PUBG Global Series Circuit 3 heads to Shanghai with $500K on the line

The PUBG Global Series is leaving Seoul behind and moving to Shanghai, China for Circuit 3 — three back-to-back series running from August 5 to 23, 2026. PGS 7, PGS 8, and PGS 9 make up the block, with 24 teams competing across the full three weeks.

The total prize pool for Circuit 3 is $500,000, split across the three series: $100,000 for PGS 7, $100,000 for PGS 8, and $300,000 for PGS 9. Twenty-four teams are in the field — 12 Global Partner Teams and 12 Regional Qualifiers. Most matches start at 10:00 UTC daily, with one exception: the PGS 7 Group Stage on August 5 kicks off early at 05:00 UTC. The schedule runs PGS 7 from August 5–9, PGS 8 from August 13–16, and PGS 9 from August 20–23, with PGS 9 closing out on a three-day Grand Finals. The format is a progressive stage system — Group Stage feeds into Winners and Survival Stages, with the top teams advancing to the Final Stage and the bottom eight going home.

Circuit 3 also marks the start of the second half of the 2026 PGS season, and the stakes jump significantly from here. Every series in Circuits 3 and 4 awards twice as many PGS Points as the first half of the season, meaning the race to PGC 2026 — the PUBG Global Championship — gets a lot more intense from August onward. Teams that underperformed in Circuits 1 and 2 now have a real shot at clawing back ground, while leaders need to hold their position under doubled pressure.

With PGS 7 Day 2 already live, the Winners Stage and Survival Stage results will shape who enters the Final Stage on August 8–9. The biggest prize chunk — $300,000 — waits at the end of PGS 9's Grand Finals on August 21–23, making that the marquee event of the entire Circuit 3 block.