CS2 at Esports World Cup 2026: Format, Prize Pool, and More

The Counter-Strike 2 competition at the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) will be one of 24 featured titles. The CS2 event is scheduled for August 19–24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will host 32 international teams. The Esports World Cup Federation (EWCF) has now announced the official format, prize pool, and qualification process for the tournament. Here’s everything we know so far.

Team Qualification

As noted, the Counter-Strike 2 event at the Esports World Cup 2026 will feature 32 teams. Their selection will be based on Valve Regional Standings (VRS) rankings or results from open and regional qualifiers. The six qualification pathways are:

VRS Global Rankings - 21 teams
VRS Asia Rankings - 2 teams
VRS North America Rankings - 2 teams
VRS South America Rankings - 2 teams
Asian Champions League (ACL) - 1 team
EWC Last Chance Qualifiers - 4 teams

Format

Group Stage

The Counter-Strike 2 event at EWC 2026 will commence with a double-elimination GSL group stage. The 32 participating teams will be divided into four groups of eight, where the goal is to secure two match victories to advance.

At the end of this stage, the top four teams from each group will qualify for the playoffs. All opening matches will be played as best-of-ones, while subsequent matches will be best-of-threes.

Playoffs

In the Playoffs, the final 16 teams will compete in a single-elimination bracket to crown the Counter-Strike 2 champion of the 2026 Esports World Cup. All matches in this stage will be best-of-three, except for the Grand Final, which will be a best-of-five series.

Prize Pool

The tournament is set to feature a massive $2,000,000 prize pool, exceeding even the Valve-sponsored Majors. Here is the full prize breakdown:

Place	Prize Money (In USD)	Team (s)
1st	$600,000
2nd	$340,000
3rd	$190,000
4th	$110,000
5th - 8th	$60,000
9th - 16th	$35,000
17th - 24th	$20,000
25th - 32nd	$10,000

How To Get Tickets For CS2 at EWC 2026

Ticket sales for the Esports World Cup 2026 are now live. Attendees can purchase passes directly on the official EWC website. Currently available options include weekly all-access tickets, premium tournament passes, and other premium experiences. Daily all-access passes, regular tournament passes, and single-day passes will be released at a later date.

The Counter-Strike 2 tournament is scheduled for Week 7 (August 19–24). Below is the complete ticket pricing for the event.

Week 7 All-Access Pass: €224
Week 7 Esports Embassy Pass: €822
Tournament Pass (CS2): €144

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Featured Image Credit: EWCF

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