The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) announced on November 4 that the final championship for Eternal Return this year will be held on November 7 and 8 at the Daejeon Esports Arena (Yuseong, Daejeon). The total prize pool is 30 million won, with the winning team receiving the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award and 10 million won in prize money.
This tournament serves as the final championship for the 2026 Korean Esports League (2026 KEL). Qualification for the finals was determined by cumulative points earned across Circuits 1 through 4, which ran for approximately four months starting in June. The top four teams advance directly to the finals, while teams ranked 5th through 12th will compete in the semifinals for a spot in the finals.
The semifinals will begin at 1:30 p.m. on the 7th, with eight teams competing across six rounds under a point system to determine the top four teams. The participating teams are Gyeongnam Sparkle Esports, Seongnam ROX, Chungnam CNJ Esports, New Rise Gangwon, Jeonnam Esports, Daegu Guardians, FN Sejong, and Gyeonggi Innate.
The finals will take place on the 8th starting at 1:30 p.m. using a sequential checkpoint system. A total of eight teams—comprising the four directly seeded teams (FC Busan Stella, Daejeon Autoarms, Incheon Wave, and Gyeongbuk Ascenders) and the four advancing from the semifinals—will compete for the championship.
Following the champion, the second-place team will receive the Korea Creative Content Agency President's Award along with 5 million won in prize money, while the third-place team will be awarded the Korea e-Sports Association President's Award and 3 million won. The player selected as MVP will be awarded a Sidiz Gaming Chair GC PRO as a prize.
At the venue, priority ticket winners will be admitted first, followed by first-come, first-served seating for open and remaining seats. Side events include Eternal Return mini-games, the Lumia Black Market, KEL team booths, and a Daejeon Metropolitan City receipt exchange booth. Spectators who participate in the on-site cheer card verification and online voters who predict surviving teams per round will be entered into a raffle to win Ggubrakko Charcoal Chicken. After the broadcast concludes, a live raffle at the venue will award a Sidiz Gaming Chair GX and portable power banks.
Matches will be broadcast live on the official KEL channels on Naver CHZZK, SOOP, and YouTube, as well as the official Eternal Return channels on Naver CHZZK, SOOP, CI.ME, and YouTube. Detailed tournament information is available on the official KEL website, X, and Instagram.
Launched last year with the goal of nurturing regional esports athletes and strengthening regional competitiveness, KEL is now in its second year. KeSPA explained that KEL contributes not only to players gaining practical experience but also to cultivating professional talent and creating jobs. Offline matches are held in collaboration with regional esports arenas in locations such as Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Jinju, Gyeongnam.
This final championship is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and co-organized by the Korea e-Sports Association, Nimble Neuron, and the Daejeon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency. Sponsors include Daejeon Metropolitan City, the Daejeon Tourism Organization, SK Telecom, Ggubrakko Charcoal Chicken, Micronics, Class101, and the Korea Creative Content Agency.
