Sai1 on Wolves’ PMGO 2026 S2 Win, Smash Rule, and PMGC

Wolves Esports were crowned champions of PUBG Mobile Global Open (PMGO) 2026 Season 2 in Pakistan. The team won the decisive match under Smash Rule, finishing the tournament with the third-highest points total.

In our interview, Wolves coach Sai1 explains how the team prepared for the tournament, why they planned to close it out on Miramar, and what changed after reaching Smash Point. We also discuss reviews between matches, the finals format, and preparation for PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2026 in Türkiye.

Wolves’ Preparation for PMGO 2026 Season 2

1. In what ways were Wolves stronger at this tournament than when you first started preparing for it? Which aspects of your work showed through most clearly in the matches?

I think that, starting with the EWC 2026 Survival Stage, the team reached a level where they could compete on equal terms with the very best teams in the world. The guys were already doing most of the things I ask of them, but we fell just a little short. After that, we focused on reducing mistakes and building our macro game around each specific lobby, both in Brazil and in Pakistan.

2. You finished the first day of the finals on 39 points, while the leaders had 57. What was your approach to the review before the deciding day? What did you want to keep in your game, and what needed to change?

We didn’t make any major changes. We discussed the pace of the teams in the lobby and individual mistakes. At finals on this level, you need to consistently pick up points when the circle shifts your way, but we hadn’t had many of those shifts. So the main objective was to reach Smash Point before the Miramar games and then end the tournament on those, because that’s our best map.

Smash Rule and the Championship-Winning Miramar

3. Once you had enough points to become eligible to win under Smash Rule, what changed in your plan for the next map? Can you give a specific example of a decision you would have made differently in a regular points race?

When we reached the Smash Rule threshold, along with nine other teams, it effectively became a best-of-one for the championship. Playing for points and playing for the win are very different things on certain circle shifts. So the objective was to avoid unnecessary fights and reach the late game with the full squad alive as much as possible, while preserving resources.

4. Looking back at the championship-winning map, which decision put you in the late game with a chance to win? Everyone saw the final fight, but which earlier moment might viewers have underestimated or missed?

Rotating around into Cruz del Valle and then forcing 4K Esports off that side allowed us to play the line through the dips.

Coaching, the Finals Format, and Preparing for PMGC 2026

5. Can you recall a moment during the tournament when your review between matches helped the team in the very next game? What did you notice, and how did the players use that advice?

It happens all the time, but in small details. Sometimes we spread out too much during a rotation and didn’t travel together; sometimes we didn’t use all our utility, and so on. I might point out a change in the pace of other teams, but there’s no call between games that will solve every problem at once. This isn’t that kind of game.

One similar example I remember is PMGO 2026: Season 1 – Americas Finals, which we won in the spring. During the review between the first and second days, I called for us to play more defensively in the early zones, because teams were doing crazy things and driving in very aggressively with drive-bys. As a result, we were losing players in random places and couldn’t keep all four alive. That change brought results straight away.

6. You became champions with the third-highest overall points total. After that experience, how do you assess Smash Rule as a coach? How well does the format identify the strongest team, and what extra demands does it place on teams? What would you change, add, or remove from the rule? What do you think about using SR in two-day tournament finals?

For a while, back when I was a PC PUBG player, the team with the most match wins won the tournament. So I know how to play for wins rather than points, and that helps with Smash Rule. Not every team will recognise that difference. I think the finals should last three days, and Smash should only be used in that case. Maybe Smash could be introduced if, after two days, the points gap between the first- and second-placed teams — or, for example, between first and fifth — exceeds a certain threshold, or something along those lines.

7. Which problem in the team’s game does this victory still not erase? What needs to be fixed before the upcoming PMGC 2026 in Türkiye, even after winning the title? How much will the PMGO S2 victory affect your World Championship preparation? What will you bring into that preparation after your triumph in Pakistan?

We were losing an unforgivable number of players for no reason during rotations, and our Erangel games leave a lot to be desired too. We’ll work on those things. Before this tournament, we were working towards being called a tier-one team on the world stage. Now we need to maintain that “title” at future championships.