Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) 2026 has kept Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) fans on the edge of their collective seats during the online regional events. TWC 2026 EU Series 2 is the final event of its type this year, with 24 exciting teams competing.
Let’s break down everything fans need to know about the event, including format, schedule, where to watch, and the competing teams.
Disclaimer: Rankings mentioned in this article reflect the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of July 21.
TWC 2026 EU Series 2 Schedule, Format & Stream
The tournament runs from July 25 to August 2, featuring two distinct stages of competition. TWC 2026 EU Series 2 kicks off with the Group Stage (July 25 to 29), boasting four exciting groups of four teams each fighting in a GSL-style format. The top two teams from each group advance to the Playoffs Stage.
In the Playoffs Stage (July 30 to Aug. 2), the eight direct invites will be joined by the eight best teams from the Group Stage. The format is a no-nonsense single-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three.
Teams were invited based on their VRS Europe position as of June 15, 2026, starting at Rank 9.
How To Watch TWC 2026 EU Series 2
Every TWC 2026 EU Series 2 match will be broadcast live on twitch.tv/thunderpicktv and youtube.com/@Thunderpickesports. The tournament is operated by GAM3RS_X. We also want to shout out Hotspawn as our official media partner and GRID Esports as the data partner.
For an all-in-one viewing/betting experience, check out our CS2 section, where you can watch live streams of every match and place bets using your favorite crypto.
Prize Pool Distribution
Two dozen teams are competing for their share of the $30,000 prize money. Check out the distribution below.
| Placement | Prize Money (USD) |
| 1st | $12,500 |
| 2nd | $7,500 |
| 3rd–4th | $3,000 each |
| 5th–8th | $1,000 each |
Meet The Team Participating In TWC EU Series 2
Here’s a look at who you can expect to see competing at this CS2 event you don’t want to miss.
Walczaki
One of the favorites to go all the way at the EU Series 2 is Walczaki, an organization-less stack of talented Polish players you might remember as the ESC Gaming roster.
Walczaki is ranked #36 on VRS Europe, with a 69.4% match win rate. They’ll start in the Playoffs Stage as a direct invite. A recent 3–2 reverse-sweep comeback against KOLESIE at European Pro League Series 7 to win the event inspires heaps of confidence.
Walczaki roster:
- Wojciech “bajmi” Strzelczyk
- Dawid “SaMey” Stańczak
- Patryk “olimp” Woźniak
- Bartosz “moonwalk” Mikołajczyk
- Szymon “sk1tt” Rogoziński
JiJieHao
Ranked #37 on VRS Europe with a 73.3% match win rate, JiJieHao is one of our direct invites to the Playoffs Stage. The squad boasts an exciting mix of talent and recently brought in some additional firepower in the form of rifler CacaNito.
Their most recent success came at XP Game Fest 2026, where they finished 2nd after a solid run through the bracket.
JiJieHao roster:
- Hussein “m1N1” Hijaz
- Bebu “bibu” Aadil
- Osama “0SAMAS” Orabi
- Dionis “sinnopsyy” Budeci
- Aleksandar “CacaNito” Kjulukoski
- Torbjørn “mithR” Nyborg (Coach)
1w Team
With veteran player Qikert leading the charge and coach cau adding strategic depth, fans should keep their eyes trained on 1w Team (formerly known as 1win). The squad is ranked #41 on VRS Europe with a solid 58.8% match win rate.
Their young AWPer, lattykk, wields the “Big Green” with incredible accuracy as the spearhead of 1w Team’s attack.
1w Team roster:
- Alexandr “oz1k” Sevastyanov
- Nikita “reyoz” Rolzing
- Kirill “cronuss” Savin
- Vladislav “lattykk” Vydrin
- Aleksei “Qikert” Golubev (IGL)
- İlnar “cau” Galeev (Coach)
BASEMENT BOYS
Ranked #46 on VRS Europe, the all-Ukrainian side of BASEMENT BOYS has a 60.9% match win rate. They received one of our direct invites to the Playoffs Stage.
The squad has shot up the world rankings following some great performances, including a win at Parken Challenger Championship Season 7 late in May. If AWPer Tr0ublE is on form, they can win the EU Series 2.
BASEMENT BOYS roster:
- Denis “maggent” Kapinus
- Bohdan “kr1vda” Kryvda
- Danylo “fakerealityy” Rud
- Egor “Tr0ublE” Bulavin
- Mykhailo “OWNER” Lymar (IGL)
INOX Division
Ranked #49 on VRS Europe and boasting an impressive 69.8% match win rate, INOX Division is another exciting team to watch.
The squad is slowly climbing the ranks, and young Belarusian AWPer FenomeN makes his presence felt on the server. INOX Division received a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage.
INOX Division roster:
- Nikita “k1slll” Kuzminov
- Arseniy “gooddeph” Ponomarev
- Matvey “k0s” Abramov
- Aleksandr “finW” Potapov
- Ilya “FenomeN” Kolodko
- Maksim “iqlity” Ramanchykau
CYBERSHOKE
CYBERSHOKE received one of our direct invites to the Playoffs Stage. The squad is currently ranked #50 on VRS Europe, with a 53.8% match win rate. They put up a solid performance at TWC 2026 EU Series 1, making it to the Quarterfinals before losing 1–2 in a slugfest against eventual champions DragonClaw.
Youngster Alkaren is on loan from HEROIC, adding more firepower to the CYBERSHOKE roster.
CYBERSHOKE roster:
- David “bl1x1” Stepanyants
- Daniil “alpha” Demin
- Roman “Mokuj1n” Petrushenko
- Älımjan “Alkaren” Bıtımbai
- Aleksandr “glowiing” Matsiyevich (IGL)
- Vladimir “pixel” Lukyanov (Coach)
GenOne
At the EU Series 1 event, GenOne began their journey in the Group Stage and made it all the way to the Playoffs Stage before losing in the Round of 16. GenOne impressed and will start EU Series 2 in the Playoffs Stage.
Ranked #60 on VRS Europe, the squad sits on a 60% match win rate over the past three months, showing a strong increase in form.
GenOne roster:
- Jordan “Chuckyy” Molnar
- Hugo “Brooxsy” Di Bono
- Thomas “Djoko” Pavoni
- Nicolas “Keoz” Dgus
- Elyas “bL4SEZ” Amiar
Lavked
Created in March 2026, the all-Russian stack called Lavked has clicked heads with vigor in recent events, earning the final direct invite to the Playoffs Stage.
The team currently has a 58.3% match win rate, with a 2nd place finish at CCT 2026 Europe Series 1 as their best recent performance.
Lavked roster:
- Kirill “sol” Simagin
- Danila “1NVISIBLEE” Simagin
- Ivan “xm1nd” Dragunov
- Aleksandr “KENSI” Gurkin
- TBD
- Ivan “L1nkero” Voronin (Coach)
STATE Esport
As one of the favorites to make it out of the Group Stage, STATE Esport (aka WOPA Esport) is ranked #48 on VRS Europe with a 73.3% match win rate. The all-Danish organization is owned by pro footballer Simon Kjær, and expectations are high.
STATE Esport roster:
- André “Zanto” Christiansen
- Oliver “kwezz” Rasmussen
- Emil “sL1m3” Stolz
- Patrick “Patti” Larsen (IGL)
- TBD
- Bertil “Dengzoe” Dengsø (Coach)
Ursa
Ursa, previously known as Black Phoenix on the VRS, is ranked #73 in Europe. The squad has a decent 50% match win rate over the past three months and will kick things off in the Group Stage.
Ursa roster:
- Kirill “Salazar” Rautskiy
- Vladislav “Alv” Vorokhobov
- Ernest “karnez” Kazakov
- Daniils “4X1s” Jaciks
- TBD
Misa
Ranked #143 on VRS Europe, Misa has a 42.9% win rate over the past three months. They’ll enter the event in the Group Stage, hoping to make it to the Playoffs. The side has the potential to cause some upsets on the server.
Misa roster:
- Zübeyir “Zuedsta” Yıldırım
- Mert “Mertowsk1” Burtgil
- Serdar “Ckanic” Akıncı
- Aziz “souv” Altinsoy
- Emrecan “EMSTAR” Çalışkan (IGL)
- Onur “Obyj” Buğra Yaman (Coach)
Entropy
The Entropy roster is currently ranked #112 on VRS Europe, with a 44.4% match win rate. They’ll start in the Group Stage. While the Swedish core is solid, Entropy and IGL Georgi “GeGo” Gospodinov parted ways on July 19, creating some uncertainty about the roster’s performance at this event.
Entropy roster:
- Anton “dottie” Alevärn
- Adam “flaw” Gustafsson
- Lucas “L00m1” Haukland
- Theodor “tevsii” Vahlberg
- TBD
los kogutos
The all-Polish stack called los kogutos was announced on June 30 and is currently without an official organization. Ranked #117 on VRS Europe with a 25% match win rate, they’ll start in the Group Stage.
The squad’s core is ex-TNC players, with AdrieN at the helm, inspiring confidence that los kogutos can claim some scalps. After all, they did make it out of the Group Stage at EU Series 1 before losing in the Round of 16.
los kogutos roster:
- Martin “maaryy” Nakonieczny
- Kuba “Markoś” Markowski
- Tomasz “tomiko” Uroda
- Marcel “hotd0g” Maziejuk
- Adrian “AdrieN” Mucha (IGL)
Bebop
The all-Russian side of Bebop holds a #102 ranking on VRS Europe with a decent 45.5% match win rate. At EU Series 1, Bebop narrowly didn’t make it out of the Group Stage after losing the Decider match in Group D to the tournament champions, DragonClaw.
Considering how close they came in EU Series 1, there’s a good chance Bebop will make it to the Playoffs this time around.
Bebop roster:
- Artyom “iDISBALANCE” Egorov
- Daniil “lov1kus” Nikitin
- Timofey “fozil” Komkov
- Georgiy “Redzed” Zavertkin
- Yuriy “faydett” Martirosov (IGL)
UNiTY
Slovak esports organization UNiTY boasts a promising lineup of European CS2 talent. The roster was finalized on July 2 with the addition of Swedish AWPer Sn0w, adding a hefty load of firepower. UNiTY starts in the Group Stage. They’re ranked #120 on VRS Europe with a 40% match win rate.
UNiTY roster:
- Jakub “M1key” Krausko
- Simon “KWERTZZ” Horák
- David “fnl” Mușuroiu
- Timmy “Sn0w” Brun
- Ahmet “2high” Baftijari (IGL)
- Pavel “replay” Vaněk (Coach)
ex-Mana
On July 2, Mana Esports parted ways with their CS2 roster. However, the core has stuck together following their disappointing 0–2 exit at TWC 2026 EU Series 1.
Ranked #138 on VRS Europe, the ex-Mana roster has a 44.4% match win rate and will start EU Series 2 in the Group Stage.
ex-Mana roster:
- Ammar “ammar” Grashtica
- Bledar “BledarD” Dula
- Serdar “cerber” Mahmuti
- Egzon “xonn1k” Behluli
- Valon “vAloN” Etemi
Inner Circle Academy
It will be very interesting to see how the academy wing of esports organization Inner Circle performs. The youngsters are kicking off their campaign in the Group Stage. Ranked #98 on VRS Europe with a 57.9% match win rate, Inner Circle Academy is one of the favorites to earn a spot in the Playoffs Stage.
Inner Circle Academy roster:
- Dmytro “NaYz” Khylchuk
- Rostyslav “n0rths” Zhyvun
- Dmytro “L1seYoung” Liebidynskii
- Vladyslav “Tamefear” Yurchenko
- Volodymyr “3ippoch” Sivak (IGL)
- Dmitry “d1maskin” Proleichik (Coach)
Falcons Force
Saudi Arabian esports organization Team Falcons has an exciting academy team called Falcons Force. Their skill will be on full display in the Group Stage. The squad is ranked #132 on VRS Europe, with a 30.8% match win rate over the past three months.
Falcons Force roster:
- Vladimir “VENO” Stankovic
- Andrei “Grecu” Grecu
- Oskar “clockzi” Blæsbjerg
- Matej “Nucleonz” Trajkoski
- Sindre “Tapewaare” Ellefsen (IGL)
- Niels Christian “NaToSaphiX” Sillassen (Coach)
NEW VISION
The academy team of PARIVISION, aptly named NEW VISION, is another exciting squad to watch in the Group Stage. NEW VISION is ranked #155 on VRS Europe, with a 36.8% match win rate for the primarily Russian side.
NEW VISION roster:
- Dmitriy “fen2k” Gladskikh
- Serghei “hahanz0” Ulinov
- Yaroslav “wonimo” Tsyprinskiy
- Nikita “w0l33n” Shamin
- Matvey “x1nk1n” Chadromtsev
- Nikita “waterfaLLZ” Matveyev (Coach)
Lazer Cats
Ranked #130 with a 22.2% match win rate, Lazer Cats received a Group Stage invite. They didn’t make it out of Group C of EU Series 1, but did win some maps, showing promise. If the all-Ukrainian side can pounce on opportunities during the Group Stage, there’s a chance they can redeem themselves and earn a spot in the Playoffs.
Lazer Cats roster:
- Serhii “Kiy0o” Savitskyi
- Ruslan “yab0ku-” Kekot
- Nykyta “nikitea” Chakhovskyi
- Eduard “edixenn” Liubchenko
- Maksym “Magic” Melnychuk (IGL)
- Dmytro “monarrrh” Shakh (Coach)
Fortress
The all-Danish side of Fortress is ranked #133 on VRS Europe, with a 42.9% match win rate over the past three months.
Fortress showed promise at the Parken Challenger Championship Season 8 in May, finishing 3rd. They’ll begin in the Group Stage.
Fortress roster:
- Marcus “BqreBedre” Haugbølle Johansen
- Asker “As K” Dutschke
- Marc “Brand” Lindberg
- Skjold “K1ngShield” Faber
- Laurits “GrEnNiE” Lenskjold
Megoshort
At EU Series 1, Megoshort had to forfeit their Group B matches. The all-Swedish squad is scheduled to compete in the Group Stage of EU Series 2. They are ranked #205 on VRS Europe with a 27.3% match win rate.
Megoshort roster:
- Elias “Twinkey” Kjellander-Dehman
- Robin “robiin” Sjögren
- Aleksandar “jayzaR” Žarkovićn
- Hugo “zen” Lindhqvist
- TBD
ex-RUSTEC
Starting in the Group Stage is ex-RUSTEC, a team mostly filled with Russian players. They received one of our invites to the EU Series 2. The ex-RUSTEC squad is considered an underdog, and there isn’t enough data available to get on the VRS Europe leaderboard.
Team roster:
- Alexander “Brilliance” Vysotsky
- Ilya “jakekeS” Sukhoparov
- Anatoliy “youka” Aprosimov
- Robert “Patsi” Isyanov
- Vladimir “yiksrezo” Mitrofanov
Mai Tai
Named after the cocktail, Mai Tai is a relatively unknown entity. They don’t have a VRS Europe ranking, but we do know that Mai Tai currently has a 40% match win rate. They’ll start in the Group Stage, where they’re widely considered one of the underdogs.
Mai Tai roster:
- Hubert “Nami” Mikoś
- Maciej “Pelle” Pellowski
- Kacper “chudy” Tracki
- Patryk “Melavi” Baranski
- Wojciech “darchevile” Klęba
A Thunderous Finish Awaits
Will we see one of the favorites crowned the TWC 2026 EU Series 2 champions, or will an underdog rise through the ranks? We also have our eyes on the younger teams, like Inner Circle Academy, Falcons Force, and NEW VISION. Could they make it out of the Group Stage and claim a podium finish? We can’t wait to find out!
The EU Series 2 marks the end of our regional online events for the year, but there’s something gigantic on the horizon to get hyped about. We’re ecstatic about the Global Qualifier (Sept. 9 to 13) leading up to the TWC 2026 Finals on LAN in Malta (Oct. 12 to 19).
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