The framework for the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) competition at the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) has been announced, confirming a 32-team tournament with a $2,000,000 prize pool set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 11-day main event will run from 12th to 23rd August 2026 at the Esports Boulevard in Riyadh. All stages of the tournament, including an open qualifier, will be played on a LAN basis.
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Team invitations will be primarily determined by the global Valve Ranking System (VRS). According to the announcement, invites “will follow the first available monthly VRS publication of June 2026,” with tournament seeding using the first available VRS data from July 2026. The announcement also notes that “exceptions to invitations will apply if a player is banned by EWC, ESL FACEIT Group, or ESIC.”
The group stage will feature 32 teams, doubling from the 16 teams featured at the 2025 edition, with the majority of slots filled by the top 21 teams from the global VRS rankings. Further slots are allocated to the top two teams from the North American, South American, and Asian VRS rankings, respectively. One slot is reserved for the Asian Champions League 2026 winner, and the final four slots will be awarded to the top four finishers in an open qualifier.
The total prize pool of $2,000,000 will be distributed with the champion team receiving $600,000. The runner-up will earn $340,000, with decreasing amounts awarded all the way down to the 24th-32nd placed teams, who will each receive $10,000.
Ahead of the main event, an open qualifier will be held from 7th to 9th August 2026 at the Esports Boulevard in Riyadh, supporting up to 128 teams. The qualifier offers a $100,000 prize pool and, crucially, four slots in the main event for the top four finishers. Teams placing 5th to 8th will receive $9,500, while 9th to 16th place will earn $7,750.
