The first major, official international PUBG esports tournament was the 2018 PUBG Global Invitational (PGI), which took place in Berlin in July 2018 with a $2 million prize pool. While earlier smaller events existed, PGI 2018 is recognized as the first premier tournament hosted directly by PUBG Corporation. 

This video provides a recap of a major PUBG tournament, showcasing the high-level gameplay and intensity of professional competition:

Esports World Cup

YouTube • 28 Aug 2024

Key details regarding early PUBG esports:

First Global Event: PUBG Global Invitational (PGI) 2018 in Berlin.

Initial Format: The tournament featured both first-person (FPP) and third-person (TPP) perspectives.

Context: Prior to this, smaller, community-focused, or early-access tournaments were held, but PGI marked the official entry into major, publisher-sponsored esports.

Background: The game saw early popularity with 75 million copies sold.