Pakistan's 4Thrives Esports eye historic PUBG MOBILE World Cup glory in Paris

PARIS: Pakistan's 4Thrives Esports are set to chase a historic PUBG MOBILE World Cup title when the Grand Finals of the Esports World Cup 2026 get underway on Friday.

The Pakistani outfit secured a direct berth in the 16-team Grand Finals after topping Group A with an impressive 107 points, including 80 elimination points, during the group stage.

Their dominant campaign saw them finish ahead of India's Orangutan, who secured second place in Group A with 91 points, with both teams advancing directly to the Grand Finals.

The Grand Finals will be held from August 14 to 16 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, with 16 teams competing over three days for the prestigious title and a share of the $1.7 million Grand Finals prize pool.

The 16-team field features some of the world's strongest PUBG MOBILE sides.

Alongside 4Thrives and fellow Group A qualifiers Orangutan, the line-up features Aurora Gaming of Mongolia, Team Flash of Vietnam, Nigma Galaxy of Bahrain, Team Vitality of Indonesia, IDA Esports of Turkiye, India's GodLike Esports and Nepal's Horaa Esports.

The remaining finalists are Turkiye's S2G and ULF Esports, China's Tianba, Saudi Arabia's ULA, South Korea's NongShim RedForce, Brazil's FURIA and Thailand's eArena.

The diverse field brings together teams from across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, setting up a highly competitive battle for the EWC crown.

Several of the finalists secured their places through the Survival Stage after narrowly missing out on direct qualification from the group stage. 

Tianba emerged as the strongest team from the Survival Stage, while ULA, NongShim RedForce, FURIA, ULF Esports and eArena also fought their way into the final 16.

India will have two representatives in the Grand Finals, with Orangutan and GodLike Esports making history as the first Indian teams to reach the PMWC Grand Finals in the same edition.

4Thrives, meanwhile, enter the decisive stage with significant momentum after an impressive 2026 campaign. The Pakistani organisation won the PUBG MOBILE Global Open (PMGO) 2026 Season 1 title earlier this year, adding a major international trophy to its growing collection.

The team also made its mark at the 2025 PUBG MOBILE World Cup, finishing seventh and establishing itself as one of Pakistan's leading international esports representatives.

The Grand Finals will feature six matches per day, with the competition concluding on August 16. The Smash Rule will come into effect on the final day, adding another layer of drama to the title race.