The PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2022 Grand Finals are set to happen in Jakarta, Indonesia from Jan. 6 to 8. The top 16 teams from around the world will be competing for a share of the $4 million prize pool and the title of world champions.

The tournament will be a complete LAN event with a live audience, making this the first PMGC to do so. Tickets are currently on sale for the event. Fans can catch the action live on the PUBG Mobile Esports YouTube channel.

Being a battle royale game, all teams have a realistic chance at lifting the trophy. They all had to fight in their local leagues and also against other international teams throughout the PMGC League to reach the biggest stage in PUBG Mobile esports.

With that being said, there have been some standout performances and some teams who look to have the upper hand going into the PMGC 2022 Grand Finals. These are as follows:

GodLike Stalwart (South Asia): First SA team for the PMGC trophy?

At the beginning of the year, no one would have expected that a team from South Asia would be one of the favorites to become the PUBG Mobile world champions. GodLike Stalwart, however, has proved its naysayers wrong with a tremendous performance throughout the year.

They won both seasons of the PMPL South Asia Championship – displaying their regional supremacy while growing hungry for a performance on the international stage.

And performing on the international stage is exactly what they have done. They placed third in the PUBG Mobile World Invitational (PMWI) 2022 making it one of the highest finishes for a South Asian team in an international tournament.

What has really put them as a team with a formidable chance for the trophy, though, was their performance in the PMGC Group Stage.

Stalwart were placed in Group Green – “The Group of Death” in the tournament. In fact, all three teams in this article belonged to this group itself. It consisted of two-time defending world champions Nova, the dominant Thai PMWI champions Vampire, besides several other regional champions.

Stalwart’s draw in the group stage came as a blessing in disguise as they showed why they are a force to be reckoned with. A dominant and consistent performance saw them top the group and make it to the PMGC Grand Finals. A similar showing across the three-day final will definitely land them the trophy making them the first South Asian team to do so.

Nova Esports (China): Can they do it for the third time?

The Nova name has become almost synonymous with PUBG Mobile esports – and for good reason. The team made history last year when they won the PMGC 2021 to become the first-ever two-time back-to-back world champions. Those are a lot of accolades to have for one team.

The team, which still consists mostly of the same players since the roster’s inception in 2020 hasn’t slowed down its dominant performances.
They placed third and second respectively in the two seasons of the Peacekeeper Elite League (PEL) this season. A notable mention for the squad would be the PUBG Mobile Regional Clash (PMRC) in September which pitted two of the strongest regions against each other, namely China and SEA. Nova Esports managed to place second.

In the PMGC Group Stage, they were alongside Stalwart in Group Green. While they couldn’t win, they lost the first place by just four points – something which can be blamed on luck in a BR title.

Can Nova Esports pull it off? Only time will tell.

Vampire Esports (Thailand): Redemption at the PMGC Finals is on the mind

It’s only fair to end this article with a Thai team. Thailand has been the region making headlines in PUBG Mobile esports throughout the year. Vampire Esports has been at the center of it.

Vampire won the PMWI 2022 in Saudi Arabia. They they topped this off with another first place at the Afterparty Showdown one week later.

While that was the highlight of their year, the second half of 2022 hasn’t been the best for them. They could only manage sixth in the PMPL Thailand Fall and a lowly 13th in the PMPL SEA Championship.

However, the team looks to be on a redemption arc based on its performance in the PMGC League. After placing fifth in group green, they managed third in the Survival Stage. They didn’t lose their consistency and finished in second at the last-chance qualifier a few days later to make it to the PMGC Grand Finals.

The team showed earlier in the year what they can do against international teams. After a brief stint of disappointment, they will definitely be looking to redeem themselves and the Thai region.