Sega Announces Annual Schedule for "Puyo Puyo" Official Tournaments! New Tournament "Puyo Puyo Ranking Pro Challenge Match" Confirmed!

Sega Corporation is pleased to announce the annual schedule for its official "Puyo Puyo" tournaments for the current fiscal year, regarding the competitive action puzzle game series "Puyo Puyo," which is certified as a Japan eSports Pro License title. As the ninth year of Sega's official esports development for "Puyo Puyo," the global ranking tournament "Puyo Puyo Global Ranking Series 2026" will be held again this year, following last year's success. The first official Sega tournament, "Puyo Puyo Global Ranking Series 2026 SEGA Official Tournament #1," is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Entries for this tournament are expected to begin in early May. Please stay tuned for further announcements. Furthermore, new tournaments have been decided, including the "Puyo Puyo Ranking Pro Challenge Match," which replaces the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final" (which determines the annual champion) and the "Puyo Puyo Ranking Pro Selection Tournament." We look forward to another exciting year for "Puyo Puyo" as an esports competition, so please look forward to it! For details on the regulations and each tournament, please check the special page on the community service "Puyo Puyo Camp." Puyo Puyo Camp Special Page https://puyo-camp.jp/events/19605 ■ "Puyo Puyo Ranking Pro Challenge Match" Confirmed! The "Puyo Puyo Ranking Pro Challenge Match" is a new tournament aimed at further developing the competitive scene of "Puyo Puyo." By creating a serious competition venue that transcends the boundaries of professional and amateur players, it provides opportunities for new talents to emerge and elevates the domestic scene to the next stage. This tournament is open to the top 16 general players in the "Puyo Puyo Ranking" for the aggregation period from Monday, December 1, 2025, to Sunday, January 24, 2027, as well as "Puyo Puyo" professional players who do not possess qualification for the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final." Qualifiers will be held online on Saturday, February 13, 2027, with the top 4 players advancing to the final tournament, which will take place on the same day and at the same venue (March, Osaki Sega Headquarters) as the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix 2026 Final." The top 2 players will be granted qualification for the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final," and if general players are among them, they will also be granted the right to obtain a "Japan eSports Pro License" for the "Puyo Puyo" series from the Japan eSports Union (JESU). Tournament Outline Tournament Name Puyo Puyo Ranking Pro Challenge Match Dates Qualifiers (Online): Scheduled for Saturday, February 13, 2027 Finals (Offline): Scheduled for March 2027 Title and Rules Used Nintendo Switch™ software "Puyo Puyo eSports" Puyo Puyo Tsu rules *Matches will be played using the latest version available at the time of the tournament. Please stay tuned for further announcements regarding the regulations for the qualifiers and finals. Awards Qualification for the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final" will be granted to the top 2 players. If general players are among them, they will also be granted the right to obtain a "Japan eSports Pro License" for the "Puyo Puyo" series from the Japan eSports Union (JESU). *If a minor player is eligible, an interview will be conducted with their guardian, and the license will be granted upon obtaining consent. ▼Regarding Sega's operational rule changes and guidelines accompanying the revision of JESU's official professional license regulations https://info-esports.sega.jp/puyo/detail/6354/ Eligibility Requirements ・Top 16 general players in the "Puyo Puyo Ranking" for the aggregation period from Monday, December 1, 2025, to Sunday, January 24, 2027. ・"Puyo Puyo" professional players who do not possess qualification for the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final." *General players who already possess qualification for the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final" are also eligible to participate if they are among the top 16 in the ranking. If a general player who already possesses qualification for the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final" finishes within the top 2, only the "Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final" qualification will be transferred to the next eligible player. If this next eligible player is a general player, the right to obtain a professional license will not be granted. *Participants are responsible for their own travel expenses and other costs incurred for participating in this tournament. The "Puyo Puyo" series is a competitive action puzzle game that has been loved worldwide for over 30 years since its release. The first "Puyo Puyo" appeared in 1991 as an MSX2 version and a Famicom Disk System version.