The defending champion will not be at Minehead. Luke Littler, winner of the 2025 Players Championship Finals after defeating Nathan Aspinall 11-8, is not among the 64 players who have qualified for the 2026 edition, scheduled for 27–29 November at Butlin’s Minehead. The reigning world champion has withdrawn from the double-header in Leicester on 4 and 5 November, confirming his absence.
This comes as no surprise to anyone following the calendar: Littler has played in only two Players Championship events this season. The rules leave no room for interpretation, as the field is determined by a dedicated ranking – the Players Championship Order of Merit – rather than the world rankings.
Why the world number one is left out
The 64 places for the Somerset event are allocated based on prize money earned across the 34 tournaments on the circuit, spread throughout the year. A player who skips the majority of these events faces a gap that is difficult to bridge, regardless of their world ranking. Littler found this out the hard way: his two appearances, very early in the season, carried little weight compared to the players who were on the circuit week in, week out.
His presence in Leicester might have turned the tide, but it would not have been enough. He would have needed to string together victories in the final two tournaments to stand any chance of closing a gap that had become too wide. His withdrawal, announced even before the start of PC33, put an end to the suspense. The world champion will therefore round off his 2026 season with the Grand Slam of Darts, from 14 to 22 November in Wolverhampton, followed by the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
The final places are up for grabs this week
The Leicester double-header, held at the Mattioli Arena, serves as the final chance to qualify. On the eve of the two tournaments, the qualifying cut-off stood at around Wesley Plaisier, ranked 64th with £31,750. Raymond van Barneveld was ranked 81st with £25,750, some £6,000 behind: the five-time world champion therefore needed to reach the semi-finals, or better, to stand any chance of qualifying.
Other big names were in the same danger zone. Josh Rock, 80th, and Nathan Aspinall, 78th, both members of the world’s top 10, needed to reach the semi-finals at least once. Gary Anderson, meanwhile, was just £2,000 short of the cut-off and still had a realistic chance. Conversely, Gerwyn Price (58th, £34,000) and Mike De Decker (61st, £33,250) had a lot at stake: two early defeats would have knocked them out of the last 64.
An expanded format and prize fund
The 2026 edition features a prize fund of £750,000, up from £600,000 last year, with £130,000 for the winner, £70,000 for the runner-up and £4,000 from the first round onwards. The draw is seeded according to the circuit’s Order of Merit, in a knockout format: best of 11 legs in the opening round and second round, best of 19 legs in the last 16 and quarter-finals, then best of 21 legs for the semi-finals and final.
The tournament remains the final PDC event before the 2027 World Championship, making it an ideal springboard. Chris Dobey, winner of the PC32 in Den Bosch on 30 October, arrives in fine form; Charlie Manby has made his mark with a title on the circuit; the established players in Leicester will be looking to secure their places without burning themselves out ahead of Wolverhampton.
A wide-open title race
With the defending champion absent, the tournament’s pecking order is taking on a new look. There is no shortage of contenders: Dobey, Humphries, Price if he secures his place, but also the circuit specialists accustomed to back-to-back long weekends. Minehead rewards consistency rather than flashy play: the venue hosts three days of closely fought matches, with spectators close to the tables and long sessions where energy management counts for just as much as the averages.
The final list of the 64 will be announced following PC34 on 5 November. It will finalise the draw, expected in the days that follow, and confirm whether the struggling regulars have salvaged their season or whether the circuit has produced an unprecedented line-up.
