Crafton used a Steam announcement to frame PNC 2026: Pride & Glory as a look at the teams most likely to fight for the trophy, and the setup is a big one. The post says the PUBG Nations Cup, which began at Jangchung Arena in 2019, has reached its sixth edition and will bring 24 teams into the mix.
The event has already had a separate PNC 2026 Fantasy notice, but this latest piece stayed focused on the contenders. The column pointed first to Ukraine, where Hakatory, boost1k, Feyerist, and DIFX were presented as a near-NAVI-style unit built around raw firepower, strong team play, and Hakatory’s heavy-fragging form after a 2026 PGS run that earned him nine Man of the Match awards.
The United States also drew a long look, with Shrimzy, Kickstart, PurdyKurty, and Cowboi carrying the load for a squad that has climbed from 10th in 2019 to 9th in 2022, 7th in 2023, runner-up in 2024, and 4th in 2025. China’s case centered on Lilghost, xwudd, tiantian, SpaceMan, and coach Akuma, while Thailand was framed around Belmoth, TiGGER, Scappy, and KISS after FULL SENSE won PGC 2025 and Made in Thailand claimed two 2026 PGS titles. Vietnam entered as the defending PNC champion with Delwyn, TanVuu, Solozy, and Himass still in place, and South Korea leaned on Heather, Heaven, Gyumin, and SeongJang after its title run in 2023 and 2024.
The throughline is pretty clear. PNC 2026 looks stacked with teams that have both history and punch, and the difference may come down to which roster keeps its nerve when the late-game circles get messy. The tournament is still wide open, and that is exactly what gives this edition its edge.
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PUBG: Battlegrounds
Developed by PUBG Corp
PUBG: Battlegrounds is a battle royale shooter that pits 100 players against each other in a struggle for survival. Gather supplies and outwit your opponents to become the last person standing.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Google Stadia, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Battle Royale
- Release: 2017-12-20
- Publisher: Bluehole Studio, Microsoft Studios
- Age Rating:
CERO D / USK 16 / PEGI 16 / ESRB T / ACB MA 15+ / GRAC 19+ / CLASS_IND 16 - IGDB Rating: 71.9/100
