PUBG Global Series Circuit 1 2026 will cover three consecutive tournaments — Series 1, Series 2 and the final Circuit. The competition will take place from March 18 to April 5 in Seoul, South Korea. The total prize pool of the PGS Circuit 1 in 2026 will reach 500,000 US dollars (~376,325 pounds). For the first time in the history of PGS, participants will receive Advantage Points for high scores on the Winners Stage.
Krafton has revealed details of the upcoming PUBG Global Series Circuit 1 2026, which will combine three separate competition blocks under one Circuit.
The venue chosen is Seoul, South Korea. 24 teams from all over the world will compete for the trophy and PGS Points, and the total prize pool will be 500,000 US dollars (~ 376,325 pounds).
Below is everything you need to know about PGS Circuit 1 2026: schedule, lineups, tournament structure and other details.
Table of Contents
The lineups of the first PUBG Global Series 2026 Circuit
A total of 24 roasters are involved in the competition: 12 organizations with Global Partner status and 12 more teams selected through regional series.
Global partners
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EMEA: Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere
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America: Team Falcons
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China: 17 Gaming, Four Angry Men, Petrichor Road
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Korea: DN SOOPers, Gen.G
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Thailand: FULL SENSE, eArena
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Vietnam: Anyone’s Legends
Invited lineups
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PUBG EMEA Championship: S2G Esports, Team Vitality
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PUBG Americas Series: FURIA, Team Liquid
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PUBG Champions League: JD Gaming, Change The Game
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Weekly PUBG Series: T1, Crazy Raccoon
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PUBG Thailand Series: Theerathon Five, Made in Thailand
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PUBG Vietnam Series: The Expendables, FINHAY CERBERUS
Schedule of PGS Circuit 1 2026: dates of all three series
Three weeks of intense struggle is exactly how long the Circuit has been allocated. First, the teams score points in Series 1 and Series 2, and then converge in the decisive final. Specific dates:
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PGS 1 Series 1: March 18-22
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PGS 2 Series 2: March 26-29
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PGS 3 Circuit Finals: April 2-5
Tournament format: how each stage is organized
PGS 1 Series 1
The start is the group stage, where 24 teams are divided into three groups:
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Group A: 17 Gaming, JD Gaming, Gen.G, FULL SENSE, Made in Thailand, FINHAY CERBERUS, Natus Vincere, Team Falcons
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Group B: Petrichor Road, Change The Game, T1, eArena, Theerathon Five, Twisted Minds, S2G Esports, FURIA
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Group C: Four Angry Men, DN SOOPers, Crazy Raccoon, Anyone’s Legends, The Expendables, Virtus.pro , Team Vitality, Team Liquid
The top 16 at the end of the group stage go to the Winners Stage, the bottom eight go to the Survival Stage.
The Winners Stage consists of five matches. The top eight immediately advance to the final stage of Series 1. The remaining eight teams go to the Survival Stage, where eight outsiders of the group stage are already waiting. The top half of the survivors make it to the finals, while the bottom half leaves the tournament.
In total, 16 teams will meet in the Final Stage. They have 10 matches ahead of them, based on the results of which the final Series 1 table is formed.
PGS 2 Series 2
The starting distribution here is based on the Series 1 figures: the 16 strongest go straight to the Winners Stage, the eight closing ones go to the Survival Stage. Next, the mechanics completely repeat the first series and culminate in the final stage, where 16 teams play the same 10 matches.
The final of the PGS 3 Circuit
The eight teams with the most points from both series receive a direct pass to the Grand Finals. The remaining 16 begin the journey with the Survival Stage: the top eight join the elite, the rest are eliminated.
The Grand Finals unites 16 teams that will play 15 matches for the title of Circuit Champion.
Advantage Points: bonus points that change the logic of the Circuit
For the first time in the history of PGS, a system of starting bonuses has been introduced for the Winners Stage leaders. It is valid in both Series 1 and Series 2: the eight best teams of the stage receive points that advance to the final stage:
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1st place: 10 points
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2nd place: 6 points
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3rd place: 5 points
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4th place: 4 points
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5th place: 3 points
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6th place: 2 points
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7th place: 1 point
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8th place: 1 point
Prize pool and points for PGS Circuit 1 2026
The total prize pool of the first Circuit is distributed among three blocks:
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PGS 1 Series 1: 100,000 USD (~75,345 pounds)
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PGS 2 Series 2: 100,000 USD (~75,345 pounds)
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Final of PGS 3 Circuit: 300,000 USD (~226,036 pounds)
For the entire PGS 2026 season, 2,000,000 US dollars (~1.5 million pounds) will be awarded through four Circuits and 12 episodes.
In parallel with the prize money, PGS Points are awarded: the top 16 of each series receive them, and in the Circuit Final the points are doubled. Accrual table for the first round:
Point Distribution Table
Krafton also confirmed that more PGS Points will be awarded in the third and fourth Circuits than in the first two.
How does Circuit 1 affect the qualification for PGC 2026 and the points system
The PGS Points earned during Circuit 1 are combined with the results of the three remaining Circuit seasons and form the overall PGS 2026 standings. It is this score that determines the selection for the PUBG Global Championship 2026, the main tournament of the year. The team with the highest total number of PUBG global points based on the results of all four Circuits receives the Circuit Champion status and a guaranteed place on the PGC. Double points in the Circuit Final additionally raise the stakes of the final week of each stage: one strong performance here can dramatically change the team’s position in the PGC qualification standings.
Changes in the format of the PUBG Global Series 2026 relative to previous seasons
Among the PGS 2026 format changes, the most noticeable was the introduction of Advantage Points, a mechanic that did not exist in any previous cycle of the Global Series, including PGS 2025. The logic is simple: a strong performance on the Winners Stage in the early series of the Circuit earns a starting margin of points, which goes directly to the final stage. This means that the first weeks of the new PUBG Global Series format have ceased to be a warm—up – a reserve is already forming here, affecting the setup before the Grand Finals.
When looking at the difference PGS 2025 vs 2026, the contrast is obvious: previously, all teams entered the finals from scratch, and the final result depended entirely on the final stage. PGS 2026 changes redistribute this emphasis: stable teams that regularly finish at the top of the Winners Stage arrive in the crucial week with Advantage Points already accumulated and can immediately put pressure on rivals, while laggards have to act more riskily in order to gain a head start. This design of the new format PUBG Global Series makes the tournament strategically deeper, increases the importance of each game day of the three-week cycle and turns any drawdown at any stage into a potentially costly mistake.
Where to watch PUBG Global Series Circuit 1 2026
There will be no audience in the hall at Circuit 1 — the format is online. At the same time, all matches are broadcast live on the official PUBG Esports channels on Twitch and YouTube.
