17 Gaming won the PUBG: Battlegrounds title at the Games of the Future 2026 in Astana after a closely fought tournament that was decided in the 15th and final match.
PUBG, which stands for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, is a globally popular battle royale video game and a major competitive esports title.
The competition, held at Beeline Arena, brought together 16 of the world's leading teams. 17 Gaming finished top of the standings with 131 points, 11 points ahead of runners-up GAM The Expendables. Team Vitality secured third place with 106 points.
The three-day competition remained wide open until the final round, with teams competing for a share of the tournament's $1 million prize fund.
The champions, 17 Gaming, received $300,000 in prize money, while GAM The Expendables earned $120,000. Team Vitality took home $100,000 for finishing third.
The players of 17 Gaming said interest in PUBG esports continues to grow as more competitions are organised around the world. They also praised their experience in Astana, highlighting the city's food despite the high summer temperatures.
Team Vitality player Artyom Baskakov said the final day was particularly challenging because the location of the in-game zones did not favour his team.
Despite the difficult conditions, Team Vitality continued to collect points by maintaining its preferred style of play, looking for opportunities to engage opponents and communicating consistently throughout the matches.
Their performance was enough to secure third place and a place on the podium.
Kazakhstan's DIGA Esports finished 14th with 59 points and received $15,000 in prize money.
One of the team's strongest performances came in the eighth match, when DIGA claimed victory in front of the home crowd. Spectators at Beeline Arena responded with a standing ovation.
DIGA player Sanzhar Kaliyev described the tournament as valuable experience for the Kazakh team, which competed against some of the world's strongest PUBG sides.
He said several DIGA players had never previously competed at an event of this level. The team used the opening day to adapt, became more comfortable during the second day and produced an improved performance in the final matches.
Kaliyev said finishing 14th was a respectable result given the quality and experience of the other teams.
The Games of the Future 2026 are being held in Astana from 29 July to 9 August.
More than 800 competitors from 34 countries are taking part in eight disciplines across four venues. The event combines esports, traditional sport and technology, with a total prize fund of $4.65 million.
Kazakhstan is represented by 11 teams and individual competitors across the event's different disciplines.
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