The Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) is back and ready to deliver top-tier Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports action across six regional series. Kicking things off is the EU Series #1. It will feature 24 teams fighting for their share of the $25,000 prize pool and, more importantly, a coveted spot in the Valve-sanctioned TWC 2025 Closed Qualifier.
With so much on the line for the teams, the hype couldn’t be higher. To prep fans for what’s to come, we’re taking a closer look at the organizations competing in the EU Series #1.
Please note: All HLTV World Ranking data is current as of April 28, 2025. We also mention the latest Valve Regional Standings (VRS) for Europe.
500
500 is ranked 46th globally, resulting in a direct invite to the TWC 2025 EU Series #1 Playoffs Stage. The squad, made up of Bulgarian players, recently benched SHiPZ and added REDSTAR as a stand-in. The esports organization is a subsidiary of 500 Casino, hence the team’s name.
Roster:
- CeRq
- oxygeN
- Rainwaker
- REDSTAR
- SPELLAN
OG
As one of the highest-ranked teams (28th) competing at the TWC 2025 EU Series #1, OG is a force on the server. You may recall that they finished 4th at the TWC 2024 LAN Finals. And despite going through a recent slump, OG has a strong chance of reaching the Grand Final of this event. It doesn’t hurt that they added Danish star Nico “nicoodoz” Tamjidi to the roster on April 5.
Roster:
- Buzz
- Chr1zN
- F1KU
- nicoodoz
- spooke
BetBoom
BetBoom narrowly missed last year’s main event, finishing in 3rd/4th place at the TWC 2024 EU Series #2. They are the highest-ranked team (25th) entering this event and received a direct invitation to the Playoffs Stage. With ex-NAVI IGL Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhaylov and Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov, acquired from Cloud9 at the start of the year, we won’t be surprised if the team continues to climb.
Roster:
- Ax1Le
- Boombl4
- Magnojez
- S1ren
- zorte
fnatic
Many CS2 fans believe the current fnatic roster is underranked (39th globally). Why? Well, the team features Swedish legend Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson, who’s a two-time Major Championship winner, and Danish powerhouse Benjamin “blameF” Bremer. Because of their VRS ranking (38th), fnatic received a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage.
Roster:
- blameF
- fear
- jambo
- KRIMZ
- MATYS
ENCE
ENCE is ranked 36th globally and received a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage. The team features Ukrainian rifler Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev and four-time Major Championship winner Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander calling the shots, making them one of the favorites to take home the gold. Will the event be “ez for ENCE,” or will they underperform? We can’t wait to find out!
Roster:
- gla1ve
- Neityu
- podi
- Sdy
- xKacpersky
NAVI Junior
As the academy team of Natus Vincere, these up-and-coming CS2 esports players are “born to win.” Despite being an academy team, NAVI Junior is ranked 35th globally by HLTV and 26th in Europe according to the VRS. They received a direct invite to the EU Series #1 Playoffs Stage and are expected to contend for a podium finish.
Roster:
- cmtry
- dem0n
- dziugss
- Krabeni
- makazze
Metizport
Ranked 38th globally, Metizport earned a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage. The Swedish crew features legends, including former NIP players Nicolas “Plopski” Gonzalez and Hampus “hampus” Poser, with the latter leading the charge as Metizport’s in-game leader.
Roster:
- adamb
- hampus
- isak
- L00m1
- Plopski
9INE
As our final direct invite to the Playoffs, 9INE is ranked 55th globally by HLTV, and 43rd in Europe by Valve. Danish player Rasmus “raalz” Steensborg leads the team, which includes the likes of ex-OG AWPer, Mateusz “mantuu” Wilczewski, who has some solid experience in top-tier events.
Roster:
- bobeksde
- faveN
- kraghen
- mantuu
- raalz
Iberian Soul
Spanish side Iberian Soul previously played under the Movistar Riders banner. While they showed promise for the event, the team was the first to be knocked out of EU Series #1 in Group A.
Roster:
- alex
- dav1g
- mopoz
- sausol
- stadodo
SINNERS
Led by experienced rifler Sebastian “beastik” Daňo, SINNERS is a solid Czech side currently ranked 56th in Europe. They’re embarking on their TWC 2025 EU Series #1 journey in Group D, aiming to secure a spot in the Playoffs Stage.
Roster:
- beastik
- MoriiSko
- Pepo
- SHOCK
- ZEDKO
Ex-Aurora (Astrum)
Aurora Gaming recently acquired the Eternal Fire roster, moving the old squad with IGL Evgeniy “Norwi” Ermolin as the IGL to the inactive roster. That previous team, now competing as “Astrum,” is ranked 52nd globally.
Roster:
- clax
- gr1ks
- KENSI
- Norwi
- Patsi
ECSTATIC
ECSTATIC is an exciting Danish organization, led by Thomas “TMB” Bundsbæk. They have already shown their prowess on the server, topping Group B of the EU Series #1 with a 2-0 record, earning a spot in the Playoffs.
Roster:
- Anlelele
- Kristou
- nut nut
- sirah
- TMB
CYBERSHOKE
Competing in Group D of the EU Series #1, CYBERSHOKE Esports is a CIS crew led by experienced Russian rifler Aleksandr “glowiing” Matsiyevich. They’re ranked 78th globally.
Roster:
- bl1x1
- FenomeN
- glowiing
- lov1kus
- notineki
Passion UA
Ukrainian team Passion UA sailed past the competition in Group A of the EU Series #1, and we can’t wait to see how they perform in the Playoffs Stage. It appears that the recent addition of South African coach Tiaan “T.c.” Coertzen is already paying off!
Roster:
- jackasmo
- Kvem
- s-chilla
- Topa
- zeRRoFIX
Dynamo Eclot
Dynamo Eclot, ranked 48th globally, put up a solid fight in the Group Stage. Unfortunately for the Czech team, they fell to Rush B in Group B, eliminating them from the event.
Roster:
- Dytor
- forsyy
- M1key
- nbqq
- The eLiVe
Fire Flux
Competing in Group C, Fire Flux Esports is 98th globally (and 83rd in Europe). The side recently replaced S3NSEY with duggy, and they are ready to show us how well they can perform.
Roster:
- Banjo
- paz
- duggy
- ScrunK
- soulfly
Monte
Fans have high hopes for Monte, led by Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen. Despite ranking 80th on HLTV’s charts, the organization has a history of making deep runs at our World Championship. Monte finished in 3rd/4th place at the TWC 2023, and they’ll compete in Group C of the EU Series #1 this year.
Roster:
- DemQQ
- Gizmy
- hades
- leen
- ryu
Delta
Hailing from Kazakhstan, Delta gave it a good shot in Group B of the TWC 2025 EU Series #1, but dropped out of the tournament with a 0-2 score.
Roster:
- ddoni
- dosikk
- dune
- mixmeister
- tsukumeow
Sashi
Competing in Group D, Sashi is a Danish team led by Oliver “IceBerg” Berg. They are ranked 76th globally at the start of the EU Series #1 event.
Roster:
- Cabbi
- IceBerg
- Lucky
- niko
- Zyphon
Zero Tenacity
Zero Tenacity narrowly missed the main event of TWC 2024 with a 2nd-place finish at the EU Series #2 last year. The squad, ranked 63rd globally, has advanced through the Group Stage with a 2-1 record in Group A of the TWC 2025 EU Series #1, earning a spot in the Playoffs.
Roster:
- aVN
- brutmonster
- Cjoffo
- nEMANHA
- simke
RUSH B
The Russian team Rush B managed a 2nd-place finish in Group B of the event, securing a spot in the Playoffs Stage and looking very promising. How far can the side go? We’ll find out soon enough!
Roster:
- executor
- kinqie
- KIRO
- tex1y
- z1Nny
RUBY
The Russian side, RUBY, is ranked 102nd globally at the start of the EU Series #1, competing in Group C against stiff competition, including ex-Aurora Gaming and Monte.
Roster:
- fozil
- H4SAN4TOR
- Kaide
- mo0N
- sowalio
SABRE Esports
The Ukrainian team, SABRE Esports, exited the tournament after a 1-2 match score in Group A, following some hard-fought matches.
Roster:
- doni
- hodix
- jackast
- MUV
- neiter
Alliance
The experienced Swedish roster of Alliance shows promise despite its 112th global ranking. They are competing in Group D of the TWC 2025 EU Series #1 against some tough competition, including SINNERS and Sashi.
Roster:
- avid
- eraa
- PlesseN
- twist
- upE
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