A little over a month after Circuit 1's unpredictable three weeks, the 24 teams are back in Seoul. The PUBG Global Series returns with its second circuit — PGS 4-6 — kicking off May 20.
Circuit 2 isn't a reset. The PGS Points earned in Circuit 1 carry directly into the standings, and the final results here decide who qualifies for the Esports World Cup (EWC). Add a new patch to the mix, and the question becomes: how do the strategies teams locked in during Circuit 1 hold up in a different environment?
Circuit 2 Overview
Location: Seongsu, Seoul, South Korea
Participating Teams: 24 Teams
Total Prize Pool: $500,000 (PGS 4-5: $100,000 each / PGS 6: $300,000)
All Circuit 2 matches begin at 19:00 KST (10:00 UTC / 11:00 CET / 17:00 ICT / 03:00 PDT) daily.
*PGS 4 Day 1 Group Stage begins at 14:00 KST (05:00 UTC / 06:00 CET / 12:00 ICT / 22:00 PDT†). † Previous day (May 19)
Group Stage Seeding — Based on PGS 3 Results
Circuit 2 Group Stage seeding was drawn via snake draft from PGS 3 final standings. Circuit 1 results shape the starting line of Circuit 2 directly.
Looking Back at Circuit 1 — The Starting Point of Circuit 2
These are the top 12 teams in PGS Points from Circuit 1 — the teams closest to the EWC qualification line heading into Circuit 2. Their performance over the next three weeks will decide who makes the cut: the top 8 teams in cumulative first-half PGS Points earn EWC spots.
What's Changed from Circuit 1 — Game Updates
The biggest variable in Circuit 2 is the game patch. PGS 4 and PGS 5 run on the April Update (Patch 41.1), which brings several updates that could directly affect team strategy. How Circuit 1's refined approaches hold up in this new environment is the circuit's biggest storyline.
Terrain Destruction Reshapes the Battlefield
The headline change is a major expansion of terrain destruction.
Erangel now joins Rondo, Taego, Sanhok, and Miramar — meaning terrain itself becomes a tactical layer across all major competitive maps. Pickaxe strikes also dig deeper than before, giving teams new options for cover and route design.
Terrain is no longer a fixed environment, but something players can shape. How new combat patterns emerge through grenades, mortars, Panzerfausts, C4, pickaxes, and vehicle explosions will be a key watchpoint throughout Circuit 2.
Gunplay — New Options and Rebalanced Weapons
The most notable gunplay change in this patch is the new Hybrid Scope.
The Hybrid Scope switches between 1x and 4x magnification instantly, covering both close- and mid-range fights with a single attachment. It fills the void left by the Canted Sight's removal and should reshape how pros approach attachment choices and engagement distance.
The patch also includes additional new attachments and weapon balancing. Grip-tier changes and recoil adjustments to key weapons are in, so expect teams to revisit their gun setups and combat approach.
Gameplay — New Variables for Supply and Survival
This patch introduces a new support item (the Emergency Support Flare), expanded Trigger Backpack tiers, and new BlueChip Tower functionality.
The BlueChip Tower changes stand out. Destroying enemy BlueChips to block revives used to be the whole play — now, teams can spend enemy BlueChips at a BlueChip Tower to call in an air supply drop. Enemy BlueChips become a resource instead of just something to remove, and Circuit 2 should showcase far more strategic usage around them.
Circuit 2's final series, PGS 6, runs on a version that incorporates the May Update. Details will follow in the May Patch Notes.
Map Order — Adjustments from Circuit 1
The map pool stays the same as Circuit 1 — Erangel, Miramar, Taego, and Rondo — but the order per stage has changed.
*Group Stage runs the same Erangel → Miramar → Taego cycle across all three matchup rounds (A&B, B&C, A&C) for Matches 1 through 9.
Key changes from Circuit 1:
Taego comes in earlier. With Taego in the rotation from the opening matches, team map preferences and prep priorities will shift.
Final Stage and Grand Finals Day 2 have been fully restructured. Different late-game decisive maps mean match flow is harder to read than it was in Circuit 1.
Why Circuit 2 Matters — The Final Battle for EWC Qualification
Circuit 2's results go beyond the PGS race — they directly determine Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 qualification.
EWC Qualification — The top 9 teams in cumulative PGS Points from PGS 1-6 earn EWC spots. (2025 EWC champions Twisted Minds hold a separate seed.)
Circuit 2 is the final stage of the first half — Circuits 3 and 4 run in the second half (August onward), which means EWC qualification locks in the moment Circuit 2 ends.
The annual PGS Points race continues — Circuit 2 results are also a key foundation for direct qualification to PGC 2026 (top 8 teams).
For teams holding a Points lead from Circuit 1, Circuit 2 is about defending that position. For the teams chasing, it's a chance to flip the standings. Three weeks from now, the first-half PGS standings are final.
PGS 6 — Where Points Count Double
PGS 6 is just another series in Circuit 2, but the scale of PGS Points awarded is different.
Points go to the top 16 teams per series. Teams finishing 17th–24th earn none.
PGS 4 and PGS 5 award the same points (e.g., 1st = 30 pts each).
PGS 6 awards double (e.g., 1st = 60 pts). The Series Final week is one of the most important weeks in the PGC race.
As the centerpiece of the first-half PGC/EWC race, PGS 6 carries the most weight for Circuit 2's final standings and the annual PGS Points race.
How to Watch
All PGS 4-6 matches are broadcast live from 19:00 KST daily on official PUBG Esports channels.
*PGS 4 Day 1 Group Stage begins at 14:00 KST.
Regional broadcast partners and co-streamers
The 24 teams behind Circuit 1's unpredictable drama are back — new Group Stage draw, new in-game update, same stakes. The final battle for EWC qualification starts Wednesday, May 20. See you there!