With the dust slowly settling over the Cathedral of Counter-Strike following the historic events of IEM Cologne Major 2026, most top teams are enjoying the player break. However, the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports action never stops, which brings us to the exciting XSE Pro League 2026, a Tier 1 event that kicks off on July 1.
Lock in as we share our XSE Pro League 2026 betting predictions and discuss everything you need to know about the event, including the format, schedule, and competing teams.
Disclaimer: All the XSE Pro League 2026 winner odds quoted and VRS Global rankings mentioned are accurate as of June 28, 2026, and are subject to change without notice.
XSE Pro League 2026 Schedule & Format
XSE Pro League 2026, also known as XPL Guangzhou, takes place on LAN in Guangzhou, China, from July 1 to 12, and has two stages of competition.
The tournament begins with a Group Stage (July 1 to 5) at the Friendship Hall, Canton Fair Complex. XSE Pro League 2026’s Group Stage has a 16-team Swiss System format, where advancement and elimination matches are best-of-three and all others are best-of-one. It’s the same format used in the first three stages of Major Championships, where the top eight earn spots in the Playoffs Stage.
Eight teams will compete in the Playoffs Stage (July 9 to 12) at the South China Agricultural University Gymnasium. Teams will compete in a single-elimination bracket, with quarterfinal and semifinal matches being best-of-three, and the Grand Final being best-of-five.
Find the match times for your region via our CS2 betting section.
Prize Pool Distribution
XSE Pro League 2026 features a total prize pool of $1 million. It is divided equally into Player Share ($500,000) and Club Share ($500,000), awarded to players and organizations, respectively. Check out the prize pool distribution below.
| Place | Player Share | Club Share | Total Prize |
| 1st | $200,000 | $60,000 | $260,000 |
| 2nd | $80,000 | $60,000 | $140,000 |
| 3rd–4th | $30,000 | $60,000 | $90,000 ($180,000) |
| 5th–8th | $20,000 | $30,000 | $50,000 ($200,000) |
| 9th–16th | $10,000 | $17,500 | $27,500 ($220,000) |
| Total | $500,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
How To Watch XSE Pro League 2026
Dive into the XSE Pro League 2026 via our state-of-the-art CS2 betting section. When a match begins, click on the camera icon or navigate to the “Live” tab. You’ll see an embedded live stream and bet slip appear, where you can watch the matches while making in-play wagers using your preferred crypto.
Easily make pre-match wagers and check the match schedule in your time zone via our dedicated betting page for XSE Pro League 2026. Or catch the action in English via PGL’s Twitch and YouTube channels. Chinese streams are available via the Bilibili and Douyu channels.
Teams At XSE Pro League 2026
XSE Pro League 2026 invites were based on VRS rankings as of May 4. Check out who’s competing below:
- 9z Team
- BetBoom Team
- PARIVISION
- B8
- FaZe Clan
- Monte
- MIBR
- TYLOO
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- BIG
- Lynn Vision Gaming
- 3DMAX
- Alliance
- SINNERS Esports
- Team Nemesis
- EYEBALLERS
Note: Legacy was replaced by TYLOO due to visa issues, and M80 was replaced by Lynn Vision Gaming due to jury duty obligations, per an official announcement from the tournament organizer.
Our XSE Pro League 2026 Predictions
To create our XSE Pro League 2026 predictions, we researched past performances, with a focus on team form and results at the IEM Cologne Major. We also considered matchup histories between the top teams and used the latest outright tournament winner odds to inform our decision-making.
Important: When discussing outright winner odds, we mention both the American and Decimal formats. We also note the implied probabilities, which indicate a team’s chances of success based on the odds. This analysis should not be interpreted as betting advice. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Always gamble responsibly.
9z Team (#1)
At IEM Cologne Major 2026, 9z Team punched well above their weight and made history as the first South American team (outside Brazil) to earn a spot in the Playoffs Stage of a Major Championship.
Many of the players on 9z Team, including Argentinian AWPer meyern, posted career-high performances during their historic run, which ended in the Quarterfinals after they were reverse-swept by FURIA. 9z Team’s run in Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the Major was an immense achievement. While they delivered many impressive performances, the cherry on top has to be beating the best squad in the world, Team Vitality, with a 2–1 reverse-sweep comeback in Stage 3. If 9z Team can keep the momentum going, there’s a strong chance they can claim their first Tier 1 LAN trophy. Odds of 4.00 (+300) indicate there’s a 25% chance that they’ll lift the XSE Pro League 2026 trophy.
Following their recent performances, 9z Team is ranked #12 on the VRS Global leaderboard and #8 on HLTV’s world rankings. They boast a 69% match win rate over the past three months.
9z Team roster:
- Matias “HUASOPEEK” Ibáñez
- Luciano “luchov” Herrera
- Ignacio “meyern” Meyer
- Franco “dgt” Garcia (On loan from paiN Gaming)
- Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez (IGL)
- Bruno “BIT” Lima (coach)
BetBoom Team (#2)
CS2 esports fans worldwide are watching BetBoom Team, which sits at the #10 spot on both the VRS Global leaderboard and HLTV’s world rankings. The squad, led by ex-NAVI captain and Major Championship winner Boombl4, has a 65.6% match win rate over the past three months.
At the IEM Cologne Major this year, BetBoom Team made an amazing run through Stages 1 through 3 before losing to Aurora Gaming in the quarterfinals. The squad showed incredible resilience throughout the tournament, and “donk’s friend,” aka Magnojez, became a breakout star, clicking heads with the best of them.
According to the latest outright tournament winner odds of 3.50 (+250), BetBoom Team has the highest chance of winning the event at 28.57%. However, we’ve placed Boombl4’s men slightly behind our top pick because 9z Team defeated higher-caliber teams in Cologne.
BetBoom Team roster:
- Pavel “s1ren” Ogloblin
- Aleksandr “zorte” Zagodyrenko
- Kirill “Magnojez” Rodnov
- Timur “FL4MUS” Maryev
- Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov (IGL)
- Artem “Fierce” Ivanov (coach)
PARIVISION (#3)
Led by the illustrious IGL, Jame, PARIVISION is one of the highest-ranked teams at XSE Pro League 2026, sitting at #17 on HLTV and #19 on the VRS Global leaderboard. On a good day, PARIVISION can beat most top-five teams. But on the other hand, they can also get eliminated from an event without winning a match.
At IEM Cologne Major 2026, the latter occurred, with PARIVISION going 0–3 in Stage 3, exiting the event earlier than expected. While B8 is ranked slightly higher (#15), we’ve given PARIVISION the edge to earn a podium finish thanks to two recent roster changes that have inspired lots of confidence.
Following the poor results in Germany, PARIVISION benched Andrey “BELCHONOKK” Yasinskiy and Emil “nota” Moskvitin, then announced the signing of promising young Russian rifler slaxejezzz. For XSE Pro League 2026, they’ve also added Major winner HObbit as a stand-in, and he brings a wealth of experience to the lineup.
The excitement is palpable for the first LAN outing of the new-look PARIVISION. The outright tournament winner odds of 5.00 (+400) coincide with our expert’s sentiment, which indicates there’s a 20% chance that PARIVISION will lift the trophy.
PARIVISION roster:
- Vladislav “xiELO” Lysov
- Ivan “zweih” Gogin
- Vyacheslav “slaxejezzz” Vinokurov
- Abay “HObbit” Khassenov (stand-in)
- Dzhami “Jame” Ali (IGL)
- Dastan “dastan” Aqbaev (coach)
Honorable mentions go to B8 and FaZe Clan, two teams you should definitely keep in mind during this tournament.
Get Amped Up For XSE Pro League 2026
XSE Pro League 2026 arrives at the perfect time for CS2 fans, keeping the action rolling while many top teams regroup after IEM Cologne Major 2026. With 9z Team riding high, BetBoom Team entering as the odds-on favorite, and PARIVISION debuting a refreshed lineup with HObbit standing in, the race for the trophy feels wide open.
Join us for XSE Pro League 2026 and put your esports prediction prowess to the test right here at Thunderpick. Check out the latest CS2 betting odds to get started, and use your favorite crypto to make some wagers.
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