[Updated: March 3, 2026] Match start times added.

Hello, PUBG Esports fans!

The 2026 PUBG Esports season is here. For the first time, PUBG Global Series (PGS) introduces a Circuit format — three series linked together as one circuit, where three consecutive weeks of competition tell a single, connected story.

The first circuit, PGS 1–3, takes place in Seongsu, Seoul, South Korea and will be held without a live audience, bringing together 24 teams from around the world for three weeks of intense competition.

Here's everything you need to know about the very first PUBG Global Series Circuit.

What's New in 2026?

Previously, PGS events operated as individual, standalone tournaments. Starting in 2026, three series are connected as a single circuit — a three-week competition structure where results accumulate and carry forward.

• Series 1 (Week 1): All 24 teams start from zero, competing through multiple stages to establish the opening standings.

• Series 2 (Week 2): Teams are seeded based on Series 1 results, with another opportunity to climb — or fall — in the rankings.

• Series Final (Week 3): The peak of the circuit. Two weeks of accumulated results become decisive as 16 teams battle for the Circuit Championship in the Grand Finals.

The 2026 season consists of 4 Circuits (12 series total), and this circuit is where it all begins.

Circuit 1 Schedule

• PGS 1 (Series 1): March 18 – March 22, 2026 (5 days / Wed – Sun)

• PGS 2 (Series 2): March 26 – March 29, 2026 (4 days / Thu – Sun)

• PGS 3 (Series Final): April 2 – April 5, 2026 (4 days / Thu – Sun)

All matches start at 19:00 KST (10:00 UTC / 11:00 CET / 17:00 ICT / 03:00 PDT).

• Day 1 Group Stage starts at 14:00 KST (05:00 UTC / 06:00 CET / 12:00 ICT / 22:00 PDT†).

† Previous day (March 17)

Tournament Format

Circuit 1 operates on a progressive stage system where each series' results carry into the next.

PGS 1 — Series 1 (March 18–22)

• Group Stage (Wed): All 24 teams compete in 9 matches (6 matches per team).

  • Top 16 → advance to Winners Stage

  • Bottom 8 → move to Survival Stage

• Winners Stage (Thu): 16 teams compete in 5 matches.

  • Top 8 → advance directly to Final Stage (+Advantage Points awarded)

  • Bottom 8 → move to Survival Stage

• Survival Stage (Fri): 16 teams (8 from Groups + 8 from Winners) compete in 5 matches.

  • Top 8 → advance to Final Stage

  • Bottom 8 → eliminated

• Final Stage (Sat–Sun): 16 teams compete in 10 matches to determine the Series 1 final standings.

PGS 2 — Series 2 (March 26–29)

Series 2 has no Group Stage. Teams are seeded directly based on their Series 1 results:

• Series 1 Top 16 → Winners Stage

• Series 1 Bottom 8 → Survival Stage

The stage structure then follows the same flow:

• Winners Stage (Thu): 16 teams compete in 5 matches.

  • Top 8 → advance directly to Final Stage (+Advantage Points awarded)

  • Bottom 8 → move to Survival Stage

• Survival Stage (Fri): 16 teams (8 from Series 1 bottom + 8 from Winners) compete in 5 matches.

  • Top 8 → advance to Final Stage

  • Bottom 8 → eliminated

• Final Stage (Sat–Sun): 16 teams compete in 10 matches to determine the Series 2 final standings.

PGS 3 — Circuit Final (April 2–5)

The Series Final determines the champion of the first PGS Circuit. Seeding for the Series Final is based on combined results from the previous series:

• Series 1 & 2 combined Top 8 → advance directly to Grand Finals

• Series 1 & 2 combined Bottom 16 → Survival Stage

• Survival Stage (Thu): 16 teams compete in 5 matches.

  • Top 8 → advance to Grand Finals

  • Bottom 8 → eliminated

• Grand Finals (Fri–Sun): 16 teams compete across 15 matches to crown the Circuit Champion.

Group Stage Placement

New Rules: Advantage Points

Starting with this PGS, Advantage Points are being introduced — a new system that awards bonus points to teams that perform well in the Winners Stage.

In Series 1 and Series 2, the top 8 teams from the Winners Stage (those advancing directly to the Final Stage) receive the following bonus points, which are applied to the Final Stage standings:

• #1: 10 pts

• #2: 6 pts

• #3: 5 pts

• #4: 4 pts

• #5: 3 pts

• #6: 2 pts

• #7: 1 pt

• #8: 1 pt

Winners Stage performance doesn't just determine advancement — it translates directly into a real advantage in the Final Stage. The Winners Stage appears repeatedly across Series 1 and Series 2, and teams that consistently finish near the top will secure a stronger position heading into the Grand Finals of the Series Final. To become the Circuit Champion, teams can't rely on one or two strong showings — they'll need to push for results in every match, at every stage, across the entire circuit.

Participating Teams

The first PUBG Global Series Circuit features 24 teams: 12 Global Partner Teams and 12 Invited Teams from regional series.

Global Partner Teams (12)

• EMEA: Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro , Natus Vincere

• Americas: Team Falcons

• China: 17 Gaming, Four Angry Men, Petrichor Road

• Korea: DN SOOPers, Gen.G

• Thailand: FULL SENSE, eArena

• Vietnam: Anyone's Legends

Invited Teams (12)

• PUBG EMEA Championship: S2G Esports, Team Vitality

• PUBG Americas Series: FURIA, Team Liquid

• PUBG Champions League: JD Gaming, Change The Game

• PUBG Weekly Series: T1, Crazy Raccoon

• PUBG Thailand Series: Theerathon Five, Made in Thailand

• PUBG Vietnam Series: The Expendables, FINHAY CERBERUS

Map Pool & Game Patch

All matches in the first PUBG Global Series Circuit are played across below four maps using a Patch 40 series game build:

• Erangel, Miramar, Taego, Rondo

Detailed map rotations by stage are as follows:

• Group Stage 

  • Erangel → Miramar → Rondo (same order per group matchup) 

• Winners Stage

  • Erangel → Miramar → Taego → Rondo → Erangel

• Survival Stage

  • Miramar → Erangel → Rondo → Taego → Miramar

• Final Stage

  • Day 1: Erangel → Miramar → Taego → Rondo → Erangel 

  • Day 2: Miramar → Erangel → Rondo → Taego → Miramar

• Grand Finals 

  • Day 1: Erangel → Miramar → Taego → Rondo → Erangel 

  • Day 2: Miramar → Erangel → Rondo → Taego → Miramar 

  • Day 3: Erangel → Miramar → Taego → Rondo → Erangel

Prize Pool

The total prize pool for Circuit 1 is $500,000, distributed across the three series:

• PGS 1 (Series 1): $100,000

• PGS 2 (Series 2): $100,000

• PGS 3 (Series Final): $300,000

The total prize pool for the 2026 PGS season is $2,000,000 across all 4 Circuits and 12 series.

PGS Points — The Road to PGC 2026

Every series in the 2026 season awards PGS Points, which serve as the qualification criteria for PUBG Global Championship (PGC) 2026 at the end of the year. The top 8 teams in the annual PGS Points standings will earn a direct spot at PGC.

Here are the key details:

• Points are awarded to the top 16 teams in each series. Teams finishing 17th–24th receive no points.

• Series 1 and Series 2 award the same points (e.g., 1st place = 30 pts each).

• The Series Final awards double points (e.g., 1st place = 60 pts). The Series Final week is one of the most important weeks in the PGC race.

• Looking ahead: Points carry greater weight in the second half of the season. Circuits 3 and 4 award more points per series, ensuring that opportunities to push for PGC qualification remain wide open later in the year.

What's Ahead

The first PUBG Global Series Circuit is only the beginning. The 2026 PUBG Esports season continues with 4 PGS Circuits, 2 Regional Series, a variety of global event stages, and PGC as the season finale — delivering a nonstop season of PUBG Esports throughout the year.

A new era of PUBG Esports begins now. See you on March 18.

Stay tuned to our official channels for more updates throughout the season!