Introduction to PUBG Tournaments

While the video game industry grows rapidly, along with it is the growth of esports. Almost every competitive game that’s available in the market has a corresponding professional competition event. Games that frontline the esports industry are League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, Fortnite, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUND, better known as PUBG, is stepping up its game in the esports scene. It is obviously one of the most popular video games today and building up a solid viewership is one of PUBG Corp’s main objective. This article will introduce you to PUBG’s esports field and will help you understand everything you need to know about it.

This week was all about extreme plays at the #PEL!



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PUBG’s First Official Competitive Tournament

Millions of players across all platforms flocked to the newly introduced genre in the video games market – battle royale – thru PUBG. This number is evidence that PUBG is a very common game and there’s no better way to celebrate its success by having a professional tournament.

PUBG Global Invitational or PGI was the first official premier tournament organized by PUBG Corporation. It was held in Berlin on July 25-29 last year with $2 million total prize pool. Escharts recorded a total of 17.4 million average concurrent viewers including Chinese platforms. PGI showcased 20 teams battling in the maps of Miramar and Erangel in both first-person and third-person perspectives.

The points distribution goes 15 points for each kill, 500 points for Victory, 410 for 2nd placers, and 345 for third placers, etc. Each of the two modes has eight rounds and at the end, the team with the most points are the victors.

In the Western market, PUBG's PGI was behind its rival – Fornite – but the success in the Chinese and Asian market compensated for the underwhelming western viewership.

PUBG Global Championship

After PGI, many premier tournaments were held with prize pools ranging from $200,000-$500,000. However, the most anticipated PUBG tournament is the Global Championship.

The Global Championship is the culmination of a year-long competitive season. From January to November this year, a series of regional tournaments are held with dedicated prize pools:

At the end of the season is the Global Championship with a $2 million prize pot. The season is divided into three phases: Phase 1, January-March; Phase 2, May-June; Phase 3, August-October; and the culmination, Global Championship in November.

For ordinary spectators, the structure of this event is complicated due to the series of qualifiers, relegations, and main regional tournaments with three phases. That’s why we summed it up for you:

The Global Championship

Global Championships is a year-long seasonal PUBG circuit that will culminate in November with teams from all over the world competing for $2 million prize pool.

The Nine Regions Pro Circuit

There are nine regions with their own pro series tournaments: North America, Europe, Korea, Japan, China, Chinese Taipei/Hongkong, Oceania, Latin America, and SE Asia.

The Nine Regions Main Event

In the entire season, every regional main event will take place three times, once every phase. Top teams from each region qualify for the Global Championship.

For more understanding of regional tournaments, you can visit their corresponding official websites.

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PUBG Esports Rules and Mechanics

After PGI, PUBG Corporation decided to change the point distribution in official tournaments. According to their official statement:

“From the feedback we received, one of the greatest pain points for professional players and viewers alike in 2018 has been the discrepancy in the rulesets adopted by different tournament organizers. The wild variance in the esports rules prevented players from scaling up their skills and strategies efficiently and forced viewers to learn how to watch the games every time a different event took place.

2019 will see all pro competitions, whether regional or global, third-party or first-party, adhere to a standardised, universal set of rules. Every pro competition will place 16 squads on Erangel and Miramar in first-person perspective mode only. There will also be unified settings for esports games with unique blue zone settings and item drop rates for ultra-competitive play. Every event will also follow the same points system, which is being re-designed to find the perfect balance between competitive gameplay and an entertaining viewing experience.”

Unlike PGI, this season of PUBG does not include third person perspective in official matches (third-party organizers events not included). The point system is as follows:

One kill is worth one point

First placer gets 10 Points

Second placer gets 6 Points

Third placer gets 5 Points

Fourth gets 4 Points

Fifth gets 3 Points

Sixth gets 2 Points

Seventh/Eighth 1 Point

Maps are Erangel and Miramar with FPP only

This rule applies to all Global Championship-related events. Moreover, circles and loot spawn rates are different in esports events when compared to the public matches. Pro games have circles move 1-3 times faster while circle 4-9 are relatively slower. Loot spawn rates are also increased to ensure fair chance of survivability among participants. This rule, however, is subject to PUBG Corp’s changes in the next season.

Top PUBG Teams From Each Region

The recent events showed that some teams and players shine brighter than the others. In PUBG pro games, it is not only skills that matter but also communication, discipline, and trust among teammates. Here are the top three best performing teams in each region that are worth watching out for if you’re planning on delving into PUBG Betting.

NPL (North America): Tempo Storm , Cloud 9 , Ghost Gaming

, , PEL (Europe): Natus Vincere , G2 Esports , Team Liquid

, , PKL (Korea): G , DPG Danawa , Detonator

, , PJS (Japan): Detonation Gaming White , Crest Gaming Xanadu , Rascal Jester

, , PCL (China): Vici Gaming , Black Ananas , 17 Gaming

, , PML (Hongkong/Macau): Ahq Esports Club , MP5 , BigDealMen

, , ESL (Oceania): Athletico , Incognito , Hell Yeah Brother

, , LPPS (Latin America): Team Singularity , Bitloft Esports , Furia Esports

, , SEA Championship (Southeast Asia): ArkAngel, Armory Gaming, Cerberus Esports

PUBG’s Pro Scene In a Nutshell

PUBG’s professional scene is visibly not gaining a lot of traction in the western region compared to the field of esports despite it having an easily-understandable mechanic that is friendly to regular spectators and newcomers alike. However, it is on its way to becoming one of the largest and most popular games in viewership due to its large active player base.

PUBG offers a unique viewing experience compared to the common shooter games we see in the mainstream media. Not only it highlights skills but also the importance of communication among members of the squad. Decision-making, discipline, trust, and confidence, are also factors in PUBG’s unique viewing experience. It might be a bit late in the race towards esports success but it shows a lot of potentials to be at the top.