What Teams Are In Thunderpick World Championship 2026 SA Series 2?
The SA Series 1 tournament kept us on the edge of our virtual seats, and for our next event, we are staying in the South American region. Twelve Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams are primed and ready to compete at the Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) 2026 SA Series 2.
Let’s discuss the 12 teams in attendance and share vital tournament details, including the schedule, format, and how to watch the action unfold.
Disclaimer: Rankings mentioned in this article reflect the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of July 6, with the Americas filter applied.
TWC 2026 SA Series 2 Schedule, Format & Stream
Taking place online via the South American servers, the TWC 2026 SA Series 2 event runs from July 8 to 12, offering five days of non-stop action. Eight teams will start their journey in the Group Stage (July 8 to 10), featuring two groups of four teams each. The format is double-elimination (GSL-style), and all matches are best-of-three, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the Playoffs Stage.
In the TWC 2026 SA Series 2 Playoffs Stage (July 11 to 12), the four Group Stage survivors will join four other direct invites to duke it out for their share of the $20,000 prize pool. The format is a single-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three, leaving little room for error while creating a heart-pounding atmosphere.
Teams were invited based on their VRS position on June 3, 2026, with a South America filter applied, starting at Rank 1.
How To Watch TWC 2026 SA Series 2
Every TWC 2026 SA Series 2 match will be broadcast live on twitch.tv/thunderpicktv and youtube.com/@Thunderpickesports. The tournament is operated by GAM3RS_X, and we want to shout out Hotspawn as the official media partner and GRID Esports as the data partner.
For an all-in-one viewing/betting experience, visit our CS2 section. You can watch the embedded live streams and place bets using your favorite crypto.
Prize Pool Distribution
Competitors are fighting for their share of the $20,000 in prize money. Check out the distribution below.
| Placement | Prize Money (USD) |
| 1st | $10,000 |
| 2nd | $4,000 |
| 3rd–4th | $1,500 each |
| 5th–8th | $750 each |
BESTIA
Ranked #11 on the VRS Americas leaderboard, BESTIA is one of the top teams competing at the TWC 2026 SA Series 2. They didn’t attend our SA Series 1 tournament, so the air is thick with anticipation to see how BESTIA performs on the server.
Argentinian entry fragger, buda, took over the in-game leader (IGL) role after a roster restructure announced on March 11, 2026. The young IGL has led BESTIA to a 2nd-place finish at Circuit X Base Recife late in May, thanks to solid calls on the server. Over the past three months, BESTIA has a 60% match win rate. BESTIA earned one of our four direct invites to the TWC 2026 SA Series 2 Playoffs Stage.
BESTIA roster:
- Martín “tomaszin” Corna
- Cássio “cass1n” Santos
- Cristhian “timo” Perez
- Ignacio “nacho” Rodriguez
- Nicolás “buda” Kramer (IGL)
- Afonso “shaRpy” Bastos (Coach)
LP
LargadosyPelados (LP) played really well at the SA Series 1, dominating the Group Stage and making it all the way to the Semifinals before losing to the eventual champions, ShindeN.
LP is ranked #14 on VRS Americas and starts TWC 2026 SA Series 2 in the Playoffs Stage as one of our direct invites. At Circuit X Base Recife 2026 late in May, LP reverse-swept another top contender, BESTIA, in a dramatic Grand Final, showcasing resilience under pressure. They boast a 69.7% match win rate over the past three months.
LP roster:
- Guilherme “happ” Bento
- Leonardo “Leomonster” Enrique
- Gustavo “divine” Altapini
- Alisson “Alisson” Farias
- Leonardo “zmb” Toledo (IGL)
- Pablo “disturbed” Fernandes (Coach)
Imperial Esports
The all-Brazilian side of Imperial Esports is one of the favorites heading into the TWC 2026 SA Series 2, with veteran IGL VINI calling the shots. If AWPer levi delivers solid impact wielding the Big Green, there’s no reason to believe Imperial Esports couldn’t take home the gold, or at least earn a podium finish.
Imperial Esports is ranked #20 on VRS Americas, and received one of our direct invites to the Playoffs Stage. They have an excellent 71.4% match win rate over the past three months.
Imperial Esports roster:
- Kaiky “noway” Santos
- Marcelo “chelo” Cespedes
- Guilherme “levi” Godoy
- Lucas “decenty” Bacelar
- Vinicius “VINI” Figueiredo (IGL)
Bounty Hunters
Ranked #24 on VRS Americas, Bounty Hunters holds a 62.1% match win rate over the past three months. The squad’s most recent successful 1st-place outing was in May when they won CCT South America 2026 Series #2, sweeping LP 2–0 in the Grand Final.
Bounty Hunters are looking for redemption after dropping out in the Quarterfinals of the TWC 2026 SA Series 1 event, losing 0–2 to finalists UNO MILLE. They received a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage of the TWC 2026 SA Series 2.
Bounty Hunters roster:
- Mauro “zock” Da Silva
- Leonardo “fREQ” Kurussu
- Pedro “pepe” Inácio
- Gabriel “ponter” Amaral
- Gianfranco “KAISER” Pantano (IGL)
- Nicolas “gusihx” Rovira (Coach)
UNO MILLE
The organization-less stack of Brazilian players, called UNO MILLE, made an incredible run at the TWC 2026 SA Series 1 event, barreling their way through Group A. They went on to beat Bounty Hunters 2–0 in the Quarterfinals, and reverse-sweep Fluxo W7M 2–1 for a spot in the Grand Final, where they lost 1–2 after an intense comeback from champions ShindeN.
UNO MILLE begins TWC 2026 SA Series 2 in Group A. They are ranked #27 on VRS Americas, having climbed four spots since SA Series 1. The squad has a 63.9% match win rate over the past three months and is one of the favorites to earn a spot in the Playoffs Stage.
UNO MILLE roster:
- Jonathan “cLd” Cruz
- Victor “rem1x” Monteiro
- Alexandre “ALLE” Santos
- Rodrigo “drg” Ausenka
- Fillipe “pancc” Martins
- Guilherme “KinGui” Balancieri (Coach)
Fake do Biru
Ranked #25 on VRS Americas is Fake do Biru, a solid all-Brazilian side with a 61.5% match win rate over the past three months of competition.
Fake do Biru lost to LP in the Quarterfinals of the TWC 2026 SA Series 1. At the previous event, they earned a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage. However, at the TWC 2026 SA Series 2, they’ll have to fight their way through Group A to reach the Playoffs Stage.
Fake do Biru roster:
- Wesley “hardzao” Lopes
- Patrick “detr0ittJ” Carvalho
- Matheus “Tuurtle” Anhaia
- Matheus “pesadelo” Panisset
- Vinícios “PKL” Coelho (IGL)
Yawara
The all-Brazilian lineup of Yawara is currently ranked #28 on VRS Americas, earning a spot in the Group Stage. They’ll start in Group B of the TWC 2026 SA Series 2, hoping to qualify for the Playoffs Stage.
Yawara narrowly didn’t make it out of Group B at the TWC 2026 SA Series 1 event, losing to Keyd Stars in the critical Decider match. The squad has found solid recent form, with a three-match win streak and a 65.4% win rate over the past three months.
Yawara roster:
- Vinicius “tele” Morozini
- Iago “deemO” Henrique
- Cayo “r3kt” Santos
- Eduardo “edv” Vieira
- Jonatan “j0w” Sperotto (IGL)
- Leonardo “bnk3” Arruda
Keyd Stars
After finishing in respectable 3rd–4th positions at both CCT 2026 South America Series 2 and BetBoom Storm Season 3 in May, Keyd Stars impressed in the Group Stage of TWC 2026 SA Series 1. They earned a spot in the Playoffs Stage before losing to Fluxo W7M in the Quarterfinals.
Keyd Stars is ranked #29 on VRS Americas with a 54.5% match win rate over the past three months. We’ll see the Brazilian team fight in Group B of the TWC 2026 SA Series 2, attempting to earn a spot in the Playoffs Stage once again.
Keyd Stars roster:
- Gabriel “lash” Sampaio
- João “matios” Guedes
- Bruno “xureba” Sigwalt
- Vinicius “zede” Reis
- Cristopher “ckzao” Chalus
- Matheus “Kaos” Nicolau (Coach)
Isurus
Boasting a stack of talented Argentine players and a Brazilian coach, Isurus’ CS2 roster is relatively new, coming together on Jan. 27, 2026. They’ve climbed through the ranks, currently sitting at #31 on the VRS Americas leaderboard with a 52.4% match win rate over the past three months.
Isurus didn’t advance from Group A at the TWC 2026 SA Series 1. In fairness, Isurus did undergo a player change just one day before the TWC 2026 SA Series 1 kicked off, announcing that Nicolas “BK1” Cespedes was no longer part of the roster, with rzk filling the gap as a stand-in. We’ll see Isurus compete in Group A of the TWC 2026 SA Series 2.
Isurus roster:
- Joaquín “atarax1a” Biglieri
- Leandro “Hezz” Barrios
- Matteo “dott1” Dotti
- Santiago “rzk” Pucheta (Stand-In)
- Marcos “deco” Amato (IGL)
- Willian “Xamp” Caldas (Coach)
MIBR Academy
Young coach Faraó and IGL stormzyn lead the MIBR Academy roster as the team builds up experience while climbing the rankings. They are currently at #37 on VRS Americas, showing promise in recent matches.
MIBR Academy has a match win rate of 46.2% over the past three months. At the TWC 2026 SA Series 1, MIBR Academy advanced out of the Group Stage before losing 2–0 to champions ShindeN in the Quarterfinals. They’re in Group B and aiming to earn a spot in the Playoffs Stage once again.
MIBR Academy roster:
- Lucas “lkz” Vicente
- Felipe “fl4sh” Porfirio
- Marcos “Jerr1” Maier
- Caio “revoltz” Okada
- Vitor “stormzyn” Yamauchi (IGL)
- Raynan “Faraó” Carvalho (Coach)
paiN Academy
Kicking off TWC 2026 SA Series 2 in Group A is the Academy roster of famed Brazilian esports organization paiN Gaming. The paiN Academy squad is currently ranked #42 on VRS Americas.
paiN Academy has a 44.4% match win rate over the past three months and is considered an underdog.
paiN Academy roster:
- Lucas “Tatu” Santana
- Marco “Markz” Antonio
- Gustavo “tsug” Lima
- Pedro “k9izer” Martinez
- Rickson “Rkzinho” Ribeiro Dias
- Ulric “Misfit” Pereira
METANOIA Wolves
The Brazilian roster of METANOIA Wolves has posted a 31.6% match win rate over the past three months. They are ranked #50 on the VRS Americas leaderboard and are hungry to prove themselves at the TWC 2026 SA Series 2.
METANOIA Wolves start the event in Group B and are widely seen as underdogs.
METANOIA Wolves roster:
- Mikhael “vzn” Annoni
- Henzo “spinnie” Macri
- Micael “ALENNNCAR” Alencar
- Miguel “protado” Oliveira
- Davi “ntx” Oliveira
Enjoy The TWC 2026 SA Series 2 Action
We watched M80 dominate the competition at the TWC 2026 NA Series, and at the TWC 2026 EU Series 1, DragonClaw made an incredible run through the Group Stage to become champions.
At the SA Series 1, favorites ShindeN narrowly beat UNO MILLE, keeping us glued to our screens. The SA Series 2 will continue the trend of heart-pounding CS2 esports. Once this tournament ends, you can look forward to the EU Series 2 scheduled to start on July 25, followed by the Global Qualifier (Sept. 9 to 13) leading up to the TWC 2026 Finals on LAN in Malta (Oct. 12 to 19).