Ahsan Tahir, owner of Walee Technologies, has confirmed that all players from Pakistan’s PUBG Mobile team 4Thrives are safe following a food poisoning outbreak that disrupted the PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) 2026 in Paris.
“@4thrives @WaleePakistan is safe from food poisoning! Hum ghr se lunch le k gae thy [We took our lunch from home],” Tahir wrote on X.
It is pertinent to note that Walee Technologies recently acquired 4Thrives, one of Pakistan’s leading PUBG Mobile esports organisations.
The team became the first from Pakistan to qualify for the Esports World Cup after finishing third at PMSL CSA Spring 2025, and it went on to finish 7th at the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2025.
The roster was rebuilt in December 2025, and the team returned to the World Cup stage in 2026 after winning the PUBG Mobile Global Open 2026 Season 1 in Jakarta.
The food poisoning scare hit the PMWC 2026 Grand Finals on Day 1 in Paris, with around 20 players from multiple teams falling ill. Of the six matches scheduled for the day, only four were completed before organisers suspended play.
Esports journalist Richard Lewis first reported the outbreak on X, saying, “At least four players affected with ambulances on site and possible hospitalisations.”
“The number of cases could be as high as twenty, and the current plan is to deploy a makeshift medical tent to get treatment to those as fast as possible,” he added later.
Turkish club S2G Esports founder Barışcan Mercan shared details of his player Berkay “Lost” Yılmaz falling ill mid-match. “He stopped playing and ran off to throw up. After the match ended, another four or five players went to see the medics.”
Chinese organisation Tianba also confirmed that player Wang “MiLu” Bo needed medical attention. “Due to a player experiencing sudden illness and vomiting, an assessment was conducted by our medical staff and coaching team in full consultation with the player,” the club said as a substitute was brought in.
India’s GodLike Esports also reported being affected. Player Spowers revealed in a video that his teammate Manya vomited on the desk while the team was still playing.
The official PUBG Mobile competition account acknowledged the situation, stating, “We are working with EWC to investigate and identify the source of the issue, and taking immediate and necessary actions to support the affected players.”
The Esports World Cup organisers confirmed the affected matches from Day 1 have been rescheduled, and tickets for August 14 remain valid for August 15.
While the exact cause of the illness has not been officially confirmed, organisers said the outbreak appeared limited to PUBG Mobile participants, with no similar symptoms reported among players or staff in other Esports World Cup tournaments.
