The Susquehanna Soniqs were crowned the champions of the PUBG Global Invitational.S (PGI.S) this weekend, taking home more than $1.29 million in prize winnings. The eight-week esports tournament took place in South Korea with 32 of the top international teams having been invited.
The best in the world. 🏆#SoniqBoom pic.twitter.com/29YyDHYsKJ
— Soniqs (@SoniqsEsports) March 28, 2021
$7 Million prize pool from crowdfunding
The base prize pool for the event was $3.5 million. This included $2,442,000 from the tournament itself and $60,000 from the Survival Tournament. Also, a remaining $922,500 was a minimum guarantee so that each team would walk away with at least $50,000.
However, the prize pool quickly rose to a total of $7,056,789 through crowdfunding. This is because 30% of revenue from exclusive PUBG Global Invitational.S 2021 Pick’Em Challenge in-game cosmetic purchases contributed to the prize pool. Teams did not compete for points, kills or match wins. Rather, the amount of prize winnings that teams accumulated throughout the tournament determined where they were placed on the leaderboard.
More in store for the Soniqs
“The event was meaningful for us as we put our hearts into the challenge and managed to host an esports event, which seemed impossible amid the uncertainties due to the COVID pandemic,” said CH Kim, CEO of KRAFTON Inc. “I would like to express my gratitude to fans who showed their interest in PGI.S and players who showed the true essence of survival through the intense and fierce competition throughout the eight-week period.”
To adhere to COVID-19 safety precautions, the PUBG tournament required teams to undergo two weeks of quarantine time. Competitors from China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau were to compete online from LAN venues in their respective countries.
The Soniqs will add the PUBG Global Invitational.S 2021 championship to their list of accolades. They also are back-to-back North America PUBG Continental Series (PCS) winners. The Soniqs look to continue their success in June and September for the upcoming PCS events, along with the PUBG Global Championship in November.
