PMGC 2026 Contenders Ranked by 2026 Results
Which PMGC 2026 contenders have the strongest results ahead of Istanbul? Going by 2026 results, I'd put Nongshim RedForce first. They finished 1st or 2nd in all 3 international finals they reached.
My read is that the list behind them is shorter than a 39-team field suggests. The 4 global events of 2026 had 4 different champions, and only 4 teams finished in the top 4 at more than one of them. I've ranked a top 8 from those results, and I think 3 well-known teams arrive with a reputation their 2026 numbers don't support.
PMGC 2026 Contenders by 2026 Results
PMGC 2026 runs from November 26 to December 13, and the schedule, format and all 39 teams are in a separate guide. This table covers the 18 teams with a case, measured on the finals they played in 2026.
The match numbers come from 5 international finals: PMGO Season 1, the Macao Invitational, PMWC, PMGO Season 2 and BMIC. This is how to read the columns:
- Starts in: the PMGC stage a team enters. Gauntlet teams get up to 3 routes to the Grand Finals, Group Stage teams get 2 and ULF need none.
- Events and titles: the 4 global events, BMIC, the PMGO regional finals, Korea's PMPS and China's PEL. The Korean Esports League and Rising Stars are excluded from these counts.
- International finals: S1 and S2 are the 2 PMGO seasons. Finishes per match and the share of matches outside the top 8 are counted across these finals only.
- Dinners: chicken dinners in those finals, so 10 in 54 means 10 wins in 54 matches.
- Best map: the map with the most points per match, shown in brackets, among maps a team played at least 4 times.
Rank | Team | Starts in | Events | Titles | International finals | Dinners | Finishes per match | Outside top 8 | Best map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nongshim RedForce | Gauntlet | 5 | 4 | Macao 1st, PMWC 2nd, BMIC 1st | 10 in 54 | 6.44 | 41% | Rondo (13.6) |
2 | S2G Esports | Gauntlet | 6 | 2 | S1 4th, Macao 15th, PMWC 1st, S2 11th | 4 in 60 | 3.88 | 48% | Erangel (6.8) |
3 | Aurora Gaming | Gauntlet | 5 | 1 | S1 8th, Macao 4th, PMWC 3rd | 6 in 48 | 4.65 | 48% | Rondo (10.3) |
4 | 4Thrives Esports | Gauntlet | 5 | 3 | S1 1st, PMWC 6th | 3 in 30 | 5.50 | 57% | Rondo (12.0) |
5 | ULF Esports | Grand Finals | 6 | 1 | S1 2nd, PMWC 11th, S2 8th | 3 in 42 | 4.74 | 45% | Rondo (10.6) |
6 | FURIA | Group Green | 5 | 1 | S1 3rd, Macao 2nd, PMWC 10th | 4 in 48 | 4.52 | 42% | Rondo (9.8) |
7 | AK Gold Esports | Gauntlet | 2 | 0 | S2 2nd | 2 in 12 | 5.08 | 50% | Erangel (8.5) |
8 | eArena | Group Green | 5 | 0 | S1 5th, Macao 10th, PMWC 4th | 3 in 48 | 4.60 | 42% | Rondo (7.8) |
- | DRX | Group Green | 5 | 0 | Macao 5th, BMIC 2nd | 4 in 36 | 5.33 | 53% | Erangel (7.8) |
- | Dplus | Group Red | 4 | 0 | Macao 11th, BMIC 3rd | 4 in 36 | 4.11 | 36% | Rondo (8.8) |
- | 4K Esports | Gauntlet | 2 | 0 | S2 3rd | 0 in 12 | 5.08 | 42% | Miramar (8.0) |
- | The MongolZ | Gauntlet | 2 | 1 | S2 6th | 0 in 12 | 4.50 | 33% | Erangel (7.7) |
- | Wolves Esports | Gauntlet | 6 | 2 | S2 1st | 2 in 12 | 4.00 | 33% | Miramar (11.3) |
- | All Gamers | Gauntlet | 4 | 1 | Macao 7th | 0 in 18 | 4.72 | 44% | Miramar (7.7) |
- | Bigetron by Vitality | Group Red | 6 | 0 | S1 14th, Macao 13th, PMWC 12th, S2 10th | 1 in 60 | 3.55 | 48% | Miramar (5.4) |
- | Alpha7 Esports | Group Red | 6 | 0 | S2 9th | 0 in 12 | 4.00 | 50% | Miramar (6.0) |
- | LGD Gaming | Group Red | 3 | 1 | Macao 14th | 0 in 18 | 2.94 | 50% | Erangel (5.7) |
- | Weibo Gaming | Group Green | 3 | 0 | Macao 16th | 0 in 18 | 2.22 | 67% | Miramar (4.2) |
The PMWC rows use Liquipedia's complete 18-match final table. The linked Datagrounds event page has 17 final matches as of November 13, so its figures cover a smaller sample.
I'd take 3 things from it:
- One team leads on firepower. Nongshim RedForce have 10 dinners and 6.44 finishes per match. Nobody else is above 5.50.
- Repeat results are rare. Only Nongshim RedForce, S2G, Aurora and FURIA finished in the top 4 at more than one of the 4 global events.
- Form has not carried over. Only 5 of the 16 PMWC finalists reached the PMGO Season 2 final 10 weeks later.
AK Gold, Wolves, 4K, The MongolZ and Alpha7 have a single 12-match final each. I'd treat their rates as a hint, because 12 matches is a small sample.
Top 8 PMGC 2026 Favorites
This ranking is my judgment, adjusted for where each team starts. I give repeat international finals more weight than regional titles or a single strong weekend. Liquipedia lists up to 19 Grand Finals matches under the Smash Rule, which lets a team trailing on points take the trophy.
Nongshim RedForce
Nongshim RedForce are 1st, with the strongest record across repeated international finals. They won the Macao Invitational, finished 2nd at PMWC and won BMIC by 82 points.
- They won 10 of their 54 international final matches, about 1 in 5.
- BMIC had teams from India, Korea and Japan only. Without it they still average 5.56 finishes per match, the best rate in the table.
- They also won both PMPS seasons in Korea.
Erangel is their one soft spot. They average 7.6 points a match there, against 13.6 on Rondo and 11.1 on Miramar, and PMGC plays Erangel in 3 of every 6 matches. At PMWC they scored 52 points in 9 Erangel matches while S2G scored 108.
Datagrounds' event rosters list Hyunbin and Soez for DRX in 2025 and for Nongshim RedForce in 2026. Their 2026 season also includes XZY and TIZ1 from the 2025 squad.
S2G Esports
S2G Esports are 2nd because they are the only team that finished above Nongshim RedForce in these international finals. They won PMWC with 154 points, 5 clear. Going into the last match, 4 teams were on match point and none of them won it, so the points table decided the title.
That win was built on Erangel. S2G took 108 of their 154 points from 9 Erangel matches, with all 3 of their dinners.
The floor is low, though. Their other 3 international finals went 4th, 15th and 11th, and they won no match in 2 of them.
They did win the Türkiye Season 2 finals in September and they play this PMGC at home. Datagrounds lists the same 4 players for them from April to October.
Aurora Gaming
Aurora Gaming are 3rd because their results kept improving. Their 3 international finals went 8th, 4th and 3rd, and their 6 dinners are the most of any team here except Nongshim RedForce. They scored 146 points in the PMWC final, 8 behind S2G.
My concern is recent form. Aurora finished 7th in the EECA Season 2 finals and missed PMGO Season 2, so their last international final was on August 16. Miramar is also a hole, with 14 points from 6 Miramar matches at PMWC.
4Thrives Esports
4Thrives are 4th, with the widest swing of any team here. They won PMGO Season 1 on points after no eligible team secured a Smash win. Their 122 points put them 18 clear of ULF, and their 5.50 finishes per match rank second here.
The placements don't match the finishes. They finished outside the top 8 in 57% of their international final matches, the highest share in my top 8. At PMWC they took no dinner and placed 6th.
Their last event is the worry. At PMGO Season 2 in Lahore they scored 11 points in 6 group matches and went out in the bottom 2 of their group. They still won both South Asia finals this year, with 307 finishes in 40 matches.
ULF Esports
ULF Esports are 5th, and the seat is the reason. They are the only team certain to play the Grand Finals, while the other 38 teams compete for 15 places.
Their results put them in the middle of this list: 2nd at PMGO Season 1, 11th at PMWC and 8th at PMGO Season 2. Miramar holds them back, with 4.4 points a match across 14 Miramar matches and no dinner.
The direct seat also means no warm-up. ULF play their first match on December 11, against teams that could have up to 36 PMGC matches behind them by then.
FURIA
FURIA are 6th and the strongest team that starts in the Group Stage. They finished 3rd at PMGO Season 1 and 2nd at the Macao Invitational, where their 146 points were the most in the final. Nongshim RedForce took that title through the Smash Rule with 145, as recorded on Liquipedia's Macao Invitational page.
FURIA placed in the top 4 in 20 of their 48 international final matches, the best rate in the table. The weak spots are 10th at PMWC and 8th in the Americas Season 2 finals, which kept them out of PMGO Season 2.
AK Gold Esports
AK Gold are 7th on 12 matches of evidence. In the Lahore final they scored 94 points, the most of any team and 8 more than the champions. Both of their dinners came on Erangel, where they took 51 points from 6 matches.
Liquipedia dates the organization to June 23, 2026. AK Gold have no Season 1 or PMWC final in this comparison. I'd want to see them repeat Lahore before moving them higher.
eArena
eArena are 8th. They finished 4th at PMWC with 140 points and 98 finishes, the second-most finishes in that final after Nongshim RedForce's 102. They were also 5th at PMGO Season 1.
Like Aurora and FURIA, they missed PMGO Season 2, after placing 10th in the Southeast Asia Season 2 finals. DRX and Dplus are next on my list. DRX were 5th in Macao and 2nd at BMIC, and Dplus were 3rd at BMIC with only 3 of 18 matches outside the top 8.
Regional Form vs International Form
Regional results don't carry over equally for every team. The regional rates below use Liquipedia's final match tables. They compare each team's home finish rate with its international final rate.
Team | Regional or league finals | Finishes per match there | In international finals | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nongshim RedForce | PMPS Season 1 and 2 | 8.71 | 6.44 | 74% |
4Thrives Esports | South Asia Season 1 and 2 | 7.68 | 5.50 | 72% |
S2G Esports | Türkiye Season 1 and 2 | 5.69 | 3.88 | 68% |
ULF Esports | Türkiye Season 1 and 2 | 5.25 | 4.74 | 90% |
Aurora Gaming | EECA Season 1 and 2 | 5.69 | 4.65 | 82% |
eArena | Southeast Asia Season 1 and 2 | 5.13 | 4.60 | 90% |
Bigetron by Vitality | Southeast Asia Season 1 and 2 | 5.24 | 3.55 | 68% |
DRX | PMPS Season 1 and 2 | 5.50 | 5.33 | 97% |
Dplus | PMPS Season 1 and 2 | 5.33 | 4.11 | 77% |
All Gamers | PEL Spring and Summer | 4.59 | 4.72 | 103% |
LGD Gaming | PEL Spring and Summer | 4.95 | 2.94 | 60% |
Weibo Gaming | PEL Spring and Summer | 5.59 | 2.22 | 40% |
Regional lobbies differ in strength, so I'd use this as a rough guide. DRX, ULF and eArena keep about 90% or more of their rate when the lobby gets harder. All Gamers keep all of theirs, but from the lowest home rate in the table, and Weibo keep 40%.
Bigetron show the same drop inside single events. They won their group at PMGO Season 1 and at PMWC and finished 2nd in their group at PMGO Season 2. Across those 24 group matches they averaged 8.0 finishes a match. In the 3 finals that followed, they averaged 3.6 across 42 matches, with 1 dinner.
Overrated by Reputation
I count 3 teams that carry more reputation into Istanbul than their 2026 results support. That is a judgment on this year's numbers, and any of them can still reach the final.
Alpha7 Esports
Alpha7 are the defending champions, having won PMGC 2025 with 142 points. In 2026 they played all 4 global events and reached 1 final, where they finished 9th in Lahore without a dinner.
- They went out in the group stage at PMGO Season 1 and at the Macao Invitational, and placed 19th at PMWC.
- Datagrounds lists 3 of the 5 players from the 2025 title roster at PMGO Season 2: Carrilho, Guizao and Revo.
Wolves Esports
Wolves hold the newest global title. They won PMGO Season 2 through the Smash Rule with 86 points, while AK Gold had 94 and 4K had 88.
Wolves won 2 Miramar matches, including the title clincher. On Erangel they scored 22 points in 6 matches and placed 16th twice. Before Lahore they were 21st at PMGO Season 1, out in the Macao group stage and 17th at PMWC.
Liquipedia's Americas points table lists Wolves first with 290 PMGC points after their Season 2 title. A Season 2 title was worth 150 points, more than the 130 for winning PMWC.
All Gamers
All Gamers are China's top seed and won PEL Spring. Since then they finished 7th in Macao without a dinner, 20th at PMWC and 6th in the PEL Summer finals, again with no dinner in 19 matches.
Their seed also needs a note. Liquipedia's PEL points page lists Asian Games bonuses of 200 for All Gamers and 50 for LGD. Removing those bonuses leaves both on 190, behind Weibo's 245.
The Chinese teams as a group show the same gap between home and international results:
- All Gamers, Weibo and LGD played 54 matches between them in the Macao final and did not win one.
- Weibo finished last there, with 40 finishes in 18 matches.
- LGD were 14th in Macao in July, then won PEL Summer with 172 points and 5 dinners, as Sports Digest reports.
Where Each Contender Starts
The starting stage decides how many bad stages a team can afford. Liquipedia lists 16 Grand Finals seats: 1 for ULF, 6 from The Gauntlet, 3 from each group and 3 from Last Chance.
Starts in | Dates | Routes to the Grand Finals | Teams from my table |
|---|---|---|---|
Grand Finals | Dec 11 to 13 | Already there | ULF |
The Gauntlet | Nov 26 and 27 | Up to 3: top 6 here, top 3 in a group, top 3 in Last Chance | Nongshim RedForce, S2G, Aurora, 4Thrives, AK Gold, 4K, The MongolZ, Wolves, All Gamers |
Group Green | Nov 29 and 30 | Up to 2: top 3 in the group, top 3 in Last Chance | FURIA, eArena, DRX, Weibo |
Group Red | Dec 2 and 3 | Up to 2: top 3 in the group, top 3 in Last Chance | Dplus, Bigetron, Alpha7, LGD |
That has 3 consequences:
- The Gauntlet is crowded. 9 teams from my table share its 6 direct seats, so at least 3 of them will drop into the groups.
- Group Green is the harder group. In the official draw, 5 of its direct teams have a top-5 finish in a 2026 international final. They are FURIA, eArena, DRX, Horaa and OLD NOT. Group Red has 1, which is Dplus.
- Every stage before the final is 12 matches. That means 2 on Rondo, 6 on Erangel and 4 on Miramar. A team that is weak on Erangel has only 6 other matches to make up for it.
That last point works against Wolves and All Gamers in particular. In the single international final each has played, Wolves averaged 3.7 points a match on Erangel and All Gamers 4.2.
India's entrant sits outside my top 18. Team SouL's PMGC case rests on improving sharply from BMIC, where they finished 12th without a dinner.
FAQs on PMGC 2026 Contenders
Has any team won PMGC twice?
Liquipedia's winner records list only Nova Esports as repeat champions, in 2020 and 2021. S2G Esports (2022), Dplus (2024) and Alpha7 Esports (2025) are all in the 2026 field, so each could become the second.
Which 2026 Titles Support Nongshim RedForce's Ranking?
Liquipedia's event records list 5 Nongshim RedForce titles highlighted here: both PMPS seasons, the Macao Invitational, the Korean Esports League and BMIC. The comparison table counts 4 because its event set excludes the Korean Esports League.
Why is Tianba not at PMGC 2026?
Liquipedia's PEL points table lists 3 Chinese PMGC slots and Tianba fourth behind All Gamers, Weibo Gaming and LGD Gaming. Tianba were 3rd at the Macao Invitational and 5th at PMWC, the best Chinese club finishes at those events.
Is Team SouL a contender at PMGC 2026?
I would put Team SouL outside the leading contenders on 2026 results. India's only team finished 12th at BMIC with 87 points and no chicken dinner, 146 points behind Nongshim RedForce. Team SouL start in The Gauntlet, so they have up to 3 routes to the Grand Finals.
Has a host-country team ever won PMGC?
No. Liquipedia lists 4 in-person champions: S2G Esports in Jakarta (2022), IHC Esports in Istanbul (2023), Dplus in London (2024) and Alpha7 Esports in Bangkok (2025). The 2020 and 2021 finals were played online. Türkiye has 6 teams in the 2026 field.
What I'd Watch in the Gauntlet
I'd start with The Gauntlet on November 26 and 27, because it tests this ranking first. It holds 5 of my top 8 along with Wolves, 4K, The MongolZ and All Gamers, and only 6 teams go straight through.
The number I'd track is Nongshim RedForce's score on Erangel. If they beat their 7.6 points a match across the 6 Erangel matches there, they'd remain first in my ranking. If S2G or Aurora outscore them on that map again, I'd reconsider the order.
After that, I'd look at which 10 teams drop into the groups. You can line up any 2 of these teams on Datagrounds' team comparison page before the first match.
