The Grand Final of the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026 in Paris was at risk of disruption due to a mass deterioration of health among participants.During the first matchday, around 20 out of 64 players sought medical help due to similar symptoms.
Problems began to manifest directly during the matches. One of the first was S2G Esports player Berkay "Lost" Yılmaz — he began feeling ill during the second game, forcing him to leave the match. Later, several more participants sought medical help.
The situation directly from the arena was commented on by Barış G (Barışcan Mercan) — a Turkish PUBG Mobile content creator and on-site co-streamer of PMWC 2026.
"Right now, out of 64 players, about 20 are not at the arena — they are all with the doctors, at the local urgent care center. And they are all complaining about the exact same thing."
According to Barış G, at that moment the organizers were not planning to completely pause the tournament. If necessary, teams could continue matches with incomplete rosters or substitute a coach in place of a player.
A version about possible food poisoning began to spread among the participants and team representatives. The food players received on the eve of the tournament was cited as the probable cause.
However, there is currently no official confirmation of this version. English-language media describe the situation as suspected food poisoning, and the organizers have yet to establish the exact cause of the mass health deterioration.
Due to the participants' health problems, it was not possible to fully complete the planned schedule for the first day. Teams played four out of six scheduled matches, after which the remaining encounters were postponed.
The organizers provided medical assistance to the affected players and initiated an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
Importantly, reports of mass health deterioration currently concern specifically PUBG Mobile. There is no information regarding similar cases among participants in the Counter-Strike 2 tournament.
Now the main question is the condition of the players and the cause of the incident. Final conclusions can only be drawn after the completion of the review by the organizers and relevant services.
As a reminder, Riot Games announced the return of LEC XPO for the 2026 Summer Finals in Nice.
