The highly-anticipated inaugural PUBG MOBILE World Cup (PMWC), as part of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, kicked off over the weekend with mighty displays from all 24 teams during the Group Stage. Alliance rose to the occasion, rocketing to the top of the leaderboard with an incredible display. They lead the 12 teams who have qualified for the Main Stage event which will commence July 26th-28th, as teams will battle it out once more for their share of the $3,000,000 USD prize pool and to take the first ever PMWC title.

The 24 teams were divided evenly into three respective groups in Red, Green, and Yellow, having proven their worth over the last few months through a range of tournaments. These include the regional PUBG MOBILE Super Leagues (PMSL), PUBG MOBILE Japan League, PUBG MOBILE Pro Series Korea, PUBG MOBILE Rivals Cup, PEL, alongside the host country invite awarded to POWR eSports, and the special invite to Vampire Esports following their fantastic performance in last year’s mid-season tournament.

With everything to play for, the teams went head to head across 18 matches over the weekend with mind blowing performances on display throughout. Fans across the globe tuned into this key moment and watched with great anticipation, including the beloved Liverpool F.C. football star Diogo Jota, who watched the event live on the ground in Riyadh. In the end, it was Alliance who stood above the rest, scoring 122 points after securing three wins and 79 kills across their 12 matches. Exemplifying the team’s performance, Alliance’s KLUQ won MVP on day two after earning 15 eliminations for the team.

There were plenty of other stand-out performances too, including an impressive showdown from the home team POWR eSports with an amazing return on the final day, securing two wins and a third place finish across six matches. BOOM Esports also delivered on the final day with a mindblowing 30 points in the fifth match following their 20-elimination victory, guaranteeing their place in the Main Stage. Having been the teams to watch this year, Alpha7 Esports, Vampire Esports, and REJECT now head straight to the Main Stage of the competition, where they can expect a tough fight, as many underdogs have proven themselves to be worthy contenders in this first-of-its-kind tournament.

The top 12 teams from the Group Stage heading to the Main Stage are:

1. Alliance
2. Tianba
3. 4Merical Vibes
4. Team Liquid
5. Alpha7 Esports
6. ICH Esports
7. D’Xavier
8. Talon Esports
9. POWR eSports
10. BOOM Esports
11. Vampire Esports
12. REJECT

The remaining 12 teams from the Group Stage who will battle it out in the Survival Stage are:

1. iNCO Gaming
2. Dplus
3. MadBulls
4. Falcons Force
5. Tong Jia Bao Esports
6. Beşiktaş Black
7. Brute Force
8. Money Makers
9. Team Harame Bro
10. IW NRX
11. CAG OSAKA
12. DRX

While the top 12 teams will be pleased with their success, having secured their place in the Main Stage, the remaining 12 will undoubtedly be readying up for a nailbiting contest in the Survival Stage which takes place from July 23rd-24th. They’ll join the fifth-place teams from regional PMSL tournaments and compete once more to stay in the fight, as only the top 4 teams from the Survival Stage will join the others in the Main Stage.

To celebrate the inaugural PMWC tournament with global fans and players in the prestigious Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, PUBG MOBILE has collaborated with local rising star, Mishaal Tamer, to release a new song "Winner Winner" which will be performed live for the first time during day one of the PMWC Main Stage event on July 26th! The exciting new music video will be available from July 23rd, ahead of the live performance!

James Yang, Senior Director of Global Esports at Level Infinite said:

“The Group Stage of any tournament is a crucial moment for both teams and fans alike, as this key stage of the competition will not only determine if they stay in the fight, but who they’ll be competing with in the Main Stage. This has been a thrilling start to the PUBG MOBILE World Cup and we’re very excited to see how teams perform in the upcoming Survival Stage and of course the Main Stage. We’re certain this will be an event to remember, and we look forward to seeing what else teams bring to the table at this prestigious Esports World Cup.”

Fans can tune in to watch the PMWC on PUBG MOBILE Esports’ YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels, between July 19th – 28th. For more PUBG MOBILE Esports news, stay tuned on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.