Thunderpick officially announces additional information for Thunderpick World Championship 2026

Thunderpick has officially announced the additional information for the next iteration of its leading independent Counter-Strike 2 tournament: the Thunderpick World Championship 2026. The upcoming event kicks off with a series of six regional online series across Europe and the Americas, culminating in a Grand Final LAN in Malta in collaboration with data partner GRID, where eight of the best CS2 teams in the world will go head-to-head to fight for the lion’s share of the prize. A total prize pool of $1,115,000 is up for grabs throughout the entire tournament, with $1 million allocated just for the LAN Finals. A whopping $500,000 will be rewarded to the eventual winner as Thunderpick looks to maintain a “commitment to supporting, growing and elevating the esports ecosystem.”

The Thunderpick World Championship 2026 is set to be the fourth iteration of the event, previously won by teams such as FaZe Clan, The MongolZ, and FURIA. The most recent tournament was won by FURIA, after the team completed a remarkable reverse-sweep to defeat NAVI 3:2 in the Grand Final of the 2025 Malta LAN.

The whole event schedule, from the Regional Series all the way to the LAN, is as follows:

• TWC 2026 EU1: 23 to 31 May 2026
• TWC 2026 NA1: 26 April to 03 May 2026
• TWC 2026 SA1: 24 to 28 June 2026
• TWC 2026 SA2: 08 to 12 July 2026
• TWC 2026 EU2: 25 July to 02 August 2026
• TWC 2026 Closed Qualifier: 09 to 13 September 2026
• TWC 2026: 12 to 19 October 2026

Of the eight teams attending the Thunderpick World Championship 2026, seven will be invited via the Global VRS. The eighth and final spot will be decided by the winner of the Closed Qualifier.

Following the announcement of the Thunderpick World Championship 2026, Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick, said:

“Thunderpick has always been about giving players and fans what they deserve, a world-class stage and an inclusive, global competition that celebrates the best of CS2. With TWC 2026, $1M is once again up for grabs and we’re excited to showcase top-tier talent, while being introduced to up-and-coming teams from across the map, as they all meet and continue to create esports history together.”

Hotspawn is also delighted to confirm that it will be returning as the official media partner for the Thunderpick World Championship 2026. Following a successful partnership at the TWC 2025, the collaboration continues into the next iteration of the event, bringing fans closer to the action with exclusive interviews and content.