Vietnam's PUBG team shines on opening day, LoL targets medal at Asian Games 2026

Vietnam's esports performance at the 2026 Asian Games has begun on a positive note. PUBG Mobile secured first place in two consecutive games to rank fourth overall on Monday, while the League of Legends team enters the competition targeting a medal.

PUBG Mobile makes a strong start

After six games at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, Vietnam's PUBG Mobile team had 51 points, ranking fourth among 12 teams. Vietnam got off to a difficult start, collecting just two points in the opening game and one in the second.

The team quickly turned things around in the following games. Vietnam secured first place in two consecutive games, earning a large number of points and building momentum for the remainder of the competition. In the fifth game, Vietnam maintained its strong form with 17 points, before finishing the opening day with one point in the sixth and final game.

At Asian Games 2026, points in PUBG Mobile are determined by both a team's finishing position and the number of eliminations it records. 

This means teams must balance survival with actively seeking opportunities to eliminate opponents. A first-place finish, for example, is worth 10 placement points, with each elimination adding one more point.

The 51-point total leaves Vietnam within reach of the leading teams. The team is four points behind Indonesia and 10 behind China, while Thailand leads the standings with 75 points. 

With another six games scheduled for the second day, Vietnam remains in contention for a medal.

The team's performance has also attracted particular attention because of the controversy surrounding two Vietnamese players at an Asian PUBG exhibition tournament the previous week. Both players were subsequently banned from PUBG competition for life, putting Vietnamese PUBG under heightened scrutiny ahead of the Asiad.

The controversy involved PUBG: Battlegrounds, however, rather than PUBG Mobile. 

PUBG: Battlegrounds is the PC version developed by Krafton, while PUBG Mobile is a separate mobile game developed by Tencent's Lightspeed Studios and published by VNG in Vietnam.

Against that backdrop, Vietnam's strong opening at Asian Games 2026 gives the team a solid position heading into the second day. 

Maintaining consistency and avoiding low-scoring games will be crucial as the team looks to stay among the leading contenders.

Vietnam's League of Legends team targets medal

Vietnam's League of Legends team will begin its Asian Games 2026 campaign on Tuesday, drawn in Group A alongside Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Malaysia. While the group is considered relatively favorable, star player Kiaya warned that Vietnam cannot afford to underestimate its opponents, whom the team rarely faces at international tournaments.

Vietnam's immediate goal is to advance from the group stage before targeting at least a bronze medal, he said.

The 25-year-old gamer, who plays for GAM Esports, helped Vietnam win gold at the 2022 SEA Games and finish fourth at Asian Games 2023. He has also represented Vietnam at major international events including the Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship.

Kiaya, alongside other experienced players such as Nguyen Dang Khoa (Pun) and Hoang Cong Nghia (Eddie), are expected to play important roles as Vietnam seeks to make a deeper run than its fourth-place finish at the previous Asian Games.

A potential matchup with South Korea is one of the most anticipated storylines. The two teams are in different groups and can meet only from the semifinals onward if both advance. South Korea features star players including Faker, Zeus and Gumayusi, while China is not competing in the League of Legends event at the Asian Games 2026.

Vietnam already faced South Korea in a friendly on September 20, winning the opening game before losing the series 3-1. Vietnam's ability to trouble its stronger opponent in that match gave Kiaya and his teammates additional confidence ahead of the official competition.