figures are US-only projections, and the hardware comparisons are against the same period in 2025.

PlatformUnit sales (YoY)Dollar sales (YoY)Rank
PlayStation 5+22%+43%No. 1 in units and dollars
Nintendo Switch 2-14%-12%No. 2
Xbox Series X|S-27%-2%No. 3
US console unit sales, September 2026 vs 2025 +22% PS5 -14% Switch 2 -27% Xbox Series
Source: Circana via Mat Piscatella, October 22, 2026. US unit sales, year over year.

The gap between units and dollars is the interesting part. PS5 revenue grew roughly twice as fast as the number of consoles sold, which means each buyer spent a lot more. Tech Insider, working from the Circana breakdown, puts the average PS5 price paid at about $646, up 17%. Kotaku notes that an all-digital PS5 now costs $600 in the US. People are paying more per box and still buying.

Overall US spending on games, hardware and accessories slipped 1% to $4.8 billion for the period, as Kotaku reported. Year to date, spending sits at $41.0 billion, 3% behind 2025.

Why September Is a Big Turnaround for PlayStation

One month earlier the picture looked grim. In Circana’s August 2026 report, PlayStation hardware units fell 11% and hit their lowest August since 2013, while Xbox dropped 31%, according to Gaming.net’s breakdown of Piscatella’s data. The average console price in the US was also at a record high. Piscatella said at the time that price sensitivity was becoming a real problem.

He also hinted that a major November game could partly offset the slump, as long as stock and pricing held up. Going from a 13-year low in August to a 22% gain in September is a sharp swing. It needs a reason.

Marvel’s Wolverine: The Game That Led the Charts

Marvel's Wolverine official cover art with Logan extending his claws
Marvel’s Wolverine launched on September 15, 2026. Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Marvel’s Wolverine launched on September 15, 2026, right in the middle of Circana’s tracking window. Insomniac Games developed it and Sony published it as a PS5 exclusive at $70. It finished September as the best-selling game in the US by dollar sales, ahead of NBA 2K27 and EA Sports FC 27.

Piscatella said Wolverine delivered the highest launch-month full-game dollar sales for a Sony-published title since Helldivers 2 in February 2024. That record is measured in dollars, and Helldivers 2 sold for $40, so the comparison favors the pricier game. WellPlayed pointed out that Circana released no unit figures. Even so, after only about three weeks on sale, Wolverine already ranks 11th among all games sold in the US this year.

The detail that matters most for hardware is the controller. The Wolverine limited edition DualSense was the best-selling accessory of September in both units and dollars, per WellPlayed’s report. Fans buying a themed pad were in a spending mood, and some of them were likely buying the console to go with it.

Marvel's Wolverine limited edition PS5 consoles and DualSense controller lineup
The Wolverine limited edition DualSense was the best-selling US accessory in September. Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Global sales estimates vary. Alinea Analytics estimated around 1.9 million copies in the first three days, which TweakTown covered in September. Ampere Analysis later put September sales at about 2.16 million across 45 markets. Sony has not confirmed any figure. In late September we also reported that Wolverine cracked the top 10 on Circana’s US PlayStation engagement chart in its launch week, the only single-player game to do so.

Reception has been mixed. The game holds a Metacritic score in the mid-70s, and social media pushback over some design and animation choices has been loud. The sales data suggests that noise did not stop people from buying it in week one.

Was It Wolverine or GTA 6? What the Data Suggests

Not everyone credits Wolverine. Bloomberg ran the September figures under the headline “Grand Theft Auto VI Fuels 22% Jump in Sony PlayStation 5 Sales,” and Kotaku also linked the PS5 rise to the GTA 6 reveal that aired on Netflix the month before. Both readings have evidence behind them.

The GTA 6 case is strong. The Extended Look special drew more than 31 million viewers on Netflix. In the UK, NielsenIQ data showed that console sales jumped by about a third in the week after it aired, across PS5, Xbox and even Switch 2. Back in February, Circana said purchase intent for GTA 6 was the highest it had ever recorded for any game.

Here’s the catch. GTA 6 is also coming to Xbox Series X|S, yet US Xbox units fell 27% in the same period. If GTA 6 hype alone were driving hardware, Xbox should have seen at least some lift. It didn’t.

We think GTA 6 raised interest in buying a console this year across the board, and the PS5 caught almost all of it in the US because of price and momentum. Wolverine then gave PlayStation a reason to buy now instead of in November. A $600 PS5 next to an Xbox Series X starting at $750 is an easy decision for a GTA 6 buyer. Add a big exclusive and a limited-edition controller in the same month, and the PS5 wins September by a wide margin.

Xbox and Switch 2 Fall Behind

Xbox Series X|S had a rough month. Units dropped 27% and several outlets reported it as Xbox’s weakest September on record in the US. Dollar sales only fell 2% because the average price paid jumped 33% to about $663. Kotaku tied the slump to higher prices and supply chain problems. It came in the same month as Microsoft’s layoffs and studio consolidation inside Xbox.

Switch 2 units fell 14% and dollars fell 12%. That comparison is tough by design: September 2025 was only the console’s fourth month on sale, when launch demand was still running hot. Recent price increases have also slowed it down. Nintendo has new bundles rolling out in late October, so this one could bounce back quickly.

September’s Top-Selling Games Were Mostly New Releases

Most months, the US top 10 is crowded with sports games and Call of Duty. September was different. Eight of the top ten were new releases, including EA Sports FC 27, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve and The Blood of Dawnwalker. You can see how crowded the month was in our list of September’s biggest game releases.

RankGameNote
1Marvel’s WolverinePS5 exclusive, launched September 15
2NBA 2K27Now the best-selling game of 2026 in the US
3EA Sports FC 27New release
10Madden NFL 27Down from No. 2 in August

NBA 2K27 passed Resident Evil Requiem to become the best-selling US game of 2026 so far. Circana did not publish full positions 4 to 9 in the public summary.

What This Means for GTA 6 and the Holiday Season

Grand Theft Auto VI official artwork collage featuring Jason and Lucia
GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026. Image credit: Rockstar Games

GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only. There’s no PC version at launch and no Switch 2 version. If you’re still deciding on hardware, our guide on how GTA 6 will perform on PS5 and Xbox is worth a look.

September suggests the PS5 enters that launch with a big head start in the US. Two things could still get in the way. Console prices are at record highs, and Piscatella has repeatedly flagged RAM and component shortages as a risk to holiday stock. A sold-out PS5 in mid-November would cap the GTA 6 bump no matter how strong demand is.

Watch Sony’s November earnings report too. Sony usually saves first-party sales numbers for those calls, and it’s the most likely place for an official Wolverine figure to appear. Circana’s October report, due in late November, will also tell us whether this run held up with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arriving on October 23.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did PS5 sales increase in September 2026?

PS5 unit sales in the US rose 22% year over year, and dollar sales rose 43%, according to Circana. The tracking period ran from August 30 to October 3, 2026.

Did Marvel’s Wolverine boost PS5 sales?

It likely played a big part. Wolverine was the best-selling US game in September, and its limited edition DualSense was the top-selling accessory. GTA 6 hype also contributed, but Xbox sales fell 27% in the same period even though GTA 6 is coming to Xbox, which points to PlayStation-specific drivers like Wolverine.

How many copies has Marvel’s Wolverine sold?

Sony hasn’t released official numbers. Alinea Analytics estimated about 1.9 million copies in the first three days, and Ampere Analysis estimated around 2.16 million in September across 45 markets.

When does GTA 6 release?

GTA 6 releases on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Why did Xbox sales drop in September 2026?

Xbox Series X|S unit sales fell 27% in the US. Reports point to higher prices, with the average price paid up 33% to about $663, plus supply problems.

How to Get the Free Captain America: The Winter Soldier Skin in Marvel Rivals

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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How to Get the Free Captain America: The Winter Soldier Skin in Marvel Rivals

The Avengers: Endgame PvE mode is giving Marvel Rivals players a chance to get their hands on the Captain America: The Winter Soldier skin. As part of the Path to Doomsday event, the popular MCU character skin can be unlocked for free without spending any Units or real money, and in this article we shall find out how.

With Avengers: Doomsday two months away, Marvel Rivals is using this time to capitalise on the hype. With the film expected to release on 18th December 2026, we are expecting a significant push in terms of content that commemorates this milestone launch in the MCU’s history. Suffice it to say, Doomsday will be the most ambitious project from Marvel, and NetEase Games is leaving no stone unturned to make the most of the hype.

How to Unlock the Free Captain America Skin

Photo via Marvel Rivals

Contrary to popular belief, the popular MCU-inspired skin can be unlocked for free with little effort. For what it’s worth, players can complete one match in the Avengers: Endgame PvE mode to get the Cap’s iconic armour from the second Captain America movie. Follow the steps below to get the highly desired fit into your Marvel Rivals inventory.

How to get the skin

  1. Launch Marvel Rivals on any platform.
  2. Head over to the Path to Doomsday: Avengers: Endgame PvE mode.
  3. Hop into the queue and complete one match.
  4. Upon defeating Thanos, the Captain America: The Winter Soldier skin will be yours to grab for free.

How long is this available?

The extremely popular Avengers: Endgame PvE event is set to conclude on 18th November 2026, exactly a month from the release of Avengers: Doomsday. Players looking to get their hands on free cosmetics have quite some time to make the most of the event. While it is expected to see more such events leading up to the launch of the movie, whether this iconic skin will come back is something of a mystery.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is believed by many to be one of Marvel Studios’ best works, and Cap’s fit from the movie was deemed one of his best. Given the background of the skin, the value goes beyond its rarity in the game, which makes it something no fan would like to miss out on.

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