'THE FINALS' Global Esports Tournament 'The Grand Major Online Series', South Korean Team 'HIBOO' Wins APAC League Cycle 2!

Nexon Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Lee Jung-heon, TSE: 3659, hereinafter Nexon), which develops and operates online games, announced that its consolidated subsidiary Embark Studios AB (Location: Stockholm, Sweden, CEO: Patrick Söderlund) held the APAC League Cycle 2 finals for the team shooter 'THE FINALS®' on June 28, 2026.

About 'The Grand Major Online Series'

'The Grand Major Online Series' is the official esports tournament for 'THE FINALS', which was reborn as a global unified league in April of this year, with a total prize pool of $200,000. It is held in three regions: APAC (Asia-Pacific), AMERICAS (North and South America), and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). Teams will qualify for the world championship 'TGM (The Grand Major) Grand Final 2026' held in Stockholm, Sweden in November, based on points earned over four cycles per year.

The Grand Major 2026 Information Page

https://thefinals-jp.nexon.com/esports/2026tgm

The TOP 8 finals to determine the winner of APAC Cycle 2 were broadcast live worldwide on June 27, featuring intense battles between eight teams: South Korea's 'HIBOO', 'Goyong MIR', 'AWF'; China's 'Kingzero (KZ)', 'DRG', '4AM'; a joint South Korean-Australian team '777rs'; and a joint Australian-New Zealand team 'Altac'.

TOP 8 Finals Highlight: 'HIBOO' Wins a Close Match Against 'KZ' with a Comeback!

In the first round, the joint South Korean-Australian team '777rs' successfully made two cash-out dashes using dome shields and slime grenades effectively, quickly advancing to the finals.

In the subsequent winners' bracket tournament, Chinese teams 'KZ' and 'DRG' clashed on the Chinatown-themed 'Fanwei City' map. 'KZ', with their strong firepower from a Heavy/Light/Light composition, secured their spot as the second team to advance to the finals.

Following this, 'DRG' advanced to the finals in the third round, and 'HIBOO' in the fourth round.

The finals took place on the 'Nozomi/Citadel' map, with four teams battling: '777rs', 'DRG', 'KZ', and 'HIBOO'.

'KZ', the winner of the first cycle, consistently secured cash with their Heavy/Light/Light composition. 'HIBOO' also defended the cash-out station, securing the second-highest amount of cash and advancing to the second match.

In the decisive second match, 'HIBOO' conceded the first cash-out to 'KZ', but player 'Byuxeul' turned the tide by eliminating the light build players with an RPG and shotgun from a heavy build, successfully stealing the cash-out just before the match ended. With a dramatic comeback victory, 'HIBOO' was crowned the champion of Cycle 2.

The winning team 'HIBOO' received a prize of $2,000 and earned 100 points towards qualifying for the 'TGM Grand Final 2026' in November, bringing their total to 130 points and moving them up to 2nd place on the leaderboard. Despite finishing as runner-up, 'KZ' maintained their top position overall, with a 45-point lead over 'HIBOO' and only a 5-point difference with 3rd place 'DRG', promising an exciting race for qualification.

APAC Leaderboard (as of the end of Cycle 2)

Rank

Team

Total Points

1

KZ (CN)

175

2

HIBOO (KR)

130

3

DRG (CN)

125

4

777rs (KR/AU)

80

5

4AM (CN)

25

6

Altac (AU/NZ)

20

7

Weekend at Bernie’s (AU)

20

8

Goyong MIR (KR)

15

Cycle 3 Starts July 11! Registration Open

The third cycle of the 'The Grand Major Online Series' APAC League is scheduled to begin on July 11, and team registration is currently open. Anyone, professional or amateur, can participate as long as they form a team of up to four players, including one substitute. Registration is open on the official tournament organizer 'FACEIT' website until 9:00 AM on the day of the event.

[Schedule] (All times are Japan Standard Time)

- Registration Deadline: July 11 (Sat) 9:00

- Swiss Rounds: July 11 (Sat) 13:00~

- Top 16: July 18 (Sat) 13:00~

- Top 8 Finals: July 25 (Sat) 13:00~

[Registration]

https://www.faceit.com/ja/championship/bd96eae5-c4a3-40c0-95fd-466225c2a9e7

[Broadcast Information]

The APAC League will be live-streamed on 'THE FINALS' official Japanese Twitch channel.

https://www.twitch.tv/thefinals_jp

Past tournament footage can be viewed on the official YouTube channel. (English)

https://www.youtube.com/@reachthefinals

For the latest information on 'THE FINALS', please check the official website, official X, Discord, and YouTube.

Official Website: https://thefinals-jp.nexon.com/

X: https://x.com/jp_THEFINALS

Discord: https://discord.gg/thefinals

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reachthefinals

About 'THE FINALS'

'THE FINALS' is a free-to-play combat entertainment game show that maximizes environmental dynamism, destruction, and player freedom. It is available on PC (Steam®), Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation (PS5 / PS5 Pro) stores. It can also be played via cloud streaming on NVIDIA GeForce NOW.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2073850/THE_FINALS/

PlayStation (PS5 / PS5 Pro): https://store.playstation.com/ja-jp/concept/10006873

Xbox Series X/S: https://www.xbox.com/ja-jp/games/store/the-finals/9pgd71cmds0z

GeForce NOW: https://www.nvidia.com/ja-jp/geforce-now/

Copyright

THE FINALS © 2022-2026 Embark Studios AB. THE FINALS and EMBARK trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Embark Studios AB.

Embark Studios AB https://www.embark-studios.com/

Embark Studios (Location: Stockholm, Sweden, Representative Director: Patrick Soderlund, hereinafter Embark) is a Stockholm-based game development company founded in 2018, challenging the norms of game development with a deep sense of curiosity and an underdog spirit. Currently, with over 300 game creators, they strive to deliver amazing game experiences that transcend genres through the pursuit of new technologies and ideas. Embark released its first title 'THE FINALS®' in 2023 and its new title 'ARC Raiders®' in October 2025.

Nexon Co., Ltd.

https://company.nexon.co.jp/ Founded in 1994, Nexon (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) is a company engaged in the development, production, and distribution of online games. It was listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011 and is included in the JPX Nikkei Index 400, Nikkei Stock Average 300, and Nikkei 225. Currently, Nexon offers over 40 games, including its flagship titles 'MapleStory', 'Mabinogi', and 'Dungeon Fighter Online', for PC, console, and mobile devices in over 190 countries and regions. In 2024, Nexon formulated an IP growth strategy consisting of two axes: vertical growth through new experiences in its major franchises, and horizontal growth to create the next pillar in Nexon's IP portfolio.