PUBG joins Esports Nations Cup line-up

Battle royale title PUBG: Battlegrounds has become the latest title announced for the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC).

Taking place from November 11th to 15th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 24 national teams drop into the action for a chance to be crowned ENC champion.

The Group Stage sees the 24 teams split into three groups of eight, with five matches taking place across each group. The top 16 teams from the Group Stage book a place in the Finals, where the remaining 16 teams compete for outright victory.

The Finals use the Smash Rule format, where teams must reach a specific points threshold. Once the threshold is reached, teams must win a match to claim the championship.

Of the 24 teams competing in PUBG, 12 are invited using KRAFTON’s PUBG Ranking. Organisations competing in tournaments earn points shared equally across all of the players competing. The national ranking accumulates the points of the top four players on a national roster to determine their rank.

Similar to other titles announced for the Esports Nations Cup, online qualifiers will decide another ten teams competing in the PUBG tournament.

Taking place from July 10th to 12th, two slots are awarded to the Americas, Asia, and Southeast Asia and Oceania. For Europe, the Middle East and Africa, four slots for the main event are up for grabs. The two remaining slots are Wildcards.

PUBG becomes the tenth title announced for the Esports Nations Cup. So far, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Trackmania, and Counter-Strike 2 are among the confirmed titles.

PUBG’s inclusion at the Esports Nations Cup comes after KRAFTON became a publishing partner of the multi-title event in November 2025. It joins the likes of Ubisoft, MOONTON Games, and Electronic Arts (EA) on its partnership roster to develop qualification paths and formats for the main event.

Despite the addition of PUBG and other high-profile esports titles joining the Esports Nations Cup, organised by the Esports World Cup Foundation, fans continue to share concerns surrounding Saudi Arabia’s investment in esports.

Members of the esports community have described support and investment from the likes of the government’s Public Investment Fund and Savvy Games Group as sportswashing to distract from the Kingdom’s human rights record.