EWC 2026 CS2: Prize Pool Raised to $2 Million and Format Changes Revealed

The Esports World Cup (EWC) is planning for an even bigger 2026 Counter-Strike 2 tournament than the recent one. After the huge success of the 2025 event, the EWC Foundation revealed recently that next year’s edition will be even larger, with lots of format changes, and will come with a bigger prize pool.

Next year's EWC is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the tournament will bring more excitement and tougher competition for both players and fans due to these recent changes. In this article, we will cover every major update related to changes in the EWC 2026 CS2 Format and prize pool.

EWC 2026 CS2: Format Changes and Prize Pool

Now, we take a closer look at all the major changes introduced to the 2026 Counter-Strike 2 tournament. The Esports World Cup Foundation has promised a much grander experience this time with bigger stakes and tougher competition.

Bigger Prize Pool

One of the most exciting parts of the EWC 2026 CS2 tournament is the prize pool, which has jumped to a massive $2 million. This is a huge increase of $750,000 compared to last year’s tournament, where the total prize pool was $1.25 million. And we can easily say that the competition naturally becomes fiercer and far more fun to watch with bigger prizes. For professional players, this prize money increase shows that Counter-Strike 2 is earning even more recognition and investment in the global esports scene.

Longer Tournament

The 2026 event will run for 11 days, which is six days longer than the 2025 tournament. This extra time of CS2 will permit organizers of the event to include more matches so teams can fully showcase their skills while fans get more chances to enjoy the action. The tournament is divided into two main parts, with a Group Stage lasting five days and a Playoffs phase running for six days. In total, we have over 80 hours of Counter-Strike 2 gameplay with more CS2 Agents, and it is more than double the playtime from last year.

Increase in Teams

The number of teams competing in 2026 will double from 16 last year to 32 this year, and out of these, 28 teams will receive direct invitations based on their performance and rankings released in June 2026, while four teams will secure their spots through an open qualifier. This rise in participating teams will help us to explore even more teams and some new talent, also by looking into their strategy and playstyle.

Tournament Format and Structure

In the Group Stage, the 32 teams will be divided into four groups of eight, and matches will follow a double-elimination system so teams have a second chance even after a loss. After that, the top 16 teams will move on to the Playoffs, where most matches are best-of-three. If we talk about the Grand Final, it will be a best-of-five match, and that makes it a longer and more intense battle to decide the champions.

So, we can expect that the 2026 Counter-Strike 2 tournament at the Esports World Cup is going to be something really special. With a bigger prize pool, more teams, and longer matches, there’s going to be non-stop action and intense rivalries.