KRAFTON, the developer of battle royale game series PUBG, has announced its founding partner teams for 2023 PUBG Esports season.
The selection process started in December 2022. PUBG Esports has revealed that eight teams awarded global partner status are Four Angry Men, 17Gaming, FaZe Clan, Gen.G, NAVI, Patrichor Road, Soniqs and Twisted Minds.
This is the first year in which the partner team programme exists for PUBG Esports. The new system is similar in form to other partner leagues such as the VCT and will see the teams receive financial benefits from a range of in-game items. The teams are also guaranteed a slot in the PUBG Global Series, a tournament series that will take place this year in April and September.
The PUBG Esports team noted that a committee was created to evaluate applications from teams. The most important criteria was “the organisation’s ability and will to participate in the PUBG Esports journey and help develop a stronger ecosystem”.
KRAFTON also shared a percentage breakdown of three main factors: Governance, fandom and history.
According to the company, governance consists of the stability and future commitment that the team has for the PUBG Esports scene, as well as the legal structure to support the partnership.
The second pillar — fandom — means that the organisation has a large and valuable fanbase. Finally, the last pillar — history — takes into account previous success in PUBG events.
Non-partner teams will also get a chance to participate in PUBG Esports events in 2023 through a series of qualifiers. The company announced that it plans to hold regional events in Asia, Americas, APAC and EMEA regions to find the best teams for PUBG events.
