The first day of the PUBG Nations Cup (PNC) 2026 Grand Finals took place on the 26th at Jangchung Arena in Seoul. Team South Korea, consisting of Heaven, Gyumin, Seongjang, and Heather, secured a win in the third match but struggled in the fourth and fifth, finishing the day in 7th place. Brazil took the lead with 61 points after a dominant performance that included one win and 39 kills, followed by Argentina and Ukraine.

The first match began on Erangel. With the zone heavily favoring the ocean, several teams were eliminated simultaneously. South Korea, positioned on the outskirts, wiped out defending champion Vietnam to advance. Despite a difficult situation, they pushed back the UK but were eventually eliminated by Thailand, who capitalized on the chaos, finishing 7th. The first win went to Ukraine; after playing a patient game, they relied on 'Bustik' in the final moments to take down both Denmark and Thailand.

The second match was held on Miramar. South Korea faced an early crisis when Heather was knocked out, but a super save from Gyumin allowed them to maintain their momentum into the late game. By precisely navigating the gap between Argentina and Vietnam to reach the safe zone, South Korea managed to eliminate the formidable Vietnamese team thanks to Heather's efforts. However, they were eventually caught in a pincer attack by Argentina and Brazil due to the shifting blue zone, finishing the match in 3rd place. In the final engagement, Brazil overcame a 2-on-3 numerical disadvantage to secure the win.

In the third match on Taego, the first zone centered around South Korea's landmark, Godeok, and continued to shrink while including the buildings and ridges they occupied. As a result, South Korea was the only team to maintain full strength amidst the heavy fighting. With their biggest threat, the U.S., eliminated from the north, the path to victory opened up. After cleanly finishing off China, South Korea turned their sights on the remaining Thai players, winning the 4-on-3 fight without issue to claim the win.

In the fourth match on Rondo, the zones shifted heavily to the left, leading to constant gunfire across the map from early on. South Korea failed to break through the ironclad defense of a neutral team during their rotation and was eliminated. Brazil, which had been showing its presence by racking up kills in the east, was caught off guard and collapsed after being ambushed by China while finishing off a neutral team. China, maintaining a full squad, easily swept the remaining German forces to secure the win.

The fifth match returned to Erangel. South Korea suffered an unexpected setback when Seongjang was downed by the red zone, and Gyumin, who went to assist, was also knocked out by gunfire and blue zone damage. Although Heather attempted a rescue, he was unable to save anyone. By that point, the safe zone was already crowded with enemies, and South Korea finished the first day with only one additional kill. The final win went to defending champion Vietnam, while Denmark, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States also scored heavily, each recording over 10 kills.