PUBG Mobile becomes latest Esports Nations Cup title

The Esports World Cup Foundation has revealed PUBG Mobile as the latest title joining the inaugural line-up for the Esports Nations Cup.

The multi-national event taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sees 32 national teams dropping into the action for a chance to be crowned champion.

Revealed on February 25th, the mobile battle royale title becomes the 14th game named as part of the tournament taking place from November 2nd to 29th. The PUBG Mobile tournament takes place during the opening week from November 3rd to 8th.

The opening stage of the tournament sees the 32 teams competing in a round-robin Group Stage with four groups of eight battling for a chance to advance to the next stage. The top four teams from each group advance to a 16-team Grand Final, which features the Smash Point rule to determine the winner.

Similar to other battle royale titles, the Smash Point format requires teams to meet a specific points threshold before being eligible to lift the trophy. The first team to meet the threshold and score a victory is declared the champion.

PUBG Mobile isn’t the only tournament at the Esports Nations Cup using the Smash Point format. PUBG: Battlegrounds, taking place in week two of the event, also requires teams to hit a specified points total before scoring a Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner to lift the trophy.

In addition to sharing details on the format, the Esports World Cup Foundation has announced how teams can book a place in the main event. 16 teams receive direct invitations to compete, with 12 receiving invites based on their National Team Ranking. The tournament organiser will distribute the four remaining invites.

The National Team Ranking awards points to teams competing in high-profile PUBG Mobile tournaments. The points are shared equally among players, with the National Ranking accumulating the points of the top four players submitted on a national roster.

Regional qualifiers and wildcard slots determine the remaining 16 teams. Regional qualifiers take place from July 10th to 12th, with a double-elimination bracket deciding which nations advance to the main event.

Two qualification slots are available for North and Central America, Western Europe, MENA, EECA, Central and Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. For South America and East and South Asia, one slot is up for grabs.

PUBG Mobile joins an extensive line-up of titles spanning a range of genres at the Esports Nations Cup. Throughout 2026, the Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the likes of Apex Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and VALORANT as other titles for the event.

Despite the Esports Nations Cup featuring a rotating host city model, the event’s debut in Saudi Arabia and the governmental support of its organiser, the Esports World Cup Foundation, is expected to raise concerns from the industry. This is particularly surrounding the Kingdom’s human rights record and community sentiments regarding sportswashing.