2026 KEL' Eternal Return Circuit 3 Finals Set for Sept. 20 in Asan

The Korea e-Sports Association announced on September 17 that '2026 Korean Esports League' (2026 KEL) 'Eternal Return' Super Week Chungnam Asan will be held on September 19 and 20 at Yi Sun-sin Gymnasium in Asan.

The 2026 KEL Eternal Return event entered the second half of its schedule with the kickoff of Circuit 3 on September 12. Circuit 3 is conducted in a dual tournament format, with the losers' bracket and final match played under a 6-round point system, while the finals will follow a sequential checkpoint format.

The losers' bracket, starting at 11:00 AM on September 19, features FN Sejong, Gwangju Slasher, Gyeongbuk Ascenders, Daegu Guardians, Yangju Whales, Incheon Wave, Goyang Mir, and Gyeongnam Sparkle Esports. In the subsequent final match, Jeju Shadow, GC Busan Stella, New Rise Gangwon, Gyeonggi Innate, and the top four teams from the losers' bracket will compete for spots in the finals.

The Circuit 3 finals will take place on September 20 at 2:00 PM. A total of eight teams—Seongnam ROX, Chungnam CNJ Esports, Daejeon Autoarms, Jeonnam Esports, and the top four teams from the final match—will compete for the championship. The total prize pool is 12 million won, with 3 million won awarded to the winning team.

This Super Week will serve as a home match for Chungnam CNJ Esports. Side events at the venue will include Eternal Return mini-games, VR and sim-racing game experience zones, an arcade zone, a flea market, and an Asan City receipt exchange event.

Special celebratory performances will feature singer-songwriter Ryu Su-jeong at 10:00 AM on September 19 and virtual idol group SKOSHISM at 1:00 PM on September 20. On the 1st floor of the spectator seating, admission is restricted to priority ticket holders and Chungnam CNJ fan section winners, while the 2nd floor will operate as open seating requiring no separate reservation.

Free shuttle buses for attendees will run continuously from Cheonan-Asan Station and Onyangoncheon Station to Yi Sun-sin Gymnasium. The matches will be broadcast live on official KEL and Eternal Return channels.

The event is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and co-organized by the Korea e-Sports Association, Nimble Neuron, and the Chungnam Cultural Technology and Industry Agency. It is sponsored by Chungcheongnam-do, Asan City, SK Telecom, Ggubracco Charcoal Chicken, Micronics, Class101, and Fried Hospital.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of AI. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. [Read Original]

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Minwoo "Roootz" Kang

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