'THE FINALS®' Esports Revamped into a Global League! World Championship 'The Grand Major 2026' to Crown the Annual Champion
Nexon has announced a major overhaul of the esports structure for its team shooter 'THE FINALS®', transitioning to a unified global league across three regions leading up to 'The Grand Major 2026' in Stockholm.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 11:31
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Nexon Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Jung-Hun Lee; TSE: 3659, 'Nexon'), a global leader in online games, has announced that its consolidated subsidiary Embark Studios AB (Stockholm, Sweden; CEO: Patrick Söderlund) will revamp the esports scene for its team shooter 'THE FINALS®' into a global unified league held simultaneously in three regions worldwide. This league leads to 'The Grand Major 2026,' the world championship to decide the annual champion, and recruitment for participating teams has begun in all regions, including Japan.
With this revamp, 'THE FINALS®' esports will be reborn as a global unified league operating in three regions: APAC (Asia-Pacific), AMERICAS (North and South America), and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). Japanese players will belong to the APAC league, competing against top teams from South Korea, China, and Southeast Asia. Each regional league will consist of four 'cycles' per year, with top teams based on points earned in each cycle qualifying for 'The Grand Major 2026,' to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, in November.
■ Tournament Format
Each cycle will consist of a three-stage online process over three weeks. The top 16 teams from the 'Swiss Stage' open tournament (up to 256 teams) will advance to the 'Top 16.' From there, a double-elimination tournament will determine the eight teams advancing to the finals. In the finals, prize money and points for world championship qualification will be awarded based on the final ranking. Each cycle features a total prize pool of $4,000, with the winning team receiving $2,000 and 100 points.
After four cycles, world championship qualification will be determined by the cumulative point rankings in each region. The 1st place team in the rankings will secure a spot in the world championship, while teams ranked 2nd to 9th will compete in a 'Qualifier' for the remaining slots.
'The Grand Major,' the final showdown to decide the annual champion, will be held within 'DreamHack Stockholm' (November 27th–29th), one of the world's largest gaming festivals, in Stockholm, Sweden. The total prize pool is planned to be $150,000.
■ How to Participate
The first cycle of the APAC league will kick off on May 16th. Entry is open until May 16th on the website of 'FACEIT,' the official tournament organizer. Any team of up to four members, including one substitute, can participate, regardless of professional or amateur status.
■ Broadcasting
The finals of the APAC league are scheduled to be broadcast on the upcoming official 'THE FINALS' Japan Twitch channel. Details regarding the launch of this channel will be announced later on the official website.
Check the official website, X, Discord, and YouTube for the latest information on 'THE FINALS.'
■ About 'THE FINALS®'
'THE FINALS®' is a free-to-play combat entertainment game show that pushes environmental dynamism, destruction, and player freedom to the limit. It is available on PC (Steam®), Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation (PS5 / PS5 Pro / PS4). It is also playable via cloud streaming on NVIDIA GeForce NOW.
With this revamp, 'THE FINALS®' esports will be reborn as a global unified league operating in three regions: APAC (Asia-Pacific), AMERICAS (North and South America), and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). Japanese players will belong to the APAC league, competing against top teams from South Korea, China, and Southeast Asia. Each regional league will consist of four 'cycles' per year, with top teams based on points earned in each cycle qualifying for 'The Grand Major 2026,' to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, in November.
■ Tournament Format
Each cycle will consist of a three-stage online process over three weeks. The top 16 teams from the 'Swiss Stage' open tournament (up to 256 teams) will advance to the 'Top 16.' From there, a double-elimination tournament will determine the eight teams advancing to the finals. In the finals, prize money and points for world championship qualification will be awarded based on the final ranking. Each cycle features a total prize pool of $4,000, with the winning team receiving $2,000 and 100 points.
After four cycles, world championship qualification will be determined by the cumulative point rankings in each region. The 1st place team in the rankings will secure a spot in the world championship, while teams ranked 2nd to 9th will compete in a 'Qualifier' for the remaining slots.
'The Grand Major,' the final showdown to decide the annual champion, will be held within 'DreamHack Stockholm' (November 27th–29th), one of the world's largest gaming festivals, in Stockholm, Sweden. The total prize pool is planned to be $150,000.
■ How to Participate
The first cycle of the APAC league will kick off on May 16th. Entry is open until May 16th on the website of 'FACEIT,' the official tournament organizer. Any team of up to four members, including one substitute, can participate, regardless of professional or amateur status.
■ Broadcasting
The finals of the APAC league are scheduled to be broadcast on the upcoming official 'THE FINALS' Japan Twitch channel. Details regarding the launch of this channel will be announced later on the official website.
Check the official website, X, Discord, and YouTube for the latest information on 'THE FINALS.'
■ About 'THE FINALS®'
'THE FINALS®' is a free-to-play combat entertainment game show that pushes environmental dynamism, destruction, and player freedom to the limit. It is available on PC (Steam®), Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation (PS5 / PS5 Pro / PS4). It is also playable via cloud streaming on NVIDIA GeForce NOW.