Following Rainbow Six Siege, Black Ops 7, and other titles, it's now Counter-Strike 2's turn: The CS2 competition of the Esports World Cup 2026 kicks off today in Paris with its Group Stage in a best-of-one format. The venue is Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, with the Grand Final later taking place at the Accor Arena.
Today's Schedule
32 teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket before the single-elimination playoffs begin on August 19th. The Grand Final, played in a best-of-five format, is scheduled for August 23rd. Among the opening matches for the group stage is the clash between NAVI and 3DMAX – a duel that could set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Overall, teams are battling for a share of approximately $2 million in prize money.
Paris: The New Esports Hub
This marks the first time the Esports World Cup is held outside of Riyadh, after previously taking place exclusively in Saudi Arabia. The CS2 competition is just one of 25 tournaments as part of a seven-week overall event featuring 24 different games and a total prize pool of $75 million. In recent weeks, we've already reported on the Rainbow Six Siege group stage and the first Black Ops 7 playoff tickets at the Esports World Cup – the CS2 competition now joins as the next major chapter of the event.
From our perspective, it's especially worth paying attention to the opening matches of the top teams today: In the best-of-one format, a weak map pick or a single bad start can determine a team's entire group fate. Those following the CS2 scene should therefore not only look at the results but also examine the maps played – especially underdogs have real chances for early upsets in the Bo1 format.
Who do you think will take home the title in the CS2 competition? Discuss your favorites with us in the comments.
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