A dozen Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams are primed and ready to showcase their talents on the South American servers at our Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) SA Series 1. Here’s a complete breakdown of all competing teams and the essential event details, including the format, schedule, and how to watch it all live.
Disclaimer: Rankings mentioned in this article reflect the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of June 22, 2026, with the Americas filter applied.
TWC 2026 SA Series 1 Schedule, Format & Stream
TWC 2026 SA Series 1 runs from June 24 to 28 across two stages of competition. It all starts with the Group Stage (June 24 to 26), which has two groups of four teams each and a GSL-style format. All matches are best-of-three, and the top two teams from each group advance to the Playoffs Stage.
In the TWC 2026 SA Series 1 Playoffs Stage (June 27 to 28), the four teams who survived the Group Stage will join four direct invites. The single-elimination bracket features best-of-three matches.
Teams were invited based on their VRS Americas position on May 15, 2026, with a South America filter applied, starting at Rank 1.
How To Watch TWC 2026 SA Series 1
Watch every TWC 2026 SA Series 1 match live on twitch.tv/thunderpicktv and youtube.com/@Thunderpickesports. The tournament is operated by GAM3RS_X, and we want to also shout out Hotspawn as the official media partner and GRID Esports as the data partner.
For an all-in-one viewing/betting experience, visit the TWC 2026 SA Series 1 page, where you can live stream and bet on every match using your favorite crypto.
Earn your community diamond coin playing along on challonge
Submit your predictions by Friday 26th 3pm (UST) for groups, and stay tuned with our discord for playoff predictions and receive community rewards.
Group A – https://challonge.com/TWCSASeries1APickems
Group B – https://challonge.com/TWCSASeries1BPickems
Prize Pool Distribution
Teams are competing for $20,000 in prize money. Check out the distribution below.
| Placement | Prize Money (USD) |
| 1st | $10,000 |
| 2nd | $4,000 |
| 3rd–4th | $1,500 each |
| 5th–8th | $750 each |
ShindeN
Waiting patiently in the Playoffs Stage of TWC 2026 SA Series 1 is one of the top contenders, ShindeN. The Argentinian esports organization is ranked #14 on the VRS Americas leaderboard.
ShindeN currently has a 75% match win rate over the past three months of play, indicating a high level of consistency. Their most recent success was at the ESL Challenger League Season 51 South America Finals, where they defeated Imperial Esports 3–1 in the Grand Final.
With momentum on their side, ShindeN definitely has what it takes to go all the way.
ShindeN roster:
- Matias “abizz” Muñiz Cusi
- Ivan “ivz” Quintana
- Nazareno “naz” Romero
- Lautaro “guty” Gómez
- Tomas “tom1jed” Rivero (IGL)
- Agustin “ninro” Valenti (Coach)
Bounty Hunters
Featuring an exciting group of Brazilian and Argentine players, Bounty Hunters is ranked #22 on the VRS Americas leaderboard. The squad has posted some solid results in 2026 so far, winning BetBoom Storm #1 and placing 2nd at both Aorus League Brazil 2026 and ESL Challenger League Season 51 South America Cup #4. Most recently, Bounty Hunters won CCT South America 2026 Series #2 with a clean 2–0 sweep over Largados.
Bounty Hunters will start the SA Series 1 in the Playoffs Stage as one of our direct invites. Keep a close eye on this team and their fast-paced play. They have a 60% match win rate over the past three months.
Bounty Hunters roster:
- Mauro “zock” Da Silva
- Leonardo “fREQ” Kurussu
- Pedro “pepe” Inácio
- Gabriel “ponter” Amaral
- Gianfranco “KAISER” Pantano (IGL)
- Nicolas “gusihx” Rovira (Coach)
Fluxo W7M
Brazilian organizer Fluxo W7M has received one of our four direct invites to the Playoffs Stage, thanks to their #23 ranking on the VRS Americas leaderboard. There’s an air of excitement surrounding the squad following a few roster changes.
Brazilian rifler Itz and Chilean rifler dav1deuS joined the roster on May 25, 2026, while kye is on loan from FURIA Academy. The TWC 2026 SA Series 1 will serve as a measure of how well the squad is gelling.
Fluxo W7M roster:
- Romeu “zevy” Rocco
- Kayke “kye” Bertolucci
- David “dav1deuS” Tapia
- João “ltz” Bonetti
- Raphael “exit” Lacerda (IGL)
- Gustavo “Juve” Alexandre (Coach)
Fake do Biru
The all-Brazilian side of Fake do Biru is our final direct invite to the Playoffs Stage of SA Series 1. Fake do Biru is currently ranked #26 on the VRS Americas leaderboard, boasting a 68.4% match win rate over the past three months.
Their most recent tournament win was in April at ExitLag ChampZ 2026, where they beat LP 2–1 in the Grand Final slugfest, showcasing their resilience.
Fake do Biru roster:
- Wesley “hardzao” Lopes
- Patrick “detr0ittJ” Carvalho
- Matheus “Tuurtle” Anhaia
- Matheus “pesadelo” Panisset
- Vinícios “PKL” Coelho (IGL)
LP
LargadosyPelados, often simply referred to as LP, is an all-Brazilian side in Group A. They are one of the favorites to reach the Playoffs Stage, having risen through the ranks in recent months.
LP is currently ranked #13 on the VRS Americas leaderboard, with a 67.6% match win rate over the past three months. The squad won both BetBoom Storm Season 3 and BetBoom Circuit X Base Recife 2026 in May, showcasing fantastic form.
LP roster:
- Guilherme “happ” Bento
- Leonardo “Leomonster” Enrique
- Gustavo “divine” Altapini
- Alisson “Alisson” Farias
- Leonardo “zmb” Toledo (IGL)
- Pablo “disturbed” Fernandes (Coach)
Yawara
Yawara is a top contender in Group B. The all-Brazilian lineup is ranked #27 on the VRS Americas leaderboard, with a decent 52% match win rate over the past three months.
Yawara lit up the server in the Grand Final of Odyssey Cup Brazil 2026 on May 30, 2026, beating UNO with a convincing 3–1 score. If they can keep the momentum going, there’s no reason to believe Yawara won’t make it to the SA Series 1 Playoffs.
Yawara roster:
- Vinicius “tele” Morozini
- Iago “deemO” Henrique
- Cayo “r3kt” Santos
- Eduardo “edv” Vieira
- Jonatan “j0w” Sperotto (IGL)
- Leonardo “bnk3” Arruda
Keyd Stars
Keyd Stars is a regular TWC contender from South America, always keeping us on the edge of our seats. The all-Brazilian squad has a 53.5% match win rate over the past three months and is currently ranked #28 on the VRS Americas leaderboard.
The Group B squad has shown an uptick in recent results, finishing 3rd–4th at both CCT 2026 South America Series 2 and BetBoom Storm Season 3 in May.
Keyd Stars roster:
- Gabriel “lash” Sampaio
- João “matios” Guedes
- Bruno “xureba” Sigwalt
- Vinicius “zede” Reis
- Cristopher “ckzao” Chalus
- Matheus “Kaos” Nicolau (Coach)
Isurus
Just like the type of shark with the same name, Isurus will strike if they smell blood in the water. With a stack of talented Argentine players and a Brazilian coach, Isurus is ready to take Group A by storm.
Isurus is ranked #29 on the VRS Americas leaderboard, with a 56% win rate over the past three months. They are a relatively new squad, coming together on Jan. 27, 2026, and steadily climbing through the ranks.
Isurus roster:
- Joaquín “atarax1a” Biglieri
- Leandro “Hezz” Barrios
- Matteo “dott1” Dotti
- Nicolas “BK1” Cespedes
- Marcos “deco” Amato (IGL)
- Willian “Xamp” Caldas (Coach)
UNO MILLE
Ranked #31 on the VRS Americas leaderboard, UNO MILLE is an organization-less stack of Brazilian players boasting a strong 66.7% match win rate over the past three months of play.
UNO MILLE is in Group B of the SA Series 1, and we can’t wait to see how they perform. The squad has managed to string together some solid results in May, finishing 2nd at the Odyssey Cup Brazil 2026 Finals and 3rd–4th at CCT 2026 South America Series 2.
UNO MILLE roster:
- Jonathan “cLd” Cruz
- Victor “rem1x” Monteiro
- Alexandre “ALLE” Santos
- Rodrigo “drg” Ausenka
- Fillipe “pancc” Martins
- Guilherme “KinGui” Balancieri (Coach)
MIBR Academy
We’re thrilled to see the famed Brazilian organization’s academy team, brimming with up-and-coming talent, compete in the SA Series 1. MIBR Academy is ranked #38 on the VRS Americas leaderboard, with a 44% match win rate over the past three months.
Rifler stormzyn leads the charge on the server, and coach Faraó adds strategic depth to their plays. MIBR Academy has seen some recent success, with a 2nd place finish at CCT 2026 Challengers South America Series 1. You’ll get to watch them play in Group A.
MIBR Academy roster:
- Lucas “lkz” Vicente
- Felipe “fl4sh” Porfirio
- Marcos “Jerr1” Maier
- Caio “revoltz” Okada
- Vitor “stormzyn” Yamauchi (IGL)
- Raynan “Faraó” Carvalho (Coach)
GameHunters
GameHunters are one of the underdogs at the SA Series 1, ranked #44 on VRS Americas. They have a 27.3% match win rate over the past three months, with veteran Brazilian coach sky leading the charge.
Starting their journey in Group B, we are excited to find out if GameHunters can pull off some upsets.
GameHunters roster:
- Abraão “abr” Campagnac
- Marcelo “nyezin” Ramos
- Lucas “bsd” Luan
- Bruno “Bruninho” Rodrigues
- TBD
- Pedro “sky” Lahass (Coach)
Vasco
Unfortunately due to being unable to field an eligible roster, bottom seed Vasco have dropped the day before games were due to start.
You Don’t Want To Miss TWC 2026 SA Series 1
We’ve watched favorites M80 dominate the TWC 2026 NA Series. Then, there was DragonClaw (VRSDelivery), who clawed their way through the Group Stage and ultimately won the TWC 2026 EU Series 1. Now, we look ahead to the South American region.
Visit our World Championship page to keep up with all the action. Once the TWC 2026 SA Series 1 concludes, we will stay in the region for the TWC 2026 SA Series 2 event in July!
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