PUBG Esports Finalizes 12 Global Partner Teams for 2026 Season

PUBG Esports and developer Krafton have confirmed the 12 Global Partner Teams that will anchor the publisher’s competitive ecosystem throughout the 2026 season. PUBG Esports confirmed details on Feb 11, 2026, granting these teams guaranteed participation across all PUBG Global Series (PGS) events.

Krafton has positioned the selected teams as the driving force behind PUBG Esports in 2026, with a mix of established organizations and teams based on regional prominence. The 2026 roster comprises international powerhouses such as Gen.G Esports, Natus Vincere, Team Falcons, and Virtus.pro. Other participants include rising powers within the PUBG ecosystem, such as Twisted Minds, 4AM (Four Angry Men), Anyone’s Legend, DN SOOPers, eArena, FULL SENSE, 17 Gaming, and Petrichor Road.

Under the PGS framework, the selected teams will participate in a total of 12 tournament series. The announcement follows Krafton’s ‘2026 PUBG Esports: A Bigger Season, A Closer Connection’ initiative, designed to “gain a stable foundation” and consistency through the PUBG Esports in the 2026 season.

PUBG Esports' Global Partner Teams Program: Benefits and Competitive Structure

Under the Global Partner Teams framework, all of the 12 selected teams will be a part of all four PGS global circuits (12 series) across the 2026 calendar. This ensures year-round exposure and competitive continuity for partner organizations.

Additionally, partner teams will receive distinctive Team Edition in-game skins with revenue sharing and yearly funding support. The initiative is aimed at stabilizing team management and roster development with sustainable financial backing from the publisher.

While partner teams bring stability and a consistent narrative, the PUBG 2026 season keeps open pathways for challengers through regional tournaments. "Even fans and players watching from the sidelines today could be the teams challenging on this stage tomorrow," emphasized the South Korean publisher in a statement.

In each PGS event, 12 slots will be filled by partner teams, and the remaining will go to teams that qualify through the Regional Series, keeping the competitive ladder open. Strong performance in the PGS and Regional Series will award tickets for Krafton’s flagship PUBG Global Championship (PGC), for all partner teams and other aspiring teams.

Krafton centers the 2026 season around ‘competitiveness and merit’ by blending the competitive roadmap with grassroots qualifiers and elite partner teams representation. While the partner programme secures season-long stability, the publisher has highlighted that any challenger can threaten a partner team’s position at any moment during a tournament.

Finally, Krafton noted that the collaboration with partner teams goes beyond a single season. “It's a long-term partnership aimed at growing together over multiple seasons,” the company highlighted in its statement.