Counter-Strike 2 returns for its third appearance at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in 2026, and fans of the competitive shooter from throughout the globe are eagerly looking forward to seeing the best teams collide on the biggest stage.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, the EWC is being held outside Saudi Arabia, with the entire festival relocating to Paris as a result of escalating regional conflicts in Riyadh. For CS2 specifically, that means a new venue and a record-setting prize pool alongside some of the best teams that the game has ever seen.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the CS2 Esports World Cup 2026, including all the qualified teams so far, the event’s schedule, prize pool, and where you can watch it live.
CS2 Esports World Cup 2026 Prize Pool
The CS2 EWC 2026 will boast a humongous $2,000,000 USD total prize pool, which is larger than either of Valve’s own CS2 Majors over the year.
Here’s the full prize pool breakdown for the main event:
| Placement | Prize Money |
| 1st | $600,000 |
| 2nd | $340,000 |
| 3rd | $190,000 |
| 4th | $110,000 |
| 5th-8th | $60,000 each |
| 9th-16th | $35,000 each |
| 17th-24th | $20,000 each |
| 25th-32nd | $10,000 each |
CS2 Esports World Cup 2026 Schedule
CS2 action at the EWC runs across roughly two weeks in August, with open qualifiers on LAN in Paris deciding the final four slots into the 32-team bracket ahead of the main group stage, which is set to start on August 12. The event will culminate with a winner being crowned following the grand final on August 23.
The event will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, one of France’s largest exhibition venues and a site that also hosted events during the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
CS2 Esports World Cup 2026 Teams
Spots at CS2 EWC 2026 were awarded through six pathways tied to Valve’s Regional Standings (VRS) and regional competition:
- 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 (LAN, Paris) – 4 teams
28 of the 32 slots were locked in well ahead of the event, with the final four teams all set to be decided through the upcoming open qualifiers.
Here’s the full list of confirmed teams so far for the CS2 EWC 2026:
- Europe (17 teams): Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, MOUZ, G2 Esports, Team Spirit, Team Falcons, Astralis, GamerLegion, NIP, FaZe Clan, Aurora Gaming, 3DMAX, BB Team, FUT Esports, B8, Monte, magic
- Americas (8 teams): M80, FURIA, Legacy, paiN Gaming, MIBR, 9z Globant, PARIVISION, Wildcard
- Asia (3 teams): The MongolZ, TYLOO, Lynn Vision Gaming
How to Watch CS2 Esports World Cup 2026
Fans can watch the CS2 Esports World Cup 2026 live event via the official YouTube channel of the EWC.
