Mass Food Poisoning Incident Pauses PUBG Mobile World Cup at the EWC: “Ambulances On Site”
A mass food poisoning has reportedly caused the Esports World Cup to pause the 2026 PUBG Mobile World Cup.
The 2026 PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) at the EWC has been hit with a food poisoning incident. Image Credits: EWC via Website, PUBG via Website
The PUBG Mobile World Cup has paused its operations after a mysterious mass food poisoning incident hit the scene. Players are now receiving care, and the tournament’s matches have been rescheduled. Here’s a quick recap.
Esports World Cup 2026 Pauses PMWC Due to Food Poisoning
Gamers are all too familiar with poison. VALORANT nerds know Viper’s Toxin orbs well, and League of Legends experts love cruising around on Singed and infecting innocent bystanders on Twitch. (Twitch mains, what’s wrong with you? Genuinely? Are you okay?)
Anyway, it seems this year’s Esports World Cup has been hit by a different kind of poison, and you can’t escape this one with a Milio cleanse. A mass food poisoning incident has reportedly affected the Esports World Cup’s PUBG Mobile players, causing the event to temporarily suspend all gameplay.
Information about the illness started emerging on August 14, 2026, as the tourney progresses into its final stages. It’s also arguably the title’s most important event: the EWC hosts the PUBG Mobile World Cup, which has a massive prize pool above 3 million USD.
Reporter and university professor Richard Lewis claims “At least four players affected with ambulances on site and possible hospitalisations.” In addition, “the number of cases could be as high as twenty.” He said “the current plan is to deploy a makeshift medical tent to get treatment to those as fast as possible.”
EWC Releases a Statement on the PMWC
The Esports World Cup released a statement via its X.com account, @EWC_Extra. The company wrote, “we are aware that players from multiple teams competing in the PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) at the Esports World Cup in Paris have reported feeling unwell.”
“Our immediate priority is the health and wellbeing of those affected. The players are receiving appropriate care and support.”
When Will The PUBG Mobile World Cup Return?
At the time of writing, we don’t have an exact answer for when the PMWC will return to normal operations. It was originally set to end on Sunday, August 16, but that date may now change.
The EWC’s statement confirmed that ‘today’s affected matches have been rescheduled for tomorrow.’ Another source, Let’s Grow Esports, claims “There is a high chance play will resume tomorrow if the players feel well.” However, they caution that “The final decision rests with officials.” Hopefully, this hiatus gives the competitors a chance to rest up and feel better soon.