PUBG Esports 2020 – Is PUBG Slowing Down?

PUBG
April 8, 2020
Jordan Ashley

PUBG Esports in 2020 is taking a bit of a different form to previous seasons. The old formats have been done away with for the most part, and a new world tournament has taken their place. This new direction for PUBG has the potential for some high stakes matches. However, the amount of competitive PUBG has definitely decreased. This could be the first signs of a slowdown in the competitive scene for PUBG, but the increased scale and prize pool of the events are reassuring.

PUBG became widely popular after release, kicking off the Battle Royale boom. However, its popularity has waned recently with games like Fortnite coming into the same space. With a more crowded marketplace, PUBG has lost some of its dominance. The competitive scene for the game has so far reflected the deeper and more realistic mechanics found, but with this new PUBG Esports 2020 format, there is definitely a lot fewer matches to go around.

PUBG Esports 2020 - Is PUBG Slowing Down?

© PUBG Esports

PUBG 2020 Esports Schedule

PUBG Esports in 2020 will focus on having all teams compete on a global level. The formats of the past have been retired, in favour of a slimmed-down but still exciting form.

The main tournaments this year are the PUBG Global Championship. These events are going to see 32 teams compete against each other. The top four teams from last season are guaranteed a place here, with the remaining places going to the winners of regional qualifiers. The top teams to qualify move through to the PUBG Global Series Tournament.

This consists of a group stage which has two lots of 6 teams progress. Other teams in these stages can compete in the elimination stage which sends four teams that didn’t qualify from those two groups into the final. The finals will then put all qualifying teams against each other, to find which will take home the grand prize for the tournament.

This format is going to mean less competitive PUBG in a general sense, but bigger stakes. Moving to more impactful global events can give the finals more of an epic feel and help to elevate the play. PUBG is hoping the prize pools match these stakes too, with a trimmed down roster making it easier for Esports organizations to compete.

Recent Delays

The first of these finals were due to take place in April but has been delayed for now along with some of the qualifiers. It is unknown when the event will resume. However, no mention has been made so far of delaying other events, so this is likely just a single hiccup to the normal plans for PUBG Esports in 2020.

PUBG 2020 Esports Prize Pools

PUBG is going to be awarding more than $6 million over the course of these events. Participants in the PUBG Global Series events will at least take home $20,000 each no matter their placement. Another prize pool of $500,000 will be available too. The Pick’Em Challenge will raise revenue for the prize pool, with 25% of item sales going to the prize pool. This also includes 10% to be distributed to every competing team.

More revenue sharing programs is going to make it easier for organizations to keep their PUBG teams despite a decrease in events. The increased share for everyone qualifying also helps with this, making sure that one bad placement isn’t a motivator to leave the game entirely.

PUBG Esports in 2020 Slowing Down?

PUBG has a different format for Esports in 2020, but it isn’t necessarily smaller. This event shifts the focus to big global events. This makes for some dramatic action on a few weekends of the year. Although, it will mean less action over the course of the season. This approach might seem like less, but it isn’t necessarily because of decreased interest. The new format makes the events build to a big final, with more opportunities to grab the public’s attention. It is fair to say the roster of events is smaller this year, but the scope and scale of them are much bigger.

Additionally, 3rd party events are becoming a trend once again. Recently the 303 Esports organization started PUBG league featuring the best and brightest from both EU & NA. Almost every famous team from both regions is in attendance and competing.

Finally, regional events like the Frag League and Balkan PUBG League are keeping up the grassroots and amateur scenes strong. PUBG is definitely not slowing down, but it is struggling to find its own identity.

 

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