Kyle Santucci won the 2026 PSL Championship at Container Park in Las Vegas, defeating Dylan Miller 3-1 in sets in the deciding match. Miller had forced a bracket reset with a 3-2 win in their first grand final meeting.
Santucci became the first solver to complete the “Double Crown,” winning the WCA North American 3x3 title and the PSL championship in the same year.
Each set was first to three points, with one head-to-head solve deciding each point. The grand final was first to three sets. Because Santucci had not lost a match, Miller needed to beat him twice to win the championship.
Patrick Ponce finished third, with Luke Griesser fourth.
Miller Forces the Reset
Santucci reached the grand final without losing a match, beating Valerio Locatelli, Griesser, and Miller, each by 2-1 in sets. Miller then beat Ponce 2-1 in the lower final to earn another shot at him.
Their first grand final match went the distance. Santucci took the opening set 3-2 before Miller won the next two. Santucci answered with another 3-2 set win, sending the match to a fifth set.
The deciding point came with an equipment problem.
Miller led the fifth set 2-1 and needed one more point to force a reset. Santucci went first and posted a 9.10, leaving Miller a generous target. However, an equipment failure on Miller’s attempt led to both competitors repeating the point. Santucci improved to 6.35, making Miller’s task considerably harder.
Miller still beat him. His 6.14 won the point, the set, and the match, forcing a reset with the championship still undecided.
Kyle’s Closing Solves
Miller opened the reset with a 3-0 sweep. Santucci went up 2-0 in the second set, but Miller brought it back to 2-2 before Santucci won the deciding point.
The third set also came down to the fifth and deciding point.
Solving first at 2-2, Santucci put up a 4.46, helped by a six-move last layer. Miller finished in roughly six seconds, giving Santucci the set and a 2-1 match lead.
Santucci then delivered two of his best responses of the final.
Miller opened the fourth set with a 4.94. Santucci beat it with a 4.51. On the next point, Miller posted a 5.04, only for Santucci to answer with a 4.62.
That put Santucci one point from the championship. Miller stopped the timer at 5.75 on the next attempt, but his cube was two turns from solved. The DNF gave Santucci the point, completing a 3-0 set sweep and a 3-1 match win.
The title ended on a DNF, but Santucci’s solves had put him in position to close it out. A 4.46 to take the third set, followed by a 4.51 and 4.62 in the fourth, was a fitting finish to his championship run.
In his post-win interview, Santucci was asked whether he was North America’s best cuber. He gave that distinction to Matty Hiroto Inaba. Even with both titles secured, Santucci was reluctant to put himself first.
Ponce’s Run to Third
Ponce arrived after the event had already started following an international flight. He beat Morgan Yeh in straight sets, lost to Miller, then defeated Ethan Jan to face Griesser for a place in the lower final.
His match against Griesser nearly ended very differently. Griesser won the opening set 3-1 and led the second 2-1, putting him one point from the match. But his next attempt, a 6.35, ended with the cube more than one turn from solved. The DNF tied the set at 2-2. Griesser then posted a 6.19, which Ponce beat with a 5.81 to force a deciding set.
Griesser again moved one point from victory. He won the first two points of the third set, including a 5.46 against Ponce’s 5.74. On the 3rd point of the set, however, Griesser failed to start his timer, giving Ponce the win with a 5.57.
Ponce followed with a 5.99 against Griesser’s 7.50 to tie the set at 2-2. Solving first on the deciding point, Ponce posted a 7.07. Griesser had a chance to beat it, but locky turning lead to a 7.26. Ponce had won three straight points from 2-0 down to take the set, the match, and a place in the lower finals.
Miller ended Ponce’s run with a 2-1 win in the lower final, leaving Ponce third and Griesser fourth.
Everyone Had Their Moments
Jan earned the seventh and final spot through an open qualifying tournament earlier that day. He traveled from California to enter, joining local competitors and others who had made the trip for a last chance to reach the championship. He then took a set off Griesser before beating Locatelli 2-1.
Locatelli’s PSL debut ended with two losses, but he pushed both Jan and eventual champion Santucci to deciding sets.
Yeh, the Canadian champion voted into the field by fans, also took a set off Griesser before his tournament ended.
A Show Worth Watching
The seven-player field produced close matches throughout the bracket. An engaged crowd, strong commentary and production, and DG the Artist’s halftime medley gave the championship the feel of a season finale.
You can watch the full championship broadcast linked here.