EWC 2026 CS2 playoffs: Who will make it out of the group stage?

Bruno Sobieraj Published August 13, 2026

Esports World Cup 2026 is finally here, and it’s time for all the best CS2 teams to take to the server and prove they have what it takes to lift the EWC trophy.

First, they need to battle their way through the group stage, where half the teams will be eliminated. But who will make it through to the Esports World Cup (EWC) CS2 playoffs?

Spirit headline Group A

Can Spirit grab their first title since Astana? Image credit: PGL

Spirit are one of the favorites to go all the way in the whole event, so the group stage should be nothing but a breeze for the majority-Russian squad.

The next two favorites to make it through to the playoffs are G2 and Aurora, both of which made roster changes during the off-season.

G2 swapped out their AWPer, acquiring Artem “r1nkle” Moroz in a surprising transfer. As for Aurora, the organization moved away from an all-Turkish lineup, bringing in Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo from MOUZ and Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski from Falcons.

The last qualification spot will be hotly contested by the rest of the field, consisting of GamerLegion, M80, Luminosity, and the two qualifiers – BIG and JiJieHao.

Most likely it will be GamerLegion or M80 that clinch the remaining round of 16 spot and move forward to the next stage of the competition in Paris. This is something that can be kept in mind during CS2 betting as well.

Group A teams:

• Spirit
• G2
• Aurora
• BIG
• GamerLegion
• Luminosity
• M80
• JiJieHao

Major champions lead Group B

Will Falcons just keep on winning? Image credit: ESL

Everyone is eagerly awaiting Falcons’ next showing on LAN after they became Major champions. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long as they’ll take to the server on Wednesday against K27, one of the four qualifiers.

Group B’s pool of teams is much more evenly spread and less top-heavy than the previous group. That’s what makes it less predictable and arguably more exciting.

Considering the most recent results, the main playoff contenders, bar Falcons, are Legacy, Astralis, and probably FaZe Clan. Although it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see none of them get through the group stage.

Group B teams:

• Falcons
• Legacy
• Astralis
• FaZe Clan
• BetBoom
• MIBR
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• K27

Vitality hope to bounce back in Group C

Is the Vitality Era officially over? Image credit: BLAST Premier

After being on top of Counter-Strike for a better part of two years, the future is uncertain for Vitality. However, a lot of questions will be answered at EWC.

Will the most dominant team in the history of Counter-Strike continue its reign of terror, or has the rest of the field finally caught up?

One of the most interesting challengers to Vitality and Falcons are MOUZ, who took home the BLAST Bounty trophy to kick off the season. It would be great to see them carry that form forward to Paris.

Other teams to watch in Group C are FUT, PARIVISION, and 100 Thieves. The first two made changes in the break and are looking to get back into the top 10.

100 Thieves made it to the group stage through the open qualifier gauntlet and are finally ready to take on the big boys.

Group C teams:

• Vitality
• MOUZ
• FUT
• PARIVISION
• B8
• TYLOO
• Lynn Vision
• 100 Thieves

FURIA and NAVI stand out in Group D

FURIA could kick off FalleN’s last season in CS2 with a bang. Image credit: FURIA

Group D is the only group with two of what you’d consider the top-five teams from the first half of the year, with FURIA and Natus Vincere.

Both of them have a lot to prove this season, to their fans, but most importantly, to themselves. Are these the rosters that can take them forward into the title-winning picture and consistently compete against Vitality and Falcons?

Another exciting roster in this group is 9z. The South Americans made an impression in the latter part of last season, including the IEM Cologne Major 2026, where they made it all the way to the quarterfinals.

Hopefully they’ll make another deep run at a prestige event.

The last playoff spot is up for grabs, with former champions The MongolZ looking like the most likely candidates to round out the top 16.

Group D teams:

• FURIA
• Natus Vincere
• 9z
• The MongolZ
• 3DMAX
• Wildcard
• paiN
• magic

Read also: m0NESY confirmed he had an offer from Cloud9

Featured image credit: Esports Foundation