BLAST Partners With KRAFTON to Support Continued Growth of PUBG Esports

Esports entertainment company BLAST and global game publisher KRAFTON have partnered for the return of the PUBG EMEA Championship (PEC) and PUBG Americas Series (PAS) for 2025, marking the third consecutive year of these premier regional PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Esports tournaments.  

BLAST will work with KRAFTON to bring the best of its industry-leading technology, high-end ‘fan-first’ production values and extensive esports tournament organiser experience to help elevate the PUBG esports scene.

A $50,000 prize pool is up for grabs in each of the EMEA and Americas regions, as the best teams battle for dominance and a chance to represent their regions on the global stage. The Open Qualifiers kick off on March 3rd. The tournaments will feature an officially broadcasted Group Stage from March 14-16, followed by the Last Chance phase on March 22-23, culminating in the Grand Finals from March 28-30.

Additionally, KRAFTON will be introducing the PUBG Players Tour (PPT), operated by BLAST in the EMEA and Americas regions. This brand-new grassroots event will act as the first officially supported third-person perspective (TPP) esports event since PGI 2018. This expansion underscores KRAFTON and BLAST’s commitment to providing diverse and engaging competitive experiences for the PUBG community.

Scott Appleton, Senior Esports Commercial Manager for BLAST, said: “At BLAST we pride ourselves on working with the best game publishers and most popular esports titles. Adding KRAFTON and PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS further expands and strengthens our portfolio of ecosystems. We can’t wait to showcase the best PUBG esports’ teams across Europe and the Americas this year and help further grow the competitive scene in the future.”  

Atila Yesildag, Director of Esports EMEA & Americas at KRAFTON said: “We are delighted to partner with BLAST to elevate PUBG Esports in 2025. As we embark  on another year of thrilling competition, players and fans can look forward to an action-packed season that builds on the strong foundations of PEC and PAS while exploring exciting new territory with PPT.”

PUBG Esports has seen continued growth in 2024 with viewership increasing year-on-year compared to 2023, and PEC and PAS proving an integral part of the PUBG competitive ecosystem.

Last year saw PUBG Nations Cup 2024 (PNC) and PUBG Global Championship 2024 (PGC) amass 510,977 and 493,890 Peak Concurrent Viewers (PCV) respectively, delivering the second and third highest PCV in PUBG Esports history, trailing only the legendary PUBG Global Invitational 2018.

Key details:

• Dates:

  • Open Qualifiers: March 3rd onwards

  • Playoffs March 14-16 (official broadcast matches begin)

  • Last Chance Phases: March 22nd-23rd

  • Grand Finals: March 28th-30th

• Prize Pool: $50,000 prize pool for each region

• Where to Watch:

  • YouTube

  • Twitch