{"id":15889,"date":"2026-07-25T09:36:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T09:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/?p=15889"},"modified":"2026-07-27T09:44:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T09:44:24","slug":"what-teams-are-in-thunderpick-world-championship-2026-eu-series-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/what-teams-are-in-thunderpick-world-championship-2026-eu-series-2","title":{"rendered":"What Teams Are In Thunderpick World Championship 2026 EU Series 2?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/world-championship.thunderpick.io\/\">Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) 2026<\/a> has kept <a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/esports\/cs2-betting\">Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)<\/a> fans on the edge of their collective seats during the online regional events. <a href=\"https:\/\/world-championship.thunderpick.io\/2026-eu-series-2\/\">TWC 2026 EU Series 2<\/a> is the final event of its type this year, with 24 exciting teams competing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break down everything fans need to know about the event, including format, schedule, where to watch, and the competing teams.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> <em>Rankings mentioned in this article reflect the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of July 21.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">TWC 2026 EU Series 2 Schedule, Format &amp; Stream<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The teams invited to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/ThunderpickWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ThunderpickWC<\/a> 2026 EU Series 2 are here! \ud83c\udf29\ufe0f<br><br>Who&#39;s your favorite to go all the way? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jXbASE9TnF\">pic.twitter.com\/jXbASE9TnF<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Thunderpick (@thunderpickco) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/thunderpickco\/status\/2078872767022109143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 19, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams were invited based on their VRS Europe position as of June 15, 2026, starting at Rank 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Watch TWC 2026 EU Series 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every TWC 2026 EU Series 2 match will be broadcast live on <a href=\"https:\/\/c212.net\/c\/link\/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4430783-1&amp;h=3648175225&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitch.tv%2Fthunderpicktv&amp;a=twitch.tv%2Fthunderpicktv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">twitch.tv\/thunderpicktv<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@thunderpickesports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/@Thunderpickesports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">youtube.com\/@Thunderpickesports<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For an all-in-one viewing\/betting experience, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/esports\/cs2-betting\">CS2 section<\/a>, where you can watch live streams of every match and place bets using your favorite crypto.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prize Pool Distribution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Two dozen teams are competing for their share of the $30,000 prize money. Check out the distribution below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Placement<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Prize Money (USD)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1st<\/td><td>$12,500<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2nd<\/td><td>$7,500<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3rd\u20134th<\/td><td>$3,000 each<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5th\u20138th<\/td><td>$1,000 each<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meet The Team Participating In TWC EU Series 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a look at who you can expect to see competing at this CS2 event you don\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Walczaki<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Walczaki is ranked #36 on VRS Europe, with a 69.4% match win rate. They\u2019ll start in the Playoffs Stage as a direct invite. A recent 3\u20132 reverse-sweep comeback against KOLESIE at European Pro League Series 7 to win the event inspires heaps of confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Walczaki roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wojciech &#8220;bajmi&#8221; Strzelczyk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dawid &#8220;SaMey&#8221; Sta\u0144czak<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patryk &#8220;olimp&#8221; Wo\u017aniak<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bartosz &#8220;moonwalk&#8221; Miko\u0142ajczyk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Szymon &#8220;sk1tt&#8221; Rogozi\u0144ski<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">JiJieHao<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their most recent success came at XP Game Fest 2026, where they finished 2nd after a solid run through the bracket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>JiJieHao roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hussein &#8220;m1N1&#8221; Hijaz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bebu &#8220;bibu&#8221; Aadil<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Osama &#8220;0SAMAS&#8221; Orabi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dionis &#8220;sinnopsyy&#8221; Budeci<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aleksandar &#8220;CacaNito&#8221; Kjulukoski<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Torbj\u00f8rn &#8220;mithR&#8221; Nyborg (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1w Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their young AWPer, lattykk, wields the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/cs2-awp-the-big-green\">Big Green<\/a>\u201d with incredible accuracy as the spearhead of 1w Team\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1w Team roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alexandr &#8220;oz1k&#8221; Sevastyanov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nikita &#8220;reyoz&#8221; Rolzing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kirill &#8220;cronuss&#8221; Savin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vladislav &#8220;lattykk&#8221; Vydrin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aleksei &#8220;Qikert&#8221; Golubev (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u0130lnar &#8220;cau&#8221; Galeev (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">BASEMENT BOYS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BASEMENT BOYS roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Denis &#8220;maggent&#8221; Kapinus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bohdan &#8220;kr1vda&#8221; Kryvda<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Danylo &#8220;fakerealityy&#8221; Rud<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Egor &#8220;Tr0ublE&#8221; Bulavin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mykhailo &#8220;OWNER&#8221; Lymar (IGL)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">INOX Division<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ranked #49 on VRS Europe and boasting an impressive 69.8% match win rate, INOX Division is another exciting team to watch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>INOX Division roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nikita &#8220;k1slll&#8221; Kuzminov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Arseniy &#8220;gooddeph&#8221; Ponomarev<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Matvey &#8220;k0s&#8221; Abramov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aleksandr &#8220;finW&#8221; Potapov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ilya &#8220;FenomeN&#8221; Kolodko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maksim &#8220;iqlity&#8221; Ramanchykau<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CYBERSHOKE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/thunderpick-world-championship-2026-eu-series-1-recap\">TWC 2026 EU Series 1<\/a>, making it to the Quarterfinals before losing 1\u20132 in a slugfest against eventual champions DragonClaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Youngster Alkaren is on loan from <a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/heroic-team-overview\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"259\" title=\"Heroic team\">HEROIC<\/a>, adding more firepower to the CYBERSHOKE roster.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CYBERSHOKE roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>David &#8220;bl1x1&#8221; Stepanyants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daniil &#8220;alpha&#8221; Demin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Roman &#8220;Mokuj1n&#8221; Petrushenko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00c4l\u0131mjan &#8220;Alkaren&#8221; B\u0131t\u0131mbai<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aleksandr &#8220;glowiing&#8221; Matsiyevich (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vladimir &#8220;pixel&#8221; Lukyanov (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GenOne<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>GenOne roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Jordan &#8220;Chuckyy&#8221; Molnar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hugo &#8220;Brooxsy&#8221; Di Bono<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thomas &#8220;Djoko&#8221; Pavoni<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nicolas &#8220;Keoz&#8221; Dgus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Elyas &#8220;bL4SEZ&#8221; Amiar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lavked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lavked roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kirill &#8220;sol&#8221; Simagin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Danila &#8220;1NVISIBLEE&#8221; Simagin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ivan &#8220;xm1nd&#8221; Dragunov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aleksandr &#8220;KENSI&#8221; Gurkin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TBD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ivan &#8220;L1nkero&#8221; Voronin (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">STATE Esport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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 Kj\u00e6r, and expectations are high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>STATE Esport roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Andr\u00e9 &#8220;Zanto&#8221; Christiansen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oliver &#8220;kwezz&#8221; Rasmussen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emil &#8220;sL1m3&#8221; Stolz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patrick &#8220;Patti&#8221; Larsen (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TBD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bertil &#8220;Dengzoe&#8221; Dengs\u00f8 (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ursa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ursa roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kirill &#8220;Salazar&#8221; Rautskiy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vladislav &#8220;Alv&#8221; Vorokhobov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ernest &#8220;karnez&#8221; Kazakov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daniils &#8220;4X1s&#8221; Jaciks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TBD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Misa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ranked #143 on VRS Europe, Misa has a 42.9% win rate over the past three months. They\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Misa roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Z\u00fcbeyir &#8220;Zuedsta&#8221; Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131m<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mert &#8220;Mertowsk1&#8221; Burtgil<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Serdar &#8220;Ckanic&#8221; Ak\u0131nc\u0131<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aziz &#8220;souv&#8221; Altinsoy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emrecan &#8220;EMSTAR&#8221; \u00c7al\u0131\u015fkan (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Onur &#8220;Obyj&#8221; Bu\u011fra Yaman (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Entropy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Entropy roster is currently ranked #112 on VRS Europe, with a 44.4% match win rate. They\u2019ll start in the Group Stage. While the Swedish core is solid, Entropy and IGL Georgi \u201cGeGo\u201d Gospodinov <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OFFICIALGeGo\/status\/2078843847447118126\">parted ways<\/a> on July 19, creating some uncertainty about the roster\u2019s performance at this event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Entropy roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Anton &#8220;dottie&#8221; Alev\u00e4rn<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adam &#8220;flaw&#8221; Gustafsson<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lucas &#8220;L00m1&#8221; Haukland<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Theodor &#8220;tevsii&#8221; Vahlberg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TBD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">los kogutos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The all-Polish stack called los kogutos was <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LosKogutos\/status\/2072033144891380151\">announced<\/a> on June 30 and is currently without an official organization. Ranked #117 on VRS Europe with a 25% match win rate, they\u2019ll start in the Group Stage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The squad\u2019s core is ex-<a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/tnc-gaming-overview\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"153\" title=\"TnC Gaming\">TNC<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>los kogutos roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Martin &#8220;maaryy&#8221; Nakonieczny<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kuba &#8220;Marko\u015b&#8221; Markowski<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tomasz &#8220;tomiko&#8221; Uroda<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marcel &#8220;hotd0g&#8221; Maziejuk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adrian &#8220;AdrieN&#8221; Mucha (IGL)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bebop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019t make it out of the Group Stage after losing the Decider match in Group D to the tournament champions, DragonClaw.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering how close they came in EU Series 1, there\u2019s a good chance Bebop will make it to the Playoffs this time around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bebop roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Artyom &#8220;iDISBALANCE&#8221; Egorov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daniil &#8220;lov1kus&#8221; Nikitin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Timofey &#8220;fozil&#8221; Komkov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Georgiy &#8220;Redzed&#8221; Zavertkin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yuriy &#8220;faydett&#8221; Martirosov (IGL)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">UNiTY<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Slovak esports organization UNiTY boasts a promising lineup of European CS2 talent. The roster was <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UNiTYesports_eu\/status\/2072713251645698158\">finalized<\/a> on July 2 with the addition of Swedish AWPer Sn0w, adding a hefty load of firepower. UNiTY starts in the Group Stage. They\u2019re ranked #120 on VRS Europe with a 40% match win rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>UNiTY roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Jakub &#8220;M1key&#8221; Krausko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Simon &#8220;KWERTZZ&#8221; Hor\u00e1k<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>David &#8220;fnl&#8221; Mu\u0219uroiu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Timmy &#8220;Sn0w&#8221; Brun<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ahmet &#8220;2high&#8221; Baftijari (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pavel &#8220;replay&#8221; Van\u011bk (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ex-Mana<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On July 2, Mana Esports <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MANAeSports_\/status\/2062237742633750781\">parted ways<\/a> with their CS2 roster. However, the core has stuck together following their disappointing 0\u20132 exit at TWC 2026 EU Series 1.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ex-Mana roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ammar &#8220;ammar&#8221; Grashtica<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bledar &#8220;BledarD&#8221; Dula<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Serdar &#8220;cerber&#8221; Mahmuti<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Egzon &#8220;xonn1k&#8221; Behluli<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Valon &#8220;vAloN&#8221; Etemi<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inner Circle Academy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Inner Circle Academy roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dmytro &#8220;NaYz&#8221; Khylchuk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rostyslav &#8220;n0rths&#8221; Zhyvun<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dmytro &#8220;L1seYoung&#8221; Liebidynskii<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vladyslav &#8220;Tamefear&#8221; Yurchenko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volodymyr &#8220;3ippoch&#8221; Sivak (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dmitry &#8220;d1maskin&#8221; Proleichik (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Falcons Force<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Saudi Arabian esports organization <a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/team-falcons-overview\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"49\" title=\"Team Falcons\">Team Falcons<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Falcons Force roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Vladimir &#8220;VENO&#8221; Stankovic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Andrei &#8220;Grecu&#8221; Grecu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oskar &#8220;clockzi&#8221; Bl\u00e6sbjerg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Matej &#8220;Nucleonz&#8221; Trajkoski<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sindre &#8220;Tapewaare&#8221; Ellefsen (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Niels Christian &#8220;NaToSaphiX&#8221; Sillassen (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NEW VISION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NEW VISION roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Dmitriy &#8220;fen2k&#8221; Gladskikh<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Serghei &#8220;\u2060hahanz0\u2060&#8221; Ulinov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yaroslav &#8220;\u2060wonimo\u2060&#8221; Tsyprinskiy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nikita &#8220;w0l33n&#8221; Shamin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Matvey &#8220;x1nk1n&#8221; Chadromtsev<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nikita &#8220;waterfaLLZ&#8221; Matveyev (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lazer Cats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ranked #130 with a 22.2% match win rate, Lazer Cats received a Group Stage invite. They didn\u2019t 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\u2019s a chance they can redeem themselves and earn a spot in the Playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lazer Cats roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Serhii &#8220;Kiy0o&#8221; Savitskyi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ruslan &#8220;yab0ku-&#8221; Kekot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nykyta &#8220;nikitea&#8221; Chakhovskyi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eduard &#8220;edixenn&#8221; Liubchenko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maksym &#8220;Magic&#8221; Melnychuk (IGL)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dmytro &#8220;monarrrh&#8221; Shakh (Coach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fortress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The all-Danish side of Fortress is ranked #133 on VRS Europe, with a 42.9% match win rate over the past three months.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortress showed promise at the Parken Challenger Championship Season 8 in May, finishing 3rd. They\u2019ll begin in the Group Stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fortress roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Marcus &#8220;BqreBedre&#8221; Haugb\u00f8lle Johansen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Asker &#8220;As K&#8221; Dutschke<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marc &#8220;Brand&#8221; Lindberg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Skjold &#8220;K1ngShield&#8221; Faber<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Laurits &#8220;GrEnNiE&#8221; Lenskjold<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Megoshort<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Megoshort roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Elias &#8220;Twinkey&#8221; Kjellander-Dehman<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Robin &#8220;robiin&#8221; Sj\u00f6gren<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aleksandar &#8220;jayzaR&#8221; \u017darkovi\u0107n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hugo &#8220;zen&#8221; Lindhqvist<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TBD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ex-RUSTEC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019t enough data available to get on the VRS Europe leaderboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Team roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alexander &#8220;Brilliance&#8221; Vysotsky<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ilya &#8220;jakekeS&#8221; Sukhoparov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anatoliy &#8220;youka&#8221; Aprosimov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Robert &#8220;Patsi&#8221; Isyanov<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vladimir &#8220;yiksrezo&#8221; Mitrofanov<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mai Tai<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Named after the cocktail, Mai Tai is a relatively unknown entity. They don\u2019t have a VRS Europe ranking, but we do know that Mai Tai currently has a 40% match win rate. They\u2019ll start in the Group Stage, where they\u2019re widely considered one of the underdogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mai Tai roster:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hubert &#8220;Nami&#8221; Miko\u015b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maciej &#8220;Pelle&#8221; Pellowski<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kacper &#8220;chudy&#8221; Tracki<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patryk &#8220;Melavi&#8221; Baranski<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wojciech &#8220;darchevile&#8221; Kl\u0119ba<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Thunderous Finish Awaits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019t wait to find out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The EU Series 2 marks the end of our regional online events for the year, but there\u2019s something gigantic on the horizon to get hyped about. We\u2019re ecstatic about the <a href=\"https:\/\/world-championship.thunderpick.io\/2026-finals-global-qualifier\/?pk_vid=775cba36ff111588\">Global Qualifier<\/a> (Sept. 9 to 13) leading up to the <a href=\"https:\/\/world-championship.thunderpick.io\/2026-finals\/?pk_vid=775cba36ff111588\">TWC 2026 Finals<\/a> on LAN in Malta (Oct. 12 to 19).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Always practice <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/en\/content\/responsible-gaming\"><em>Responsible Gambling<\/em><\/a><em> and check out our <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/en\/content\/promotions\"><em>latest promo offers<\/em><\/a><em> and boosts. T&amp;Cs apply. 18+ to play.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s break down everything fans need to know about the event, including format, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[95,52,111,101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cs2","category-esports","category-thunderpick-world-championship","category-tournaments"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15889"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15899,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15889\/revisions\/15899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}