Updated 12 October: Ninjas in Pyjamas replace Virtus.pro, and the full schedule and groups are now confirmed.
Malta is set to become the epicenter of Counter-Strike 2 action this autumn as the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 gets underway on Wednesday, 14 October. Hosted by GAM3RS_X, the S-tier LAN event brings a $1,000,000 prize pool to BLAST Arena Studios in Attard, where eight teams will compete for $500,000 in first prize.
Four teams from the top 10 of Valve’s Regional Standings are in the field, led by Legacy, Falcons and FURIA, who won the 2025 edition after beating NAVI in the final. The prize money is split evenly between the players and their organizations, so the winning players share $250,000 between them.
Tournament overview
| Dates | 14-18 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location |  Attard, Malta |
| Venue | BLAST Arena Studios |
| Prize pool | $1,000,000 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Format | Two GSL groups, single-elimination playoffs |
| Organizer | GAM3RS_X |
| Game | Counter-Strike 2 |
| Livestream | Thunderpick on Twitch, YouTube and Kick |
Format
The tournament is played in two stages:
- Group stage (14-16 October): two groups of four teams in a double-elimination (GSL) format. All matches are best-of-three, and the top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs.
- Playoffs (17-18 October): a single-elimination bracket with best-of-three semi-finals and a best-of-three third-place match. The grand final is a best-of-five.
Groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
 Falcons |  Legacy |
 9z |  FURIA |
 Aurora |  BetBoom |
 Ninjas in Pyjamas |  PARIVISION |
Schedule
All times are CEST.
| Date | Time | Match | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, 14 October | 10:30 | 9z vs Aurora | Group A |
| Wednesday, 14 October | 13:00 | Falcons vs NIP | Group A |
| Wednesday, 14 October | 15:30 | Legacy vs PARIVISION | Group B |
| Wednesday, 14 October | 18:00 | FURIA vs BetBoom | Group B |
| 15-16 October | TBA | Remaining group stage matches | Groups |
| Saturday, 17 October | 16:00 | Semi-final 1 | Playoffs |
| Saturday, 17 October | 19:00 | Semi-final 2 | Playoffs |
| Sunday, 18 October | 13:30 | Third-place match | Playoffs |
| Sunday, 18 October | 17:00 | Grand final (Bo5) | Playoffs |
Participating teams
Seven teams were invited through the global Valve Regional Standings in August. Ninjas in Pyjamas took the eighth spot after Virtus.pro withdrew.
| Team | VRS rank (5 October) | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy | #2 | B |
| Falcons | #6 | A |
| FURIA | #7 | B |
| Aurora | #9 | A |
| BetBoom | #11 | B |
| 9z | #17 | A |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | #18 | A |
| PARIVISION | #36 | B |
Rosters
Falcons: 
NiKo, 
TeSeS, 
m0NESY, kyousuke, karrigan. Coach: zonic
Legacy: 
latto, dumau, n1ssim, arT, 
try. Coach: adr
FURIA: yuurih, KSCERATO, FalleN, 
molodoy, 
YEKINDAR. Coach: sidde
Aurora: 
XANTARES, Wicadia, woxic, 
Jimpphat, 
kyxsan. Coach: 
ashhh
BetBoom: s1ren, zorte, Magnojez, Boombl4, d1Ledez. Coach: Fierce
9z: 
max, 
HUASOPEEK, luchov, meyern, dgt. Coach: BIT
Ninjas in Pyjamas: sjuush, 
xKacpersky, stavn, 
Krimbo, 
adamb. Coach: Xizt
PARIVISION: Jame, xiELO, zweih, FL1T, HObbit. Coach: dastan
Tournament news
- Virtus.pro withdraw, NIP step in: On 9 October, Virtus.pro withdrew from the event due to visa and health issues. Virtus.pro had earned the eighth spot by winning the Global Qualifier, where they beat HOTU in the final. Because the withdrawal came less than 20 days before the event, the spot went to the next eligible European team in the VRS, Ninjas in Pyjamas.
- arT returns for Legacy: Legacy’s in-game leader arT is back in the lineup after being treated for meningitis. Legacy played without him at ESL Pro League Season 24.
- New PARIVISION lineup: PARIVISION benched slaxejezzz and signed HObbit on 17 September, so Malta is one of the first events for the new five.
Why it matters: VRS points before the Singapore Major
The Thunderpick World Championship is one of the last big events before the VRS cutoff on 2 November, which decides the invitations for the PGL Major Singapore. A deep run in Malta can move teams up the standings, which matters most for teams around the invite line. Read more in our early Singapore Major simulation and our article on NAVI’s projected miss.
Livestream
Every match is broadcast live in English on Thunderpick’s own channels, according to the official press release:
- Twitch: twitch.tv/thunderpicktv
- YouTube: youtube.com/@thunderpickesports
- Kick: kick.com/thunderpick
Broadcast talent
- Commentators: SPUNJ, Machine, Hugo Byron, JustHarry
- Analysts: Bleh, moses, Tedd, YNk
- Desk hosts: stunna, Tech Girl
- Stage host and sideline reporter: James Banks, Heccu
Map pool
- Ancient
- Anubis
- Cache
- Dust2
- Inferno
- Mirage
- Nuke
Prize pool distribution
The $1,000,000 prize pool is split 50/50 between the players and their organizations.
| Place | Prize | Players | Organization | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | $500,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | TBD |
| 2nd | $250,000 | $125,000 | $125,000 | TBD |
| 3rd | $100,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | TBD |
| 4th | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | TBD |
| 5th-6th | $30,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | TBD |
| 7th-8th | $20,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | TBD |
