Incheon Wave won the 2026 Korea Esports League (2026 KEL) Eternal Return Grand Finals after seven rounds. The victory comes with a 10 million won grand prize, bringing KEL's second season to a close after approximately seven months.
The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) announced the results of the Grand Finals, held at Daejeon Esports Arena on the 8th, on November 9. Incheon Wave reached the top in the finals held under a sequential checkpoint system, earning the championship trophy and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award. Separate from the winner's prize, the team also received 6.5 million won in accumulated prize money from the main stage. Approximately 3,500 spectators attended the finals.
A total of eight teams competed in the Grand Finals. The top four teams in accumulated points from Circuits 1 through 4—GC Busan Stella, Daejeon AutoArms, Incheon Wave, and GyeongBuk Ascenders—directly qualified, joined by Daegu Guardians, Jeonnam Esports, Gyeongnam Sparkle Esports, and New Rise Gangwon, who advanced from the Day 1 semifinals.
The MVP title was awarded to Incheon Wave player Min-cheol Shin, who received a Sidiz GC PRO gaming chair as a prize. Shin stated, “I am glad that we were able to grow into a team that brings out each other's strengths through teamwork,” adding, “This victory serves as motivation to work even harder going forward. I will strive to remain a player who consistently performs at a high level.”
Side events at the arena included team promotional booths, Eternal Return mini-games, the Lumia Night Market, and a Daejeon Metropolitan City receipt exchange booth. Raffle prizes for spectators included Sidiz GX gaming chairs, Gkubracco Charcoal Chicken vouchers, and portable batteries.
The Eternal Return event kicked off on May 22 with Opening Week and concluded on November 8 following online and offline matches, including four Super Weeks. The main stage, spanning approximately six months, featured 16 regional teams from Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Sejong, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungnam, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeju, Goyang (Gyeonggi), Seongnam (Gyeonggi), and Yangju (Gyeonggi).
This year's KEL featured a total of 21 teams, including four newly established teams. PUBG MOBILE saw 16 teams compete (14 regional teams and 2 partner teams), while Eternal Return and FC Mobile featured 16 and 12 regional teams, respectively. Offline tournaments took place at regional esports venues in Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Jinju, Gyeongnam.
The PUBG MOBILE season ran from April to July, and FC Mobile took place from May to June. With Eternal Return concluding its schedule following the two titles, the entire season came to an end. The respective champions were Gyeonggi Nongshim RedForce for PUBG MOBILE, Jeonnam Esports for FC Mobile, and Incheon Wave for Eternal Return.
Launched last year with the goal of nurturing regional esports talent and strengthening regional competitiveness, KEL marked its second season this year. The 2026 KEL was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and co-organized by the Korea e-Sports Association, KRAFTON, Nimble Neuron, and Nexon Korea. Sponsors included SK Telecom, Gkubracco Charcoal Chicken, and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
