Russian eSports athletes head to Seoul for the Point Blank World Championship
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Only a few days are left until the Point Blank International Championship 2026, which will take place on March 28-29 in the game's homeland — South Korea. Teams from Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, as well as a combined team from Turkey and Azerbaijan will clash in battles for the title of the strongest.

According to the results of the draw, the Russian team will start their journey in group B, where their opponents will be the tournament favorites — teams from Indonesia and the combined team of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

It is worth noting that the AoeXe team, representing Russia, has already won the tournament twice. Nevertheless, the players are not relaxing. The youngest member of the team, Vladimir "R1chh" Lyashenko, shared:

“We are preparing for the tournament with great dedication: training 5-6 times a week, analyzing maps, and improving individual skills. We do not feel pressure from our past titles, but we really want to justify the trust of those who believe in us. Our goal this year is only first place.

We consider the team Avuta (the combined team of Azerbaijan and Turkey) to be the strongest opponent — we are dedicating a lot of time to prepare for the match against them. I would advise newcomers in eSports to be patient: victories only come after dozens of defeats and a lot of work on mistakes.”

The other teams, however, are no less formidable than the Russians. The combined team of Turkey and Azerbaijan has also won the championship title twice. If successful, they will become the first team in history to win the tournament three times in a row. They face Thailand — the current record holder for the total number of victories, which, however, has not reached the top step of the podium since 2018. Symbolically, the last cup the Thais won was in South Korea. Now, the guys hope to repeat past success.

A special intrigue will unfold around the Indonesian team, which demonstrates unique stability. From 2017 to 2024, the team has not missed a single grand final. However, after Azerbaijan took their title on their own home ground in 2024, the Indonesians are set for revenge.

For the Russian team AoeXe, this tournament is also crucial. Russia was the first region to bring two consecutive victories in 2013-2014. This time, the team is determined to reclaim their status as the strongest in the world. The team is heading to Seoul with the support of the gaming platform Fogame, which has been developing the Point Blank community in Russia and the CIS for many years, providing players with opportunities to showcase themselves on the international stage.