PUBG Nations Cup 2025 Finals Begin as aespa Prepares "Dark Arts" Live Debut
Indonesia leads eight nations into championship rounds with K-pop superstars set for historic esports performance
SEOUL - The PUBG Nations Cup 2025 advances to its Final Stage today as eight teams emerged from the Survival Stage to join defending champions South Korea and seven other auto-qualified nations in the championship rounds at Olympic Handball Gymnasium.
Indonesia dominated the two-day Survival Stage with four Chicken Dinners, followed by Norway in second and Philippines in third. The complete Final Stage lineup includes Indonesia, Norway, Philippines, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Chinese Taipei, and Poland from the Survival Stage, joining South Korea, China, United States, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, Argentina, and Brazil who auto-qualified based on 2024 results.
Notable eliminations included France, Sweden, Canada, Turkey, Malaysia, India, Japan, and Spain, while Denmark and Poland mounted dramatic late-stage comebacks to secure Final Stage spots.
The Final Stage runs July 25-27 with six matches daily for 18 total competitive rounds. Teams compete using the S.U.P.E.R. point system combining kill and placement points. The base prize pool stands at $500,000 USD, with the winning team earning $150,000. An additional 25% of PNC 2025 themed item sales will be distributed among all teams.
Global K-pop group aespa will perform their PUBG collaboration single "Dark Arts" live for the first time at the PNC 2025 Grand Finals on July 27. The performance marks a significant crossover between esports and mainstream entertainment.
The collaboration includes exclusive in-game items featuring skins resembling group members Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning, plus aespa-themed updates to the Miramar map including concert venues and emote stages. The collaboration runs until August 6 for PC players and August 14 for console players.
Key players to watch include Indonesia's tRycKK, Philippines' 10trip from the Survival Stage qualifiers, and established stars like South Korea's seoul (2024 MVP), China's Aixleft, Vietnam's Himass, United States' Shrimzy, and Australia's TGLTN.
South Korea enters as defending champion seeking a third consecutive PNC title, while emerging regions like Southeast Asia have demonstrated significant competitive growth.
All matches stream live starting at 6 PM KST on PUBG Esports official channels including YouTube, Chzzk, SOOP, and Naver TV. Viewers can earn in-game rewards through watch-time events, including sprays, emblems, nameplates, PNC 2025 commemorative jackets, and limited "aespa Emote - Dark Arts Part 2" items during the Final Stage.
Additional entertainment includes beatbox group Beat Pella House performing July 25 at 6 PM before aespa's closing ceremony performance.
The tournament concludes Sunday with the championship match followed by aespa's "Dark Arts" debut, representing the largest cultural crossover in competitive PUBG history.
