PUBG shares 2026 Esports roadmap, move to third-person

PUBG: Battlegrounds Esports is getting some big changes for 2026. Game director Taehyun Kim gave us an early look at the 2026 esports roadmap and their reasoning behind moving pro play to third-person perspective (TPP).

The first big plan for PUBG Esports in 2026 revealed by Kim, is the move to a third-person perspective (TPP) from first-person (FPP). This brings the viewing and playing experience closer to many other titles in the battle royale genre, like Fortnite. However, this change also distances itself from popular and familiar titles like Call of Duty and Apex Legends.

Kim dove into his rationale, which boils down to their goal of putting the player and esports experience closer together.

"A significant amount of players [worldwide] enjoy PUBG in the third-person perspective. At the heart of PUBG Esports so far has been the fierce competition in first-person perspective," said Kim. "This change is not about denying or replacing what FPP has achieved. On the contrary, it's about... [taking] PUBG Esports to its next stage of evolution."

He then emphasized the idea of "unification of watching and playing," which will connect the live service game and the esports within the same model.

"Our goal is to reduce the disconnection between the experience of playing the game and watching competitive play," Kim added.

The video also included testimonials from professional players and broadcast talent. The past year involved dialogue with teams and players to receive feedback, concerns, and direction regarding this massive change.

Finally, the roadmap for 2026 was also revealed.

There will be twelve PUBG Global Series (PGS) throughout the year, with as much as three happening within the same month.

The fan-favorite PUBG Nations Cup (PNC) makes a return in late June, and the competitive year of PUBG Esports will culminate in the PUBG Global Championship (PGC) in December 2026.