Following the first day of the 'PUBG Nations Cup (PNC) 2026' Survival Stage, held on the 23rd at PUBG Seongsu in Seoul, Ukraine, Denmark, and Turkey have secured the top three spots, putting them in a strong position to advance to the Finals. Ukraine lived up to their status as title favorites by securing three 'chickens' (wins), while Denmark's 'Beami' and Turkey's 'xLyii' also made their presence felt throughout the day.

The first match, played on Erangel, saw a final circle closing in on the Pochinki wheat fields. Ukraine, positioned to the south, used superior combat power to wipe out Malaysia and Norway as they pushed along the blue zone. Teams holding out in buildings to the west were eventually forced to move, leading to a chaotic brawl that left most squads heavily damaged. Ultimately, Ukraine, the only team to maintain a full roster, secured the win with 13 kills. Denmark, having capitalized on the western side, recorded 11 kills, while the Philippines showed strong combat prowess to finish with 10 kills.

Ukraine continued their momentum in the second match on Miramar. As the game narrowed down to a four-way fight between Ukraine, Turkey, Norway, and Malaysia, Ukraine secured a dominant position behind rocks on high ground. Malaysia took heavy damage from Norway and Turkey while trying to rotate in, and were eventually finished off by Ukraine. Despite being outnumbered, Turkey managed to win a power struggle against Norway, but they were unable to withstand Ukraine's offensive. It was a second consecutive win, proving why they are favorites to win the tournament.

The third match took place on Taego. Ukraine, the overall leader, was eliminated early after a full-scale battle with a neutral team at the fishing village, managing only one kill. Turkey seized the opportunity to climb the leaderboard. By securing a building, they easily picked off enemies entering the safe zone to rack up kill points. They went on to eliminate Argentina and Norway during the rotation, finishing second with an impressive 17 kills. The win in the third match went to Denmark, who successfully defended their position thanks to a stellar performance by 'Beami'.

In the fourth match on Rondo, Japan, who had been languishing at the bottom of the standings, pulled off a turnaround. Led by 'Goni', they stayed on the outskirts of the safe zone, quietly and cleanly eliminating nearby threats while maintaining their full four-man squad. With other teams suffering losses due to frequent skirmishes, Japan took the win by taking down Malaysia's lone survivor 'Shen', followed by the Danish duo of 'Beami' and 'Ketter'. Thanks to this performance, Japan vaulted from last place to 7th in the overall standings.

The final match of the day returned to Erangel. Denmark, having suffered early losses, was wiped out after securing 5 kills through the individual prowess of 'Beami' and 'Gustav'. Ukraine began to flex their firepower, led by the monstrous performance of 'Bustik'. Although they lost one player while eliminating Turkey, Chinese Taipei also took damage from hidden survivors while attempting to enter the circle. In the end, Ukraine displayed superior combat ability in a 3-on-3 fight to secure their third win of the day and reclaim the overall lead.