Fans of battle royale title PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) have a lot to look forward to this year as far as the game’s impact on the competitive gaming scene. PUBG Corporation introduced the PUBG Global Series (PGS) in its 2020 esports roadmap, explaining its “aim to be ambitious with improvements” in the new year.

Envisioned as a “more accessible and engaging” platform for PUBG’s players, audiences, and partners around the world, PGS will feature four global events built on a new competition format.

The PGS tournament format

The first three events will bear the PUBG Global Series branding, all of which lead to the PUBG Global Championship (PGC) 2020, which will decide which team is the absolute best in PUBG esports.

Each PGS event will feature 32 teams competing in a nine-day tournament, for a share of a $500,000 prize pool. These teams include the top four squads from the previous competition, with 28 more squads that will be determined from regional qualifiers for Korea, China, Japan, the Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.

The Group Stage will split the field of competition to 16 teams. The top six teams from each group automatically qualify for the Grand Finals, while the bottom two squads from each group will be eliminated from contention.

The middle eight teams from each group will still get a chance to move up by competing in the Elimination Stage. Only the top four squads from this round will make it to the Grand Finals.

First stop: Berlin

Credit: PUBG Corporation

PUBG Corporation announced that the first of the three PGS 2020 events will take place in Berlin from March 31 to April 12.

For this tournament, Gen.G, FaZe Clan, 4AM, and OGN Entus Force — the top four teams from last year’s PUBG Global Championship — are already qualified.

Regional qualifiers will be completed in March to determine the remaining 28 competitors.

Who qualifies for PGC 2020?

As the biggest stage in all of PUBG esports, the PUBG Global Championships will feature the 16 best squads throughout the entire season.

First, the top four squads from the third PGS 2020 event will automatically qualify for PGC 2020. The remaining 12 slots will be determined based on a ranking of the total points scored in the Grand Finals of all three PGS events.

PGC 2020 will have a US$2 million prize pool.

More lucrative opportunities for PUBG esports in 2020

PUBG Corporation also wrote about their optimism toward better revenue sharing through their revamped 2020 esports strategy.

The prize money allocations for PGS and PGC 2020, for instance, are expected to increase based on the number of PGS exclusives sold. Part of the revenue for these limited edition items will be re-directed to the prize pool and participating teams.

PUBG Corporation broke down how revenues from PGS item sales will benefit participating teams:

  • 25% will be distributed among teams that qualify for the PGS events (each team is guaranteed a minimum of US$20,000)
  • 10% will count toward the PGS 2020 prize pools
  • 10% will be distributed among the teams that qualify for PGC 2020
  • 5% will count towards the PGC 2020 prize pool

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