what’s happening in 2026!
2025.12.22
Announcing what’s to come in 2026!
Hey Contestants!
We hope you’ve all recovered after the thrilling Grand Major 2025 where we crowned NTMR as our World Champions! A massive thank you to all the fans worldwide who tuned in, and a special shoutout to everyone who made the trip to DreamHack to support the teams and cheer us on in the crowd, you brought the energy and it was absolutely electric!
This event was our very first competitive launchpad, beginning with the Open Qualifiers and marking the start of a new chapter in esports history. From the roar of the live crowd to the hundreds of thousands watching from home, to the energy surging through virtual arenas across the world, it became unmistakably clear: esports has a vital place in THE FINALS.
Looking Ahead
We're excited to announce that we're officially expanding our plans to include broader regions in THE FINALS, with a specific focus on including APAC in our esports ecosystem. We recognize the importance of engaging narratives, and we aim to give players in APAC the chance to build their presence and make their mark in official tournaments.
In addition, we’re doubling down on our commitment to grassroots communities by formally integrating community events and initiatives into the official THE FINALS esports ecosystem for the 2026 season. Our success in 2025 was built on the strength of ongoing grassroots efforts, and we want to recognize and empower community organizers as a core part of our competitive future.
These integrated, community-hosted but officially recognized events will contribute to an overall leaderboard we’re calling the "Regional Fame Index" (RFI), which tracks points earned from regional tournaments based on the achievements of the teams.
The assigned regions for the RFI system will be:
- EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa)
- AMERICAS (North America & South America)
- APAC (Asia-Pacific, including Oceania and China)
Our RFI system aims to reward merit based performances and time dedicated to THE FINALS while ensuring open access for teams to tournaments, thereby promoting merit-based invitations within the ecosystem. More details on how the system works, including how teams can climb the rankings, will be shared in early 2026!
Organizers wishing to host officially recognized, "point-eligible tournaments" will need to uphold a set of standards and follow an official global ruleset. This includes things such as having open qualifier paths, so everyone has a chance to compete.
Additionally, this system paves the way for enhanced support of the competitive scene by providing more visibility, more official competitions and will offer teams the possibility to bypass qualification phases based on their standings in the RFI leaderboard as we head toward TGM26.
Earn your spot!
And there’s more! Teams that perform well within their regions will be rewarded and compete for direct invites to our yearly staple event, The Grand Major 2026. We are excited to see how the competition develops and who can hold the top spot to become our RFI Champions!
We remain dedicated to our open ecosystem. For teams that don’t qualify through the RFI, we’ll also be hosting regional Open Qualifiers, including APAC.
We’ll have much more to share soon. For now, thank you for being a part of this journey whether you competed, watched, organized, casted or cheered from the crowd.
Enjoy the holidays, and we’ll see you in the arena for 2026!
//THE FINALS Team
