The Esports World Cup just dropped the full CS2 format for 2026. It’s happening August 19 to 24 in Riyadh, and it’s a 32 team event, which is a pretty stacked size for a single week.
Qualification is mostly based on Valve Regional Standings. 21 teams come from the global VRS list, plus 2 each from Asia, NA, and SA. Then there’s 1 slot for the Asian Champions League winner and 4 spots from EWC last chance qualifiers.
Format looks straightforward but a bit punishing early. It starts with four GSL groups of eight teams. You need two wins to move on, and the top four from each group advance. Openers are BO1, then the rest of groups are BO3.
Playoffs are a 16 team single elim bracket. All BO3 until the grand final, which is BO5. Prize pool is $2,000,000 with $600k for first, which is more than what we usually see even at the biggest Valve events.
Do you like this format for a huge event like EWC, or would you rather see fewer BO1s and a different playoff structure?