Amsterdam, The Netherlands – July 1, 2026 - KRAFTON, Inc. today announced that PUBG Nations Cup (PNC) 2026 in Seoul, an international esports tournament for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, concluded on June 28 after setting new records. Brazil won the championship in the tournament, which brought together 24 national teams.
The tournament achieved its best-ever viewership metrics on PUBG Esports channels, where broadcasts recorded a total of 13.2 million views, an all-time high for the event. The Grand Finals were broadcast simultaneously across 16 language regions, including Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, and English and more than 250 global streamers also brought the matches to viewers around the world through their own channels. On the final day, peak concurrent viewership reached approximately 810,000.
Participation from users and audiences also stood out as the official tournament website drew nearly 1.66 million views, with more than half of them from outside Korea. Additionally, online events supporting national teams drew over 800,000 entries, and the first PUBG Fantasy League attracted 2.6 million participants. The interactive format, in which users assemble and compete with their own teams, added a new way to enjoy the event alongside watching the matches.
Over the three days of the Grand Finals, approximately 5,000 spectators visited the venue. KRAFTON turned the site into a festival-style space, filling the breaks between matches with a variety of performances and events which included the K-pop group ALLDAY PROJECT and global artist Jeon Somi, as well as footballer Lee Seung-Woo, influencer Kim Blue, beatbox, a magic show, band performances, and street dance.
This year’s PNC held its Survival Stage at PUBG Seongsu from June 23 to 24 and its Grand Finals at Jangchung Arena in Seoul from June 26 to 28. The total prize pool was built on a base of USD $500,000, with an additional 25% of revenue from the tournament’s event pass and item sales, and was distributed based on final rankings.
Brazil reached the top with a cumulative 124 points, becoming the first champion from the Americas in the tournament’s history. The Brazilian national team was made up of “sparkingg,” “Tny7,” “bielmtcalmo,” and “zkrakeN.” sparkingg was named Most Valuable Player (MVP).
A KRAFTON spokesperson said, “Amid worldwide enthusiasm, this tournament became an occasion for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS to expand into cultural content,” adding, “We will continue to broaden the points of contact between PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and users around the world through esports.”
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[Reference]
- PNC 2026 in Seoul official website: www.pubg.com/events/pnc2026
- PUBG Esports official website: www.pubgesports.com
About KRAFTON, Inc.
Headquartered in Korea, KRAFTON, Inc. is a global game developer and publisher dedicated to pioneering unforgettable worlds for players everywhere. Founded in 2007, KRAFTON brings together a diverse portfolio of studios including PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, Neon Giant, KRAFTON Montréal Studio, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab, Dreamotion, ReLU Games, Flyway Games, Tango Gameworks, inZOI Studio, JOFSOFT, Eleventh Hour Games, OmniCraft Labs, Olivetree Games, Loonshot Games, and 9B STUDIO. Each is united by a commitment to bold imagination and breakthrough game-making.
KRAFTON's franchises and titles include PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, PUBG MOBILE, inZOI, Subnautica, MIMESIS, Hi-Fi Rush, Dinkum, TERA, My Little Puppy, and more. Guided by its vision to pioneer the path to players' dreams, KRAFTON is focused on building franchises that last and delivering experiences that resonate with players around the world.
For more information, visit www.KRAFTON.com.
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