Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2: its teams, tournaments, transfers and the business around them.
Favorites Fall as MongolZ, Liquid and BetBoom Win PGL Openers
The MongolZ beat Aurora, Liquid beat MOUZ and BetBoom beat Spirit on October 24, opening PGL Masters Bucharest with three upsets and a 2-0 win for FUT over TYLOO.
RankingsHow Valve's CS2 Regional Standings Are Built and Used for Invites
A guide to Valve's Regional Standings for Counter-Strike 2: what goes into the points, when the lists update, how organizers and the Major use them, and the rule changes so far.
TournamentsPGL Bucharest 2027 Field Is Set After BBL and Betclic Qualify
BBL and Betclic won the last two places at PGL Bucharest 2027. A look at the full 16-team field, the Swiss stage, and how the January dates sit beside BLAST's Bounty event.
TournamentsHow CS2's Crowded Tier-1 Calendar Actually Works
BLAST, ESL and PGL all run top-level Counter-Strike 2 events, and Valve ranks every team. Here is how the three organizers and that ranking fit together.
TournamentsFURIA Rally From 2-1 Down to Beat BetBoom in Malta Final
FURIA beat BetBoom 3-2 in the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 grand final on October 18, taking a second straight title after trailing by a map.
TechnologyHLTV Launches a Closed Beta of Its Own AI Stats Assistant
HLTV has opened a closed beta of HLTV Brain, an AI assistant built only on its own match and player data, promising answers its filters cannot give.
IntegrityESIC Hands NOMERCY's 2xplayN a Lifetime Ban in Counter-Strike 2
ESIC replaced the three-year exclusion of NOMERCY's 2xplayN with a lifetime ban, citing public posts made while he was suspended. Here is what the ruling says.
IntegrityESIC Bans Five NOMERCY Players Over Roman Imperium Cup Matches
The Esports Integrity Commission published bans of up to a lifetime for five NOMERCY players over four Counter-Strike 2 matches in March, then made a second player's ban permanent.
TournamentsFalcons and FURIA Clinch Thunderpick Playoff Spots as Two Teams Fall
Falcons and FURIA won their Day 2 series at the Thunderpick World Championship to reach the playoffs outright, eliminating Ninjas in Pyjamas and PARIVISION.
TournamentsFour Sweeps Open the Thunderpick World Championship in Malta
Falcons needed overtime to beat Ninjas in Pyjamas as all four Day 1 series at the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 ended 2-0 in Malta.
TournamentsESL Pro League Season 24: Team Vitality champions in Katowice
Team Vitality swept MOUZ 3-0 in Katowice on October 11 to win ESL Pro League Season 24, the league's first grand final played before an arena crowd since 2019.
RostersAstralis bench HooXi and jabbi days after a title in Barcelona
Astralis moved Rasmus HooXi Nielsen and Jakob jabbi Nygaard to the bench with immediate effect on October 9, days after the club's first LAN trophy since 2019.
AcademiesBIG Academy sign Maden as captain and name sprayxd as coach
BIG place Maden, 27, at the head of their Counter-Strike academy team as in-game leader, and bring in sprayxd, formerly of Young Ninjas, as its coach.
VenuesPGL Major Singapore: the Indoor Stadium days, ticket prices and entry rules
Four days of the Counter-Strike 2 Major are played before a crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. What each day costs, when doors open and what the venue refuses at the gate.
SponsorshipsBrazil's betting ban strips sponsors from its Counter-Strike teams
Brazil's Provisional Measure 1,394 bans betting sponsorship. The Esports Advocate reported on October 7 how Counter-Strike teams and broadcasts have changed since it was signed.
RankingsValve adds a three-month rule on region changes for Major invites
Valve amended its Major rulebook on October 6, 2026: a roster seen in another region's standings in the last three months gets no regional place. BC.Game won an exception a day later.
CreatorsWho is on a CS2 broadcast: hosts, analysts, casters and sideline
A Counter-Strike 2 broadcast can put 9 to 20 people on air. What each seat does, from desk hosts and analysts to casting duos, B streams, remote commentary and stage reporters.
RankingsValve's October standings: Spirit stay first as Legacy climb to second
The Valve Regional Standings of October 5, 2026 keep Spirit on top with 2046 points, lift Legacy from sixth to second and set the invitations to BLAST Rivals and PGL Bucharest 2027.
InvestmentCourtois and NXTPLAY invest in Astralis owner Fusion Esports Group
Astralis says Thibaut Courtois and Gonzalo Vila have joined its owner, Fusion Esports Group, as investors through NXTPLAY. The terms are not disclosed; Danish filings give the context.
TechnologyCS2 statistics site updates Rating 3.0 with Cache data and bomb timer
A Counter-Strike statistics site retuned its Rating 3.0 player rating on October 1, 2026, with fresh win probabilities, Cache data and a rule for kills after a round is settled.