The Porsche Esports Supercup 2026 Global Open Qualifiers are complete. Four qualifier rounds ran between May 13 and June 6 at Spa, Sebring, Suzuka, and the Nürburgring. As a result, up to 32 drivers per region have now qualified for the Regional Championships. In fact, those regionals are already underway. Americas and MEA drivers kicked off on June 27. Europe and Asia-Pacific then followed on July 4. Here is where the season stands and what comes next.
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🏁 Official PESC 2026 page on Porsche Racing
The Global Open Qualifier gave drivers from every region a chance to earn spots in the Regional Championship. Each week covered two race days at a single circuit. Specifically, drivers ranked within their own region, and the top performers from each qualified forward.
All four tracks carry real weight: Spa-Francorchamps, Sebring, Suzuka, and the Nürburgring GP. They also appear on the World Championship calendar later this season. Drivers who qualified by running those circuits fast will face them again in September and October with much more on the line.
All competition uses the Porsche 911 Cup (2026), the latest version of Porsche’s iconic one-make race car and one of iRacing’s newest additions. Every PESC competitor runs the same car with no setup differentiation allowed. The lap time comes from the driver, not the garage. Because of this, every qualifying lap becomes a direct measure of driver skill, regardless of region or hardware.
The Regional Championships split into two groups. Meanwhile, the Americas and MEA field started June 27 and runs through August 22. The Europe and Asia-Pacific group kicked off July 4 and finishes August 29. Each group runs 32 drivers across five rounds.
The Americas/MEA schedule runs five rounds:
- Round 1: June 27, Sebring/Fuji
- Round 2: July 11, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez/Suzuka
- Round 3: July 25, Watkins Glen/Adelaide
- Round 4: August 8, Miami International Autodrome/Okoyama
- Round 5: August 22, Interlagos/Phillip Island
The Europe/APAC group runs July 4 through August 29, with the same track pairings from Round 2 onward. Both groups share race dates on July 11, July 25, August 8, and their final rounds. Ultimately, the top eight points scorers from each regional group advance to the World Championship, putting 32 drivers on the grid for September.
The most talked-about aspect of PESC 2026 is not the $30,000 prize pool. It is the Shoot-Out.
After the World Championship wraps in October, Porsche selects up to five drivers from the 32 World Championship finalists who have shown an interest in making the jump to real-world motorsport. Consequently, those five face a series of challenges to prove their speed and racecraft off the sim. Up to two earn a seat in a real Porsche racecar. They also receive financial support and guidance from Porsche Motorsport as they begin a real racing career.
This format is new for 2026. Past PESC seasons offered prize money. Instead, this season offers a possible career change. For sim racers who have wondered whether their pace translates off the screen, the Shoot-Out is the most direct answer the sport has ever offered.
The World Championship runs September 19 through October 24 at five circuits. Each round features practice, qualifying, a sprint race, and a full-length feature race.
- September 19: Spa-Francorchamps
- September 26: Silverstone
- October 3: Suzuka
- October 10: Interlagos
- October 24: Monza
The $30,000 prize pool distributes across the top finishers, with the World Champion taking home $10,000. Additionally, all races broadcast live on the official Porsche Twitch channel.
With regionals underway and three months until the World Championship, the PESC 2026 season is moving fast. Furthermore, the Shoot-Out prize adds a layer of stakes that no other sim racing series can match this year. For iRacing fans, this is the competition to follow.
