The Esports World Cup 2026 PUBG rosters are locked, and the picture is exactly as stacked as expected. Twenty-four clubs have punched their tickets through a mix of title-defender status, PGS Points qualification, and regional PGC Points pathways, and Liquipedia’s compact roster view now shows every confirmed player across the field.
This is a PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS teams breakdown built for anyone who wants the full picture before the Group Stage kicks off on July 21 — who qualified, how they got there, and exactly who’s holding a rifle for each squad.
How the 24 Teams Got Here
The qualification structure for EWC 2026 ran through three distinct pathways, and knowing which route a team took tells you a lot about the shape of this field.
- Title Defender (Invite): Twisted Minds earned an automatic return as the reigning EWC champions.
- PGS Points qualifiers: The top performers across the PUBG Global Series — 17 Gaming, AG.AL, DN SOOPers, Four Angry Men, Made in Thailand, Natus Vincere, Petrichor Road, T1, and Virtus.pro.
- Regional Series (PGC Points): Two seeds apiece from seven regions — Americas, China, EMEA, Korea, Rest of APAC, Thailand, and Vietnam.
That regional spread is what gives this tournament its genuinely global flavor. This isn’t a Europe-versus-Asia story — it’s CIS power against Saudi-backed orgs against Korean structure against Vietnamese aggression, all colliding in the same bracket.
Twisted Minds: The Champions Defending Their Crown
Twisted Minds arrive as the sole invited club, carrying the weight of being the team every other roster in Paris is gunning for.
| Role | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Main roster | BatulinS | Russia |
| Main roster | Perfect1ks | Ukraine |
| Main roster | xmpl | Russia |
| Main roster | Lu | Russia |
The PGS Points Qualifiers: Nine Teams That Earned It the Hard Way
These nine clubs didn’t need a regional invite — they climbed the PUBG Global Series standings directly, and that consistency across PGS 1 through PGS 6 makes this group arguably the most battle-tested in the field.
Made in Thailand
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| KISS | Thailand |
| Jacob | Thailand |
| Scappy | Thailand |
| Baren | Thailand |
Virtus.pro
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Lukarux | Croatia |
| Beami | Denmark |
| curexi | Finland |
| NIXZYEE | Croatia |
17 Gaming
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Lilghost | China |
| tiantianhaovo | China |
| WenBo | China |
| xwudd | China |
T1
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| EEND | South Korea |
| Heather | South Korea |
| Rain1ng | South Korea |
| Type | South Korea |
Natus Vincere
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Feyerist | Ukraine |
| Hakatory | Ukraine |
| boost1k- | Ukraine |
| spyrro | Ukraine |
Petrichor Road
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| MMing | China |
| i26v6 | South Korea |
| Cui71 | South Korea |
| 04NB | China |
DN SOOPers
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| DIEL | South Korea |
| Gyumin | South Korea |
| Heaven | South Korea |
| Rex | South Korea |
AG.AL
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Delwyn | Vietnam |
| Himass | Vietnam |
| Sololzy | Vietnam |
| Destroyy | Vietnam |
Four Angry Men
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| HSmm | China |
| Shen | Malaysia |
| SpaceMan1010 | China |
| WINDah | China |
Americas: Team Falcons and Team Liquid Fly the Flag
The Americas region sent two organizations with very different identities but equally serious title ambitions.
Team Falcons
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Shrimzy | United States |
| Gustav | Denmark |
| TGLTN | Australia |
| Kickstart | United States |
Team Liquid
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| PurdyKurty | United States |
| CowBoi | United States |
| aLOW | United States |
| luke12 | Australia |
China’s Regional Seeds: JD Gaming and TYLOO
Beyond the PGS-qualified Chinese sides, two more organizations arrived through the regional China pathway.
JD Gaming
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Dec12th | China |
| nanss | China |
| Cold119 | China |
| SuZe | China |
TYLOO
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| 1ee | China |
| KKong | China |
| HaoSkr | China |
| OneDragon | China |
EMEA’s Second Wave: Team Vitality and Team Nemesis
Team Vitality
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Gedrox | Belarus |
| hallomybad | Russia |
| Lev4nte | Russia |
| QWZYYY | Russia |
Team Nemesis
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| DIFX | Ukraine |
| SoseD | Ukraine |
| Staed | Ukraine |
| Mellman | Georgia |
Korea’s Regional Seeds: Geekay Esports and Gen.G
Geekay Esports
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| AKaN | South Korea |
| EJ | South Korea |
| Parkpro | South Korea |
| Seongjang | South Korea |
Gen.G
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| seoul | South Korea |
| Salute | South Korea |
| diyy | United States |
| BeaN | South Korea |
Thailand’s Regional Seeds: FULL SENSE and Sharper Esports
FULL SENSE
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Thanad0l | Thailand |
| TiGGER | Thailand |
| Belmoth | Thailand |
| Flash | Thailand |
Sharper Esports
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| ThanawatTH | Thailand |
| Jdaii | Thailand |
| Earthzapalui | Thailand |
| Thunderz | Thailand |
Vietnam’s Regional Seeds: A Name Change and a New Challenger
Vietnam’s two qualifiers bring one notable wrinkle worth flagging for anyone tracking the bracket closely: GAM Esports is actually The Expendables competing under the GAM banner specifically for this event.
GAM Esports (The Expendables)
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Clories | Vietnam |
| DuCkHjeUz | Vietnam |
| TanVuu | Vietnam |
| Hoangf | Vietnam |
The Vicious
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| YmCud | Vietnam |
| Sapauu | Vietnam |
| Taikonn | Vietnam |
| SirT | Vietnam |
Rest of APAC: Shadow Esport and R8’s Rebrand Story
The final regional slot carries its own footnote. R8 Esports qualified for EWC 2026 under the name Vega Esports, another rebrand worth noting for anyone cross-checking older qualifier results against the current bracket.
Shadow Esport
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| Setsunaa | Indonesia |
| Jekzy | Indonesia |
| Hanzyy | Indonesia |
| Kamalz | Indonesia |
R8 Esports (qualified as Vega Esports)
| Player | Country |
|---|---|
| AJ | Malaysia |
| 1MBOT | Indonesia |
| Tedeeyy | Indonesia |
| empt | Malaysia |
Quick Reference: The Full Field by Region
- Saudi / MENA / EMEA: Twisted Minds, Team Falcons, AG.AL, Team Vitality, Team Nemesis, Geekay Esports, R8 Esports, Shadow Esport
- Europe / CIS: Team Liquid, Natus Vincere, Virtus.pro, Team Vitality
- China & Korea: 17 Gaming, Four Angry Men, Petrichor Road, JD Gaming, TYLOO, T1, Gen.G
- SEA / APAC: DN SOOPers, Made in Thailand, FULL SENSE, Sharper Esports, GAM Esports, The Vicious, R8 Esports, Shadow Esport
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teams are competing in PUBG at Esports World Cup 2026?
Twenty-four clubs make up the full field, split between one invited title defender, nine PGS Points qualifiers, and fourteen regional qualifiers across seven regions.
Is GAM Esports a new organization?
No. GAM Esports is The Expendables competing under the GAM Esports name specifically for this event.
Did R8 Esports qualify under a different name?
Yes. R8 Esports secured their spot in the Rest of APAC region while competing as Vega Esports.
Where can fans check for last-minute roster changes?
Liquipedia’s PUBG Esports World Cup 2026 page maintains live roster updates, including substitutions and transfers right up to lock time.
With all 24 rosters now confirmed, the story shifts firmly to the Group Stage. Twisted Minds carry the target on their back, the PGS-qualified sides arrive with the deepest recent form, and the regional qualifiers — from Vietnam’s rebranded contenders to Indonesia’s Rest-of-APAC representatives — give this bracket a genuinely global spread heading into Paris.