KRAFTON has announced the PUBG Nations Cup 2026, taking place in Seoul, South Korea from June 23 to June 28. The tournament will bring together 24 nations competing for the PNC title, featuring two debut nations, a returning side, and a notable Neutral Flag entry.
Jangchung Arena to host PNC 2026 Grand Finals
PNC 2026 will be split across two stages. While the venue for the Survival Stage is yet to be announced, KRAFTON has confirmed that the Grand Finals will be held at Jangchung Arena in Seoul, the same venue that hosted the inaugural PUBG Nations Cup back in 2019.
- Survival Stage: June 23-24
- Grand Finals: June 26-28 (Jangchung Arena, Seoul)
24 Nations to compete at PNC 2026
Defending champions Vietnam, who clinched the 2025 title with a 61-point advantage over China, return to defend their crown against a stacked field of 24 nations:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Indonesia
- India
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Korea
- Malaysia
- Neutral Team
- Norway
- Philippines
- Thailand
- Chinese Taipei
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- USA
New and returning teams
The PNC 2026 roster sees notable changes from the 2025 edition. Poland, Spain, Sweden, and France will not be competing this year, replaced by the following:
- Finland (returning after 2022)
- Ukraine (New)
- Kazakhstan (New)
- Neutral (New)
Of the new additions, the Neutral team entry is the most significant. The Neutral Flag is widely expected to represent a Russian squad — 4-time PUBG Global Series champion Aleksandr “BatulinS” Batulin referenced a Russian invitation in a post on X, though this was not mentioned in KRAFTON’s official announcement.
The use of a Neutral Flag rather than the Russian flag broadly follows the IOC’s guidelines on Russian participation in international sport. However, the IOC’s own stance goes a step further, explicitly prohibiting Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing as part of a team:
— IOC Statement from 2023
KRAFTON’s decision to permit the use of the Neutral Flag likely ties into its broader push to have PUBG included in the Olympic Esports Games. The company has previously established a working relationship with the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) toward that goal, making adherence to IOC frameworks, even partially, a strategic consideration.
Full team rosters, ticket sales, and broadcast information for PNC 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks via the official PUBG Esports channels.
