The Esports World Cup (EWC) concludes this year with two nail-biting events: Street Fighter 6 (Aug. 20-23) and Counter-Strike 2 (Aug. 20-24)! We’re focusing on the CS2 tourney in this article because for us, there’s nothing as thrilling as watching the best teams in the world compete on LAN in front of a roaring crowd.
Our in-depth guide will prepare you for the event with info on the prize pool and Club Point distribution, format, schedule, and competing teams. We’ve also compiled expert betting predictions so you can get a feel for who may take home the top spots in Riyadh.
Esports World Cup 2025 CS2 Schedule & Format
The EWC 2025 CS2 tournament takes place in Saudi Arabia at the Boulevard Riyadh City venue from Aug. 20 to 24, promising five days of non-stop action. Instead of multiple stages of competition with different formats, this event sees all 16 teams start their journey in a single-elimination bracket, leaving no room for error.
Thanks to the simple format, there’s no place to hide and no second chances. All matches are best-of-three, and there’s even a third-place decider match in play. Last year, the format resulted in some incredibly exciting matches, including a thrilling Grand Final where NAVI reverse-swept G2 Esports.
To find the precise start times and dates in your timezone as the tournament progresses, check out our up-to-date CS2 section.
Prize Pool Distribution
Here’s how the prize pool and Club Points will be distributed for the CS2 event at the 2025 Esports World Cup.
| Place | Prize Money | Club Points |
| 1st | $500,000 | 1,000 |
| 2nd | $230,000 | 750 |
| 3rd | $130,000 | 500 |
| 4th | $70,000 | 300 |
| 5th-8th | $40,000 | 200 |
| 9th-16th | $20,000 | – |
| Total | $1,250,000 | |
How To Watch CS2 AT EWC 2025
We’ve got everything you need to enjoy the CS2 event right here at Thunderpick with a fantastic viewing experience. Just navigate to our CS2 betting section to watch every match and bet on the action as it unfolds.
When the games begin, select the “Live” tab and choose any match you want to watch. Registered users will see a live stream and our bet slip, allowing for the exciting opportunity to place in-play wagers.
Alternatively, you can stream all the matches live via the tournament organizer’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
Teams Competing In CS2 At EWC 2025
Based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of June 2, 15 teams were invited to participate while one team (TYLOO) claimed the final spot by winning the Asian Champions League. Here are all 16 squads facing off this year.
- Team Vitality
- MOUZ
- Team Falcons
- The MongolZ
- Team Spirit
- G2 Esports
- Aurora Gaming
- NAVI
- FaZe Clan
- Astralis
- GamerLegion
- HEROIC
- 3DMAX
- Team Liquid
- Virtus.pro
- TYLOO
Our Predictions For CS2 At EWC 2025
To make our CS2 predictions for EWC 2025, we took a hard look at the stats, matchup histories, and most recent World Rankings. We also considered the numerous roster changes many teams went through during the player break in July. Lastly, we analyzed recent results and player/team form to bring you our top four predictions for the tournament.
Important: These predictions reflect the perceived strength of teams based on historical trends and the latest available odds. This analysis should not be interpreted as betting advice. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Always gamble responsibly.
Team Falcons
On paper, Team Falcons should make it to the Grand Final of more than half the S-Tier events they enter. However, the team has underperformed thus far, sitting in 7th/8th place in the World Rankings. Consider Team Falcons in first place as our bold prediction, as the squad may just find their rhythm at the EWC 2025.
If NiKo clicks heads with the same tenacity as his MVP-winning performance at the EWC 2024, and wunderkind AWPer m0NESY hits his shots, Falcons can lift the trophy. The x-factor is the form of rising star kyousuke, who joined on June 23.
Team Falcons roster:
- Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
- René “TeSeS” Madsen
- Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski (IGL)
- Danny “zonic” Sørensen (Coach)
Team Spirit
At IEM Cologne, Team Spirit were unstoppable. Coming in hot after the player break, with zweih replacing Boris “magixx” Vorobyev on the active roster, they put any doubts about the roster change to rest.
2024 Player of the Year donk is in mind-blowing form, earning the MVP at the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike” with a 1.50 HLTV player rating, the second-highest ever for the iconic tournament series. If he stays in his current form, Spirit can make the Grand Final for sure. And if he powers up yet again, they’ll lift the trophy.
Team Spirit roster:
- Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
- Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotja
- Ivan “zweih” Gogin
- Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov (IGL)
- Sergey “hally” Shavayev (Coach)
Team Vitality
Before their surprising 2-0 loss to MOUZ at IEM Cologne, Team Vitality was on a massive eight-tournament win streak. ZywOo admitted to having an off day, leading to a 3rd/4th place finish. Despite the loss, Vitality remain the highest-ranked team in the world heading into CS2 at the EWC 2025.
Estonian superstar ropz continues to impress with his ability to find those crucial openings, and apEX leads his team with passion and strategic decision-making. Many fans would consider Vitality not making it to the podium as an upset.
Team Vitality roster:
- Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
- Robin “ropz” Kool
- Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
- William “mezii” Merriman
- Dan “apEX” Madesclaire (IGL)
- Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam (Coach)
The MongolZ
As a top-five team in the world, The MongolZ represents the Asian region with unrelenting passion. The squad exceeded all expectations at the BLAST.tv Austin Major to make it to the Grand Final, where they gave Team Vitality a run for their money, winning the first map before suffering a reverse-sweep.
At IEM Cologne, The MongolZ made it to the Playoffs, ending in 5th/6th place, showcasing solid form throughout the Group Stage. Importantly, the Mongolian team hasn’t made a single roster change since September 2023, resulting in beautiful synergy between all the players. Their undeniable skill and teamwork instill high confidence that this crew will make a deep run at the EWC 2025.
The MongolZ roster:
- Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold
- Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch
- Sodbayar “Techno4K” Munkhbold
- Ayush “mzinho” Batbold
- Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren (IGL)
- Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat (Coach)
Who’s Ready For CS2 At EWC 2025?
Despite even our best research, we still have a ton of questions heading into this event. Will Team Falcons soar in Saudi Arabia in front of the organization’s home crowd? Can Team Vitality bounce back from their defeat at IEM Cologne? Or will Team Spirit keep killing it and lift the coveted EWC 2025 trophy?
Whatever happens, we’re locked and loaded for CS2 at EWC 2025 because at Thunderpick, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best esports experience possible. On our CS2 betting page, you can live-stream every match and place in-play bets on your favorite teams using your preferred cryptocurrency. Want to know more? Read our full guide to CS2 betting to get started.
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