Four players have secured their places in the WBSC eBaseball™ Series 2026 World Finals, following impressive performances during the National and Global Qualifier Play-Offs held over the weekend.
SI of Japan and mr of Finland earned their spots from the Global Qualifier Play-Offs, while CHESTER.tw from Chinese Taipei and benzen from Mexico gained entry through the National Qualifier Play-Offs. The competitions, which utilized the eBaseball™: PRO SPIRIT video game, were conducted online on October 17 and 18.
These four players will join Japan’s TAIJYU, creating an eight-player roster set to compete in the finals on November 14-15 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Play-Off Highlights
In the Global Qualifier Play-Offs, SI emerged victorious in the PlayStation 5 tournament. He advanced through the single-elimination format by defeating Takashi_Takeda of Japan 3-2 in the quarterfinals, overcoming Dekaryu from Japan 6-2 in the semifinals, and clinching the final with an 8-1 victory over Sunflet of Japan.
Meanwhile, mr showcased remarkable hitting skills in the Steam/PC Global Qualifier Play-Offs. He triumphed over BigSid of Puerto Rico 10-7 in the quarterfinals, mercied compass of the United States 11-1 in the semifinals, and sealed his qualification with an 8-1 mercy rule win against TAKOWASA from Japan.
CHESTER.tw qualified for the World Finals by going undefeated in the National Qualifier Play-Offs. In the PlayStation 5 three-player round robin tournament, he defeated Los Oogamys of the Dominican Republic 11-0 in one inning and secured a 7-0 victory against JR_RD-05 of Spain in his final match.
On the Steam/PC side, benzen also maintained an undefeated record of 3-0 in the four-player round robin. He began by defeating Argentina’s polsze 12-1, followed by a close 2-1 win against SI driven by consecutive homers in the second inning. In his last game, he rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win 5-4 against Korean champion CHOI.
Among the five players qualified for the finals, SI, mr, and CHESTER.tw will make their debut at an in-person eBaseball™ tournament. TAIJYU will return for his first international competition since his runner-up finish at the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023. Benzen, on the other hand, is making his third consecutive appearance at the World Finals.
The journey to the World Finals continues with the USA eBaseball™ Finals scheduled for November 13, where six players will compete for the final two qualification spots, including compass, BigSid, and Clutch1908.
For those interested in competing on an international stage, eBaseball™: PRO SPIRIT is available for free on the Steam and PlayStation stores. Additional information about the WBSC eBaseball™ Series and the organization of sanctioned tournaments can be found on the Challengermode Space.
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