TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian national PUBG Mobile esports team secured a spot in the main draw of the 2026 Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya after finishing second in the Grand Final of the qualifying round held in Vietnam on Sunday.
This result placed Indonesia as runner-up behind Pakistan, the qualifying champion. Eight countries, including Indonesia, will advance to the main draw of the PUBG Mobile esports event at the 2026 Asian Games.
"PUBG Mobile also secured our place among the 12 teams in the Grand Final. We finished second. Pakistan, the PMGO world champion in June 2026, secured the second place," said Indonesian national esports team head coach Richard Permana to ANTARA via text message.
Richard said Pakistan would be one of Indonesia's main rivals in the main draw. However, he assessed that the Red and White team's performance had improved significantly compared to the first day of qualifying.
According to him, the change in performance was clearly visible, enabling the team to conclude the tournament with a satisfactory result.
"We performed 180 degrees from the first day of PUBG Mobile qualifying versus the Grand Final. It was very clear to see," Richard said.
He added that the performance in Vietnam did not reflect the team's best abilities. The coaching team will continue to work on perfecting their game through the preparation program for the 2026 Asian Games.
"These are some small versions of the Indonesian PUBG Mobile national team's performance that we can show more or less. We will try to refine the final version, hopefully at the national training camp, and then fully display it at the main event in Aichi-Nagoya," said Richard.
Richard also appreciated the support of the Indonesian Esports Executive Board (PB ESI), which he considered to have played a crucial role in the preparation of all Indonesian esports teams competing in the Asian Games qualifiers.
According to him, this support helped the coaching process, player adaptation, and the implementation of the game system designed by the coaching team.
Meanwhile, PUBG Mobile national team player Fazriel Haikal Aditya expressed his gratitude to the Indonesian people for their support during the team's struggles in the qualifying rounds.
"Thank you for supporting the Indonesian National Team. Your support means a lot to us. I hope all of you who are fighting can feel the pride of representing Indonesia," said Haikal.
The Indonesian PUBG Mobile national team is strengthened by Fazriel Haikal Aditya, Juventino Ryan Jeremy R., Micho Ananda Pratama W., Muh Fathyn Zilhaq S., and Sharfan Syahman Shodiq, under the direction of coach Deni Fianda and assistant coach Bintang Prakoso P.
Indonesia is in Group A alongside Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Jordan, and Hong Kong. The Red and White team qualified for the Grand Final after finishing fifth in the group stage.
Meanwhile, Group B consists of Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Bahrain, Nepal, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Laos, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, and Brunei Darussalam.
In the Grand Final, Indonesia finished second in the qualifying round behind Pakistan. In addition to Indonesia and Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and Myanmar also secured tickets to the main draw of the 2026 Asian Games.
Read: Indonesia Crowned Overall Champion at 2026 SEA Esports Nations Cup
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Indonesia Crowned Overall Champion at 2026 SEA Esports Nations Cup
42 hari lalu
Indonesian esports team wins overall championship of 2026 SEA Esports Nations Cup after winning three gold medals, one silver, & one bronze medal.
Indonesia Rolls Out IGRS Ratings on Roblox, Steam to Protect Users
5 April 2026
Indonesia now regulates digital gaming content with the Indonesian Game Rating System (IGRS) now being implemented in Roblox and Steam.
PUBG Mobile Version 4.0: Updates and Kaiju No. 8 Anime Collaboration
7 September 2025
Version 4.0 of PUBG Mobile will be available from September 5, 2025, to November 4, 2025, featuring a horror theme, new game modes, and collaboration.
PUBG Mobile Partners with Indonesian Soloist Bernadya
14 Agustus 2025
PUBG Mobile and Bernadya collaborate to merge gaming with music, providing a fresh atmosphere in the digital space for players.
SEA Games: PUBG Golds Strengthen Indonesia's Position in Southeast Asia
16 Mei 2023
Indonesia has strengthened its position in Southeast Asian esports after winning two consecutive golds in PUBG Mobile in SEA Games competition event.
2022 Esports President's Cup Begins Soon; Prize Money up to Rp1.8bn
4 Agustus 2022
The 2022 Esports President's Cup will be held starting on August 10, 2022.
Decision of MUI, Kominfo After First Meeting on PUBG Ban
27 Maret 2019
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) held a meeting Tuesday with Kominfo, psychologists, and e-Sports association on the ban against PUBG game.
Sports Minister on Fixing Downside of Online Gaming, PUBG
26 Maret 2019
Menpora Imam Nahrawi talked about the possible MUI ban imposed on the current online gaming craze, Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).
Ministry, MUI to Discuss Fatwa on PUBG Today
26 Maret 2019
The ministry of communication and informatics has yet taken a decision in light of the plan issued by MUI about a haram fatwa (edict) on PUBG.
Gov't Involved in MUI Fatwa on PUBG
23 Maret 2019
MUI plans to declare haram fatwa on the online game PUBG following the recent mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand,
:strip_icc():format(jpeg):watermark(kly-media-production/assets/images/watermarks/bola/watermark-color-landscape-new.png,1125,20,0)/kly-media-production/medias/5495647/original/074499000_1770385031-barba.jpeg)
:strip_icc():format(jpeg)/kly-media-production/medias/5414491/original/012054700_1763287155-530668458_18471777553074306_380593477510268437_n__1_.jpg)
