Jason Zahler wins 6th Major Championship!

In the history of competitive pinball, very few (36 in fact) have had the chance to call themselves a Major Champion. Like professional golf or tennis, the opportunity to join this elite club only happens a handful of times every year. Pinburgh 2026 brought together two finalists looking to add their name to this list (Brian Shepherd and Josh Sharpe) and two finalists looking to add to their already established legacies (Jason Zahler and Daniele Acciari).

After qualifying as the #1 seed, Jason Zahler defeated Brian Shepherd in a tiebreaker to capture his 6th Major Championship, becoming only the 3rd player in competitive pinball history to do so. He now sits behind only Keith Elwin (11) and Jorian Engelbrektsson (7).

With his 2nd place finish, Brian Shepherd earned his 1st top 4 finish in a Major Championship, setting a record for the oldest player in history to accomplish this feat. 3rd place went to Daniele Acciari who earned his 15th top 4 finish in Major Championships (2nd most all-time). He now sits behind only Keith Elwin (19). 4th place went to Josh Sharpe who earned his seventh top 4 finish in Major Championships, extending his record of most top 4’s in a Major Championship without a victory. The world is for the better as IFPA would have been shut down on the spot if he had won.

To view the most current list of Major Championship stats, click HERE.