The Esports World Cup 2026 Grand Finals are here. After three days of Group Stage play, 16 teams are heading into the final weekend in Paris, France, competing for a share of the $2,000,000 prize pool.
The Group Stage had its share of standout moments. MiTH opened Day 1 with a dominant 79-point lead, with Twisted Minds, GAM Esports, and Team Liquid close behind. Virtus.pro then stole the spotlight on Day 2, converting a strong start into a commanding performance that put them top of the leaderboard on 85 points. Day 3 saw MiTH reassert themselves, while Twisted Minds also impressed — notably playing with coach TheTab standing in for Lu, who couldn't attend due to visa issues. The 16 teams heading into the Grand Finals are MiTH, T1, Natus Vincere, Twisted Minds, Team Falcons, Virtus.pro, 17 Gaming, GAM Esports, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, The Vicious Esports, Geekay Esports, AG.AL, FULL SENSE, Gen.G Esports, and Shadow Esports.
The EWC is one of the biggest multi-title esports events on the calendar, and PUBG has been a fixture of the competition. The Grand Finals use the Smash Rule Format, which changes how teams accumulate points compared to standard play — adaptability under that ruleset will likely determine who takes home the trophy. MiTH enter as the form team after their Group Stage showing, but Virtus.pro's Day 2 surge makes them a serious contender.
All Grand Finals matches are live on Twitch at twitch.tv/pubg and on the PUBG Esports YouTube channel.
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