We are ready to set the European servers ablaze with the Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) 2026 EU Series 1. We’ll see two dozen Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams duking it out for a juicy $30,000 cash.
Here’s everything you need to know about the TWC 2026 EU Series 1, including the format, schedule, where to watch/stream the event, and a full breakdown of all competing teams.
Disclaimer: Rankings mentioned in this article reflect the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of May 19.
TWC 2026 EU Series 1 Schedule, Format & Stream
TWC 2026 EU Series 1 runs from May 23 to 31 and features two stages of competition. The Group Stage (May 23 to 27) has four groups of four teams each and uses a GSL-style format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Playoffs Stage.
In the Playoffs Stage (May 28 to 31), the eight teams from the Group Stage will join the eight direct invites to compete in a do-or-die single-elimination bracket. All matches throughout the event are best-of-three.
Teams were invited based on their VRS Europe position as of April 2026, starting at Rank 9.
How To Watch TWC 2026 EU Series 1
All TWC 2026 EU Series 1 matches will be broadcast live on twitch.tv/thunderpicktv and youtube.com/@Thunderpickesports. The tournament is operated by the fantastic GAM3RS_X, and we want to shout out Hotspawn as the official media partner and GRID Esports as the data partner.
For an all-in-one experience, visit our CS2 betting section. You can watch the embedded live streams and place bets using your favorite crypto.
Prize Pool Distribution
Teams are competing for progress on VRS Europe and $30,000 in prize money. Check out the distribution below.
| Placement | Prize Money (USD) |
| 1st | $12,500 |
| 2nd | $7,500 |
| 3rd–4th | $3,000 each |
| 5th–8th | $1,000 each |
Meet The Team Participating In TWC EU Series 1
Here’s a look at who you can expect to see competing in this must-watch tournament.
TDK
Since February, TDK has made huge strides in the VRS, rising from #99 to #57. The team, which received a direct Playoffs invite, reunites two stars from the Gambit Esports era, nafany and Ax1Le.
They are the top-ranked team at the event, for good reason. TDK is in frightening form with a match win rate of 70.5% over the past three months.
TDK roster:
- Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov
- Amin “sugaR” Azimov
- Kirill “Xant3r” Kononov
- Aleksandr “zorte” Zagodyrenko (From BetBoom)
- Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov (IGL)
- Konstantin “groove” Pikiner (Coach)
CYBERSHOKE
Ranked #65 on the VRS Global leaderboards, the Russian side CYBERSHOKE boasts a high degree of firepower. As a result, they’re one of the direct invites to the Playoffs Stage.
Over the past three months, the squad has had a 54.5% match win rate. The promising recent addition, young AWPer fluffy, makes CYBERSHOKE one of the favorites to go all the way.
CYBERSHOKE roster:
- David “bl1x1” Stepanyants
- Daniil “alpha” Demin
- Roman “Mokuj1n” Petrushenko
- Vladislav “fluffy” Galimov
- Aleksandr “glowiing” Matsiyevich (IGL)
- Vladimir “pixel” Lukyanov (Coach)
OG
At the helm of OG is the polarizing and electrifying Danish in-game leader (IGL) cadiaN, who returned to the squad on Nov. 11, 2025. The team has a 50% match win rate in the last three months and is currently ranked #72 on VRS Global.
OG received a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage of TWC 2026 EU Series 1, and they’ll get some extra firepower via French rifler bodyy, who recently joined on loan from 3DMAX.
OG roster:
- Olle “spooke” Grundström
- Adam “adamb” Ångström
- Rafael “arrozdoce” Wing
- Alexandre “bodyy” Pianaro (On Loan)
- Casper “cadiaN” Møller (IGL)
- Lambert “Lambert” Prigent (Coach)
Johnny Speeds
The all-Swedish squad of Johnny Speeds has the potential to speedrun through the TWC 2026 EU Series 1 and claim the crown. With the legendary friberg, aka the King of Banana, joining the organization as a coach, the sky’s the limit.
Veteran sniper nawwk has seen a recent uptick in form, wielding the Big Green with precision. Johnny Speeds is ranked #74 on the VRS and one of our direct Playoffs Stage invites to keep a close eye on.
Johnny Speeds roster:
- Anton “Sapec” Palmgren
- Ludvig “HEAP” Alonso
- Jacob “jocab” Nerheden
- Tim “nawwk” Jonasson
- Jonas “Lekr0” Olofsson (IGL)
- Adam “friberg” Friberg (Coach)
Acend
Ranked #79 on VRS Global, the all-Bulgarian side of Acend showed solid form earlier in May 2026, placing third at Parken Challenger Championship #6.
The squad has a 56.4% match win rate over the past three months and has consistently improved their play. Acend starts their EU Series 1 journey in the Playoffs Stage as one of the direct invites.
Acend roster:
- Dimitar “Skrimo” Yanulov
- Kalin “KalubeR” Erenditsov
- Deyvid “h4rn” Benchev
- Kaloyan “shaiK” Borisov
- Teodor “SPELLAN” Nikolov (IGL)
- Milen “milky” Iliev (Coach)
ex-RUBY
Young AWPer YumsaN leads the ex-RUBY squad, an all-Russian outfit ready to click heads at TWC 2026 EU Series 1. ex-RUBY features a talented young lineup, including rifler robo, previously on the Team Spirit Academy roster.
They’re ranked #81 on VRS Global, with a 56% match win rate over the past three months, which earned the crew a direct invite to the Playoffs.
ex-RUBY roster:
- Vladislav “H4SAN4TOR” Tuchin
- Maksim “sh1nejezzz” Vinogradov
- Nikita “robo” Dushin
- Karim “relaxxie” Miftakhov (From K27)
- Vadim “YumsaN” Toropynin (IGL)
- Marat “shocky” Karabanov (Coach)
Betclic Apogee Esports
Ranked #90 on VRS Global, the Polish side Betclic Apogee Esports is led by veteran rifler Prism. They received a direct invite to the Playoffs Stage.
While the squad has suffered some recent losses, resulting in a 46.7% match win rate over the past three months, they came out on top at Parken Challenger Championship Season 2 in March.
Betclic Apogee Esports roster:
- Patryk “Demho” Tomaszewski
- Aleksander “hades” Miśkiewicz
- Bartosz “eskyy” Tomaszewski
- Adrian “Dr3nquu” Wrześniewski
- Wojciech “Prism” Zięba (IGL)
- Jędrzej “Bogdan” Rokita
KOLESIE
The final direct Playoffs Stage invite goes to KOLESIE, an all-Polish squad ranked #96 on the VRS Global leaderboard.
KOLESIE has displayed promise, with a 56.7% match win rate over the past three months. Veteran IGL innocent calls the shots, with coach SZPERO as the tactical mastermind behind the squad’s bombsite executes.
KOLESIE roster:
- Konrad “Qlocuu” Klocek
- Maciej “b1elany” Biliński
- Kuba “Markoś” Markowski
- Kamil “Sobol” Sobolewski
- Paweł “innocent” Mocek (IGL)
- Grzegorz “SZPERO” Dziamałek
EAC
Starting in the Group Stage is Esport Academy Copenhagen (EAC), an all-Danish roster that was officially announced under the new EAC banner on May 14, 2026. The team previously played under the AaB banner.
EAC has a mission to develop the next generation of future Major Championship competitors. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding EAC, and we can’t wait to see the squad compete.
EAC roster:
- Tobias “bekker” Bekker
- Mikkel “n1Xen” Borlund
- Simon “sSen” Iversen
- Andreas “anber” Brandt
- Mikkel “Maze” Sparvath (IGL)
Lazer Cats
With a laser focus on taking home the gold, the Ukrainian team of Lazer Cats is ready to pounce on the Group Stage of TWC 2026 EU Series 1.
The squad ranks #125 on the VRS Global leaderboards, but that may be deceivingly low, as they’re #71 on HLTV’s world rankings. Fnatic recently acquired one of their players, Br4tkO. At the time of writing, it appears they’ll compete with the new addition, edixenn.
Lazer Cats roster:
- Serhii “Kiy0o” Savitskyi
- Ruslan “yab0ku-” Kekot
- Nykyta “nikitea” Chakhovskyi
- Eduard “edixenn” Liubchenko
- Maksym “Magic” Melnychuk (IGL)
- Dmytro “monarrrh” Shakh (Coach)
ASTRAL
ASTRAL enters the Group Stage with a rank of #110 on VRS Global. They have a 52% match win rate over the past three months.
The squad has recently punched above their weight, though. They took down a higher-ranked team, ex-Ruby, and narrowly lost to one of the favorites at TWC 2026 EU Series 1, CYBERSHOKE, in a 2–1 slugfest.
ASTRAL roster:
- Genc “gxx-” Kolgeci
- Oliwier “swiz” Janus
- Artjom “Neqy” Sahnjuk
- Roland “RaY5ive” Siminejev
- Aleksandrs “meowpop” Berezjuks
- Albinas “tooizera” Šeputis (Coach)
GenOne
With a mix of talented French and Belgian players, CS2 esports fans should keep an eye on Group Stage competitors GenOne.
They’re currently ranked #119 on the VRS, with a 48.6% match win rate over the past three months. However, they’ve had a recent uptick in form, with a current win streak of four matches.
GenOne roster:
- Jordan “Chuckyy” Molnar
- Hugo “Brooxsy” Di Bono
- Thomas “Djoko” Pavoni
- Nicolas “Keoz” Dgus
- Elyas “bL4SEZ” Amiar
Bebop
The all-Russian side of Bebop will compete in the Group Stage, and they currently sit at #129 on the VRS.
They’ve been playing well recently, though, as made evident by their 56.2% match win rate over the past three months. This may just inspire the confidence they need to reach the EU Series 1 Playoffs Stage.
Bebop roster:
- Aleksandr “dwushka” Pakhnevich
- Yuriy “h1kaN” Rotar
- Artyom “iDISBALANCE” Egorov
- Daniil “lov1kus” Nikitin
- Yuriy “faydett” Martirosov (IGL)
HYPERSPIRIT
Starting in the Group Stage is HYPERSPIRIT, filled to the brim with Romanian players and a Belgian coach.
HYPERSPIRIT is ranked #136 on the VRS. The organization parted ways with Cosmin “ragga” Teodorescu at the start of May, and it’ll be interesting to see how they attempt to bounce back after a few recent losses as well.
HYPERSPIRIT roster:
- Daniel-Cătălin “Ciocardau” Purice
- Tudor “d1maje” Aparaschivei
- Roberto “ADRON” Paun
- Gyorfy “starplajerz” Gabriel
- Horomei “BRK” Răzvan
- Rupert “Rickertje” Hoop (Coach)
MANA
Ranked #137 on the VRS Global leaderboard, MANA received an invite to the Group Stage. At the start of the year, MANA welcomed Albanian legend SENER1, the “clutch king,” as the active lineup’s new IGL.
The team has demonstrated slow but steady improvement on the server, with a 52.2% match win rate over the past three months.
MANA roster:
- Ammar “ammar” Grashtica
- Bledar “BledarD” Dula
- Serdar “cerber” Mahmuti
- Ensar “Caleyy” Ersuzi
- Sener “SENER1” Mahmuti (IGL)
- Babjet “Malware” Muçaj (Coach)
ALGO
With Ukrainian AWPer rendysky as the spearhead of attack, ALGO is looking to turn some heads in the Group Stage. The team is ranked #163 on the VRS Global leaderboard, with a 50% match win rate in the past three months.
ALGO roster:
- Žygimantas “nukkye” Chmieliauskas
- Hubert “szejn” Światły
- Andreas “aNdu” Maasing
- Jurij “rendysky” Halyshyn
- Kacper “Bambosh” Szlachta
- Oleksandr “Shara” Hordieiev (Coach)
ex-Zero Tenacity
The core of Cjoffo, AVN, and Brutmonster previously formed part of the Zero Tenacity organization. For now, the team is simply called “ex-Zero Tenacity,” and sits at #159 on the VRS Global leaderboard.
Serbian coach emi will lead the squad on the server as the captain. ex-Zero Tenacity starts their TWC 2026 EU Series 1 journey in the Group stage.
ex-Zero Tenacity roster:
- Adin “Brutmonster” Husić
- Andrej “Cjoffo” Šarac
- Filip “aVN” Belojica
- Vladan “Kind0” Mandić
- Luka “emi” Vuković (IGL)
Hashiras
Ranked #150 on the VRS Global leaderboard, Hashiras features an exciting stack of players, including French entry fragger JACKZ, who previously played on G2 Esports and FUT Esports. They received one of two Wildcard Slot invites.
With a young Ukrainian AWPer, Burmylov, as the spearhead of attack, Hashiras will compete in the Group Stage, where veteran Danish IGL birdfromsky looks to lead his team to the Playoffs.
Hashiras roster:
- Denys “Burmylov” Buraha
- Audric “JACKZ” Jug
- Jonas “Queenix” Dideriksen
- Luka “c0llins” Živanović
- Thomas “birdfromsky” Due (IGL)
Omega
Kazakhstani squad Omega recently acquired def1zer as IGL from NOVAQ, linking up with coach fANTASTIKA for strategic depth. Omega will fight it out in the Group Stage, and they’re ranked #140 on the VRS Global leaderboard.
Omega roster:
- Damir “dan4o” Kulshenbayev
- Zhassulan “Botpa1” Assembek
- Darhan “adai” Jeksenbai
- Aldiyar “Aldikon” Alim
- Sanjar “def1zer” Talgat (IGL)
- Magjan “fANTASTIKA” Temirbolat (Coach)
VRSdelivery
Preserving the core of Oramond, the VRSdelivery squad was announced on May 17, 2026. The all-Polish roster is ranked #147 on the VRS Global leaderboard and will look to move through the Group Stage into the Playoffs.
VRSdelivery roster:
- Kamil “suonko” Węgrzynkiewicz
- Dominik “fanatyk” Barkiet
- Miłosz “AntyVirus” Konieczka
- Piotr “PeTeRoOo” Barcik
- Bartosz “Brylu” Bryl
Rune Eaters
Rune Easters received our second Wildcard Slot invite for the TWC 2026 EU Series 1’s Group Stage. The squad is filled with Kazakhstani talent and has continued to impress recently. It’ll be exciting to see if their progress continues during our event.
They’re ranked #184 on the VRS Global leaderboards. With an average age of just 21 years, Rune Eaters is a young, energetic squad with strong aim.
Rune Eaters roster:
- Mūstafa “forkyz” Mäulenkūl
- Assanali “her1tage” Serikkali
- Maksat “kumao” Serik
- Nursultan “noni” Nyshanbek
- Danial “demente” Ismailov (IGL)
- Baqtiar “fitch” Baqytov
2007
One of the underdogs at TWC 2026 EU Series 1 is a stack of Russian players who call themselves 2007 (previously FORZE Reload). They received an invite to the Group Stage, and we’re hyped to find out what the team can accomplish.
2007 roster:
- Dmitry “spirit” Kutovykh
- Yaroslav “Something” Shevchishin
- Dmitriy “sstiNiX” Khlebnikov
- Vladislav “h1te” Khait
- Matvey “sm3t” Gogin
megoshort
Ranked #326 on the VRS Global leaderboard, megoshort is another underdog fighting their hearts out at TWC 2026 EU Series 1.
The all-Swedish outfit will compete in the Group Stage and currently has a 40% match win rate over the past three months.
Megoshort roster:
- Elias “Twinkey” Kjellander-Dehman
- Robin “robiin” Sjögren
- Hampus “mogv” Sahlén
- Hugo “zen” Lindhqvist
- Victor “virree” Bäckström
TNC
Another Group Stage team, the all-Polish TNC, has a solid 45.9% match win rate over the past three months. With AWPer POLO leading the attack, TNC has the potential to make some big moves in the EU Series 1.
TNC roster:
- Adrian “AdrieN” Mucha
- Martin “maaryy” Nakonieczny
- Hubert “yvro” Kapcewicz
- Hubert “Nami” Mikoś
- Jan “POLO” Polak
TWC 2026 Is Heating Up!
At the TWC 2026 NA Series, we saw M80 smash the competition as NA’s only spotlight ahead of our Valve-sanctioned Closed Qualifier, which leads to the main event taking place on LAN in Malta later this year. And with the EU Series 1, we expect the action to heat up even more, as 24 teams battle on the European servers.
Our platform delivers the best possible experience to fans who want to put their esports knowledge to the test. Check out our CS2 betting section to bet on every TWC 2026 match using your favorite cryptocurrencies. You can also stay ahead of the game with our dedicated World Championship page.
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