Esports World Cup: Open Qualifier 2026

About the tournament

Counter-Strike 2’s Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier is the entry stage for the main EWC CS2 event in Paris, a Tier 1 qualifier feeding into the tournament proper. It brings 32 teams into eight BO3 groups, played from August 7 to 9, 2026, before the playoff phase. The top four teams qualify for the main event, and the qualifier also shares a $100,000 prize pool.