The PUBG Global Series Circuit 3 is now live, moving to Shanghai, China, after two circuits in Seoul. This circuit marks the beginning of the second half of the 2026 PGS season, with all series in Circuits 3 and 4 awarding twice as many PGS Points. The race to PGC 2026 is entering a decisive phase.
Circuit 3 Overview
- Dates: August 5–23, 2026
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Participating Teams: 24 (12 Global Partner Teams, 12 Regional Qualifiers)
- Total Prize Pool: $500,000
- PGS 7: $100,000
- PGS 8: $100,000
- PGS 9: $300,000
- Match Start Time: 10:00 UTC daily (except PGS 7 Group Stage on August 5 at 05:00 UTC)
Tournament Schedule
| Series | Date | Stage | Start Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGS 7 | August 5 | Group Stage | 05:00 UTC |
| August 6 | Winners Stage | 10:00 UTC | |
| August 7 | Survival Stage | 10:00 UTC | |
| August 8–9 | Final Stage | 10:00 UTC | |
| PGS 8 | August 13 | Winners Stage | 10:00 UTC |
| August 14 | Survival Stage | 10:00 UTC | |
| August 15–16 | Final Stage | 10:00 UTC | |
| PGS 9 | August 20 | Survival Stage | 10:00 UTC |
| August 21–23 | Grand Finals | 10:00 UTC |
Tournament Format
Circuit 3 utilizes a progressive stage system, where results from each series influence team seeding for the next.
PGS 7 — August 5–9
- Group Stage: 24 teams divided into Groups A, B, C. Each team plays six of nine matches.
- Top 16 → Winners Stage
- Bottom 8 → Survival Stage
- Winners Stage: 16 teams, five matches.
- Top 8 → Final Stage (receive Advantage Points)
- Bottom 8 → Survival Stage
- Survival Stage: 16 teams, five matches.
- Top 8 → Final Stage
- Bottom 8 → Eliminated
- Final Stage: 16 teams, 10 matches over two days.
PGS 8 — August 13–16
- No Group Stage. Teams are seeded based on PGS 7 standings.
- PGS 7 Top 16 → Winners Stage
- PGS 7 Bottom 8 → Survival Stage
- Winners and Survival Stages lead to a 10-match Final Stage over two days.
PGS 9 — Circuit Final, August 20–23
- Seeding based on cumulative Circuit 3 PGS Points (from PGS 7 and PGS 8).
- Top 8 in cumulative points → Grand Finals
- Remaining 16 teams → Survival Stage
- Survival Stage Top 8 → Grand Finals
- Grand Finals: 16 teams, 15 matches over three days to crown the Circuit 3 champion.
Advantage Points
The top eight teams in the PGS 7 and PGS 8 Winners Stages receive Advantage Points, which are added to their standings at the start of the respective Final Stage.
| Winners Stage Placement | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advantage Points | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Participating Teams
Circuit 3 features 12 Global Partner Teams and 12 regional qualifiers.
| Region | Global Partner Teams | Regional League Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Korea | DN SOOPers, Gen.G Esports | Geekay Esports, T1 |
| China | 17Gaming, FOUR ANGRY MEN, Petrichor Road | JD Gaming, TYLOO |
| Thailand | FULL SENSE, eArena | Made in Thailand, Sharper Esports |
| Vietnam | Anyone's Legend | GAM The Expendables, The Vicious Esports |
| EMEA | Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere | Team Vitality, Team Nemesis |
| Americas | Falcons | TEAM LIQUID, Godlike |
Group Stage Draw
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
|---|---|---|
| 17Gaming | Petrichor Road | FOUR ANGRY MEN |
| JD Gaming | TYLOO | DN SOOPers |
| Gen.G Esports | Geekay Esports | T1 |
| eArena | Anyone's Legend | FULL SENSE |
| Made in Thailand | Sharper Esports | GAM The Expendables |
| The Vicious Esports | Virtus.pro | Natus Vincere |
| Twisted Minds | Team Vitality | Team Nemesis |
| Falcons | TEAM LIQUID | Godlike |
The Group Stage will be played in the order of A&B, B&C, and A&C. Each group matchup includes one match on Erangel, Miramar, and Taego, with every team competing in six of the nine total matches.
PGS Points — Double Points in the Second Half
Circuits 3 and 4 award double PGS Points. The champions of PGS 7 and PGS 8 will earn 60 points each, while the PGS 9 champion will earn 120 points.
| Final Placement | PGS 7 | PGS 8 | PGS 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 60 | 60 | 120 |
| 2nd | 48 | 48 | 96 |
| 3rd | 40 | 40 | 80 |
| 4th | 34 | 34 | 68 |
| 5th | 30 | 30 | 60 |
| 6th | 26 | 26 | 52 |
| 7th | 22 | 22 | 44 |
| 8th | 18 | 18 | 36 |
| 9th | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| 10th | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| 11th | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 12th | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 13th | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 14th–16th | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 17th–24th | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Only the top 16 teams in each series receive PGS Points. At the end of PGS 12, the top eight teams in the annual PGS Points standings will directly qualify for PGC 2026. This double-point phase offers a significant opportunity for teams to reshape their standings.
Map Pool and Order
Circuit 3 will be played across Erangel, Miramar, Taego, and Rondo.
| Stage | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 | Match 4 | Match 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | Erangel | Miramar | Taego | — | — |
| Winners / Survival / Final Day 1 / Grand Finals Days 1 & 3 | Erangel | Miramar | Taego | Rondo | Erangel |
| Final Day 2 / Grand Finals Day 2 | Taego | Erangel | Rondo | Miramar | Taego |
The Group Stage repeats the Erangel → Miramar → Taego order for all three group matchups (Matches 1-9).
Prize Pool
The total prize pool for Circuit 3 is $500,000, distributed as follows:
- PGS 7: $100,000 ($30,000 for the champion)
- PGS 8: $100,000 ($30,000 for the champion)
- PGS 9: $300,000 ($100,000 for the champion)
Placement prizes are awarded to the top eight teams in PGS 7 and PGS 8, and to all 16 Grand Finalists in PGS 9. Each series also includes separate match-win and MVP prizes. The total prize pool for the 2026 PGS season across four circuits and 12 series is $2,000,000.
How to Watch
All PGS 7–9 matches will be broadcast live on official PUBG Esports channels. Matches begin daily at 10:00 UTC, with the exception of the PGS 7 Group Stage on August 5, which starts at 05:00 UTC. Detailed broadcast channels and viewing links will be announced separately.
Circuit 3 in Shanghai will be crucial for the second half of the 2026 season, with double points and 24 teams vying for a spot at PGC 2026. The action begins on August 5.
