PMGC 2026 Group Red: dates, teams and the final group route
PMGC 2026
Group Red is the second half of the PMGC 2026 Group Stage. Sixteen teams play 12 matches on 2 and 3 December 2026, and the top three join the Grand Finals in Istanbul. The teams in 4th to 11th place move to the Last Chance stage, and the bottom five go home.
Group Red brings the PMGC 2026 Group Stage to a close in the first week of December. By the time it starts, Group Green has already sent its top three to Istanbul, and the Gauntlet has filled the last ten group places. Red plays the same 12-match shape as Green: two days, six matches a day, and three direct tickets to the Grand Finals.
When Group Red plays
Group Red plays on 2 and 3 December 2026, with six matches each day. The broadcast opens at 12:10 UTC, which is 15:10 in Turkiye and 17:10 in Pakistan. The first match on 2 December starts at 12:45 UTC, which is 15:45 in Turkiye and 17:45 in Pakistan, and the listed matches run through to 15:50 UTC.
The listed matches on 3 December run from 12:10 to 15:50 UTC, the same daily window as the other group days. The match clock for Red is published, while the map order for its matches has not been listed yet. Once Red ends on 3 December, the Last Chance field is complete.
Which teams play in Group Red
The Red line-up is not set yet, because the split is decided after the Gauntlet. Those 22 teams are the pool the Red line-up is drawn from. Bigetron by Vitality, eArena and Team Flash qualified through Southeast Asia Points in 3rd, 4th and 5th, while Horaa Esports and Trained to Kill came through South Asia Points in 2nd and 3rd.
OLD NOT and GOAT Team qualified through EECA Points in 3rd and 4th. AlUla Club, Geekay Esports, Nigma Galaxy and R8 Esports came through MENA Points in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. Selibon and BUF Esports qualified through Turkiye Points in 4th and 5th, and BRX MSM takes the Turkiye slot that passed down when Gaming Stars qualified for the Gauntlet.
Boars Gaming qualified through Western Europe Points in 2nd, FURIA and Alpha7 Esports through Americas Points in 3rd and 4th, and Weibo Gaming and LGD Gaming through PEL Points in 2nd and 3rd. Valor won the Japan League, DRX finished 2nd in the Pro Series Korea, and Dplus KIA took the International Cup 3rd place.
The Gauntlet adds ten more teams: the sides that finish 7th to 16th there on 26 and 27 November. Once those ten are known, the 32 teams are divided into two groups of 16, and the Red line-up is set.
What Group Red decides
Group Red sends three teams to the Grand Finals. The top three teams after 12 matches go straight to Istanbul for the Grand Finals on 11 to 13 December, where they join ULF Esports, the six Gauntlet qualifiers and the three teams from Group Green.
A route is still open for the sides in 4th to 11th place. They join the Last Chance stage on 5 and 6 December, where the last three Grand Finals places are decided. The bottom five teams in Group Red are eliminated, and their season ends in December.
Red is the last group to finish, so its results complete the Last Chance field. Eight teams come from Group Green and eight from Group Red, and the Last Chance starts two days after Red ends.
| Stage | Group Stage - Group Red |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2-3 December 2026 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Matches | 12 (6 per day) |
| Broadcast starts | 2 Dec, 15:10 TRT (17:10 PKT) |
| First match | 2 Dec, 15:45 TRT (17:45 PKT) |
| Top 3 | Grand Finals, Istanbul |
| 4th-11th | Last Chance, 5-6 December |
When does Group Red play at PMGC 2026?
On 2 and 3 December 2026. Six matches are played each day, with the broadcast starting at 15:10 TRT (17:10 PKT) and the first match at 15:45 TRT (17:45 PKT) on 2 December.
Which teams are in Group Red?
No 16-team line-up is published yet. The 22 directly qualified teams and the ten Gauntlet advancers are divided into Green and Red once the Gauntlet ends on 27 November.
How many Group Red teams reach the Grand Finals?
Three teams go through. The top three in Group Red go straight to Istanbul for the Grand Finals on 11 to 13 December.
What happens to the other Group Red teams?
The sides placed 4th to 11th move to the Last Chance stage on 5 and 6 December, where the last three Grand Finals places are decided. The bottom five teams go out.
Is the map order published for Group Red?
No. The match clock for Group Red is published, with the first match at 15:45 TRT on 2 December, but the map order for its matches has not been listed yet.