After five incredible regional series throughout the year, there’s one more Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) 2026 event before we turn our attention to the LAN finale. The TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier will see 16 teams collide for one ticket to Malta, leaving no room for error.
Let’s get hyped by learning a bit more about each of the 16 teams competing, plus key tournament details, and finish with some expert Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) betting predictions.
Disclaimer: Rankings mentioned in this article reflect the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of Sept. 8. Teams are introduced in order of their position on the VRS Global leaderboard.
TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier Schedule, Format & Stream
Running from Sept. 9 to 13, the TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier features two distinct stages of competition over five days of non-stop action.
The Group Stage (Sept. 9–11) kicks off proceedings with four double-elimination format (GSL-style) groups of four teams each. All matches are best-of-three, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the next stage.
In the Playoffs Stage (Sept. 12–13), we use a single-elimination bracket format, with all matches best-of-three except the Grand Final, which is best-of-five.
For match dates and times in your region, visit our CS2 page.
How To Watch TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier
For an all-in-one viewing and betting experience, visit our CS2 section, featuring embedded live streams of matches and our bet slip, allowing all registered users to place wagers using their favorite cryptocurrencies.
Fans can also watch the TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier unfold via twitch.tv/thunderpicktv and youtube.com/@Thunderpickesports. GAM3RS_X operates the tournament, it’s presented by Hotspawn, and GRID Esports is our data partner.
1st-Place Prize
Teams are competing for one coveted spot in the TWC 2026 Finals (Oct. 12 to 19). Only one of the 16 will punch their ticket to Malta to compete on LAN against some of the world’s best.
At the BLAST Arena Studios in Attard, eight teams in total will light up the servers, fighting for their share of the $1 million prize pool.
HEROIC
Ranked #24 on VRS Global, HEROIC is one of the favorites to win our Closed Qualifier and claim a spot in the TWC 2026 Finals.
Boasting a 72.7% win rate across their summer campaign, HEROIC’s Danish IGL Chr1zn led his team through another huge Closed Qualifier and earned their placement at IEM Beijing 2026.
HEROIC roster:
- Linus “nilo” Bergman
- Tim “susp” Ångström
- Antonio “Martinez” Martínez
- Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin
- Christoffer “Chr1zN” Storgaard (IGL)
- Joonas “doto” Forss (Coach)
HOTU
Just one spot behind HEROIC, HOTU ranks #25 on the VRS Global leaderboard. The squad has converted nearly 70% of their series since June, including second place at NODWIN Clutch Series 11.
With aggressive AWPer frontales on the front lines, supported by decorated rifler n0rb3r7, HOTU may have what it takes to win.
HOTU roster:
- Dmitriy “mizu” Kondratev
- Kim “frontales” Argunov
- David “n0rb3r7” Danielyan
- Aleksandr “dwushka” Pakhnevich
- Aidos “kade0” Hairjan (IGL)
- Rüstem “mou” Telepov (Coach)
100 Thieves
The star-studded roster of 100 Thieves features veterans of the scene, including Major MVP rain. Four-time Major winner dev1ce wields the “Big Green” with precision, while his ex-Astralis teammate, gla1ve, now fills the coaching role.
With the addition of British IGL Gizmy, 100 Thieves have hit their stride, climbing the VRS Global leaderboard to #27. The squad currently has a 55.6% match win rate and impressed in August at the Esports World Cup Open Qualifier, where they earned a spot in the main event.
100 Thieves roster:
- Håvard “rain” Nygaard
- Alex “poiii” Nyholm Sundgren
- William “sirah” Kjærsgaard
- Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz
- Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen (IGL)
- Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander (Coach)
Ninjas in Pyjamas
Ranked #29 on VRS Global, Ninjas in Pyjamas is one of the top teams competing in our Closed Qualifier. A middling 47.6% map record over recent months reflects a squad still searching for stability.
At the start of September, Ninjas in Pyjamas added German IGL Krimbo to the roster, on loan from BIG until the end of the year.
As TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier is one of the first events for the squad with Krimbo now calling the shots, it will be interesting to see how Ninjas in Pyjamas performs.
Ninjas in Pyjamas roster:
- Rasmus “sjuush” Beck
- Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara
- Martin “stavn” Lund
- Roman “n0te” Hamze
- Karim “Krimbo” Moussa (IGL)
- Richard “Xizt” Landström (Coach)
1win Team
On Aug. 1, 2026, 1win Team announced their new roster with the hopes of building the team into a “true contender.” They are currently ranked #31 on VRS Global, posting a 67.7% match record since forming.
The 1win Team roster consists of many names fans may instantly recognize, from BELCHONOKK (on loan from PARIVISION) to rifler Ax1le and IGL nafany. It’s clear that 1win Team has the firepower to take on most squads.
1win Team roster:
- Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov
- Artem “ArtFr0st” Kharitonov
- Petr “fame” Bolyshev
- Andrey “BELCHONOKK” Yasinskiy
- Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov (IGL)
- Konstantin “groove” Pikiner (Coach)
3DMAX
3DMAX is currently ranked #35 on the VRS Global leaderboard, a far cry from their peak of #8 one year prior. However, that doesn’t mean anyone should take the French outfit lightly, as they can still go toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the world.
At NODWIN Clutch Series 11 earlier in September, 3DMAX took care of business with a 2–1 win over HOTU to claim the crown. A 42.9% win rate over the last 90 days looks underwhelming on paper, but they’re on a three-match win streak.
3DMAX roster:
- Lucas “Lucky” Chastang
- Filip “Graviti” Branković
- Kévin “misutaaa” Rabier
- Jeremy “Kursy” Gast
- Bryan “Maka” Canda (IGL)
- Damien “wasiNk” Dufour (Coach)
EYEBALLERS
Ranked #36 on VRS Global with a 46.2% match win rate over the past three months, EYEBALLERS are absolutely a team to watch. They may not have been ranked in the top three teams at the TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier, but you can’t count out this all-Swedish roster. Consider this: JW is a three-time Major winner, and KRIMZ has won two in his storied career.
EYEBALLERS roster:
- Sebastian “dex” Samuelsson
- Kalle “Ro1f” Johansson
- Max “maxster” Jansson
- Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson
- Jesper “JW” Wecksell
- Faruk “pita” Pita (Coach)
K27
K27 features a promising young roster (average age of just 21), filled with energy and solid aim. The team is currently ranked #37 on VRS Global, but did hit a new peak at #18 in March 2026.
A dependable 58.3% win rate across recent tier-two appearances shows confidence on the server.
K27 roster:
- Danila “kashl1d” Dronov
- Alexey “xeedo” Mikulich
- Daniil “qw1nk1” Kabilov
- Timur “clax” Sabirov
- Daniil “X5G7V” Maryshev (IGL)
- Grigoriy “balblna” Oleynik (Coach)
Virtus.pro
Virtus.pro has undergone several roster changes of late, headlined by the departure of Major winner Perfecto. Currently sitting at #40 on the VRS Global leaderboard, the squad has maintained a strong 66.7% win rate over recent months. Led by veteran IGL mir, this retooled lineup has the foundation to challenge for a deep playoff run.
Virtus.pro roster:
- Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov
- Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov
- Aleksandr “AquaRS” Kovalev
- Dias “F0R3VER” Kutubay
- Nikolay “mir” Bityukov (IGL)
- Dmitriy “ProbLeM” Martynov (Coach)
Team Nemesis
At the start of 2026, Team Nemesis rebuilt its roster. Since the rebuild, the team has climbed roughly 10 spots on the VRS Global leaderboard and now sits at #44 with a solid 58.3% since June.
Team Nemesis impressed with a recent top-four finish at NODWIN Clutch Series 11, claiming the scalp of 1win Team along the way.
Team Nemesis roster:
- Ivan “SELLTER” Miroshnikov
- Danyyl “Sdaim” Tupov
- Philipp “tex1y” Moskvitin
- Alemkhan “mag1k3Y” Moldakamalov
- Evgeniy “r3salt” Frolov
- Maksim “NMV” Naumov (Coach)
Acend
The all-Bulgarian roster of Acend, with SPELLAN calling the shots on the server, shows promise. Acend is currently ranked #46 on VRS Global, climbing six spots since the start of the year.
Their best recent result is second place at Digital Crusade Super DraculaN Season 1. The squad currently has a decent 57.7% match win rate.
Acend roster:
- Dimitar “Skrimo” Yanulov
- Kalin “KalubeR” Erenditsov
- Deyvid “h4rn” Benchev
- Hristiyan “REDSTAR” Pironkov
- Teodor “SPELLAN” Nikolov (IGL)
- Milen “milky” Iliev (Coach)
INFINITE
Ranked #56 on VRS Global with a 51.9% match win rate, INFINITE features an exciting mix of talented players.
INFINITE recently earned a top-four spot at NODWIN Clutch Series 11 and won the Logitech G Play Connect 2026 Closed Qualifier.
INFINITE roster:
- Martin “Dytor” Handl
- Henrich “sl3nd” Hevesi
- Raul “Blytz” Gligor
- Sebastian “volt” Maloș
- Rasmus “kreaz” Johansson (IGL)
- Samy “Tionix” von Gehlen (Coach)
FOKUS
Ranked #51 on VRS Global with a 47.6% match win rate, FOKUS is a team to watch. Finnish AWPer podi is the spearhead of the attack, with Swedish IGL ztr calling the shots on the server.
We’ve seen some moments of recent brilliance from FOKUS. For example, they pulled off a reverse-sweep comeback against the star-studded BC.Game roster at the PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 European qualifier.
FOKUS roster:
- Mateo “Matheos” Prišlin
- Matias “Banjo” Kivistö
- Paavo “podi” Heiskanen
- Jacob “jocab” Nerheden
- Erik “ztr” Gustafsson (IGL)
- Jakub “kuben” Gurczyński (Coach)
BBL Esports
The all-Danish side of BBL Esports shouldn’t be underestimated. Despite being an underdog at our TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier, BBL Esports can do significant damage.
The squad previously played under the Echo banner and earned third place at Super DraculaN Season 1 in June, as well as second place at NODWIN Clutch Series #8 in May.
BBL Esports roster:
- Jamie “Leakz” Bugge
- Jason “salazar” Salazar
- Nicky “NickyB” Bruhn
- Jonas “Boye” Østergaard
- Oliver “IceBerg” Berg (IGL)
Wildcard
Wildcard is one of the underdogs competing at the TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier. They are currently ranked #55 on VRS Global, with a low 16.7% match win rate over the last 90 days.
However, if Canadian entry fragger HexT can click heads and IGL nEMANHA makes solid calls on the server, Wildcard could cause some upsets.
Wildcard roster:
- Ethan “reck” Serrano
- Miłosz “mhL” Knasiak
- Jadan “HexT” Postma
- Danny “Cxzi” Strzelczyk
- Nemanja “nEMANHA” Đukić (IGL)
- Caedon “MAD” Zube (Coach)
BESTIA
BESTIA’s South American side is a major underdog in this event. The organization did well at TWC 2026 SA Series 2, finishing second. They rank #86 on the VRS Global leaderboard and have undergone multiple roster changes.
With the recent departure of Ignacio “nacho” Rodriguez, the BESTIA roster is currently incomplete.
BESTIA roster:
- Cássio “cass1n” Santos
- Cristhian “timo” Perez
- Nicolás “buda” Kramer
- Gustavo “tge” Motta (Coach)
TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier Predictions
At Thunderpick, we’re excited for the Closed Qualifier leading to the TWC 2026 Finals. One of these 16 teams will earn their spot at the main event in Malta, and we can’t wait to watch them compete.
Disclaimer: Betting predictions in this section are from an outside expert. Anything can happen at the TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier, and these predictions should not be construed as advice to act upon.
An expert has provided predictions for the top three, with short explanations for each pick.
100 Thieves (#1)
The missing piece of the 100 Thieves CS2 puzzle was found when IGL Gizmy joined the roster. With dev1ce on the AWP and gla1ve acclimating well in a coaching role, the sky’s the limit.
At BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2, 100 Thieves eliminated Team Falcons and took a map from arguably the best squad in the world right now, Team Spirit. These results suggest 100 Thieves could be the favorites at the TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier.
HEROIC (#2)
There’s a good chance that HEROIC will win the TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier, or at the very least, make it to the Grand Final. After all, HEROIC is the highest-ranked team at the event and boasts the best match win rate over the summer, at a fantastic 72.7%.
Ninjas in Pyjamas (#3)
It’s a close call between HOTU, 1win Team, 3DMAX, and Ninjas in Pyjamas for our podium prediction. Ninjas in Pyjamas has our predictor convinced, with an edge given because of the addition of veteran German IGL, Krimbo, on loan from BIG.
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