Games of the Future 2026 CS2 Preview: Format, Rosters, and First-Round Schedule
The Counter-Strike 2 competition as part of the 2026 Games of the Future kicks off on August 4. The competition format, team rosters, prize pool distribution, and first-round schedule are detailed below.
Tournament Format
Eight teams are participating in the tournament, each with a roster of 5 to 7 players. The group stage will take place from August 4 to 6 using a round-robin format. The teams are divided into two groups of four, with each team playing every other team in its group. Each match consists of two stages: a digital match in Counter-Strike 2 and a physical laser tag match in the “Digital Tag Activation” format. A team earns 1 point for a victory in each part, so a match can yield between 0 and 3 points.
Following the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, which will take place on August 7 and 8. This stage will follow a single-elimination format and will include the semifinals, the third-place match, and the grand final. The winner of Group 1 will face the second-place team from the parallel group in the semifinals, and vice versa. All playoff matches will be played in a best-of-3 format, where the first stage is played in CS2, followed by a round of laser tag, and, if necessary, a third decisive map on computers. The team that wins the first two stages of the match takes the lead.
List of Participants
Eternal Fire
- Ahmet “Aura” Ozkan
- Emirhan “GAYEW” Tasdemir
- Emirhan “Hydro2k” Deniz
- Hasan “Kruger” Demirkan
- Hüseyin “Swexsy” Çelik
- Cinar Yagiz “Y4G1Z” Cinar
Klan Pedrajas
- Javier “Ag3NtK” Pedrajas
- Guillermo “GOYO007” Castilla
- Ugo “HUG8” Martinez
- Albert “mako” Garcia
- Vladimir “Osip” Osipov
- Rafael “Rafex” Pedrahas
- Vicente “VCNT” Jimeno
Liga Pro Team
- Yuri “faydett” Martirosov
- Andrey “GooDWIN” Malyarov
- Kirill “KK” Shkatov
- Yuri “la1nes” Muravkin
- Andrey “minor” Isakhanian
- Danil “xnkka” Kryuchkov
- Roman “Z1WOW” Kruglov
Minsk House
- Alexander “Fizruk” Kazakov
- Igor “lollipop21k” Solodkov
- Alexander “mds” Rubets
- Maksim “menddel” Shved
- Pavel “pavlysha666” Shafransky
- Dmitry “Tager” Korotkevich
- Alexey “znxxX” Zlatkovsky
MIRAGE TEAM
- Mukhammadjon “DE4D” Yuldoshev
- Dilshod “dilik” Ruzimuradov
- Ruslan “GROM” Poghosyan
- Ilyes “IVAR” Rasulov
- Emil “papinomoloko” Jalilov
- Amir-Mirzo “Shytogi” Muminov
- Umijon “umkadrone” Davronbekov
NOVAQ
- Dauren “AdreN” Kystaubaev
- Mikhail “Dosia” Stolyarov
- Suleimen “dukefissura” Orazaly
- Roman “Ivo” Kobzev
- Rustem “mou” Telepov
- Sanzhar “neaLaN” Iskhakov
- Valery “Vegas” Mustafin
Team Hybrids
- Steve “00 Steve” De Magalhães
- Bruce “ACE” Hudson
- Michael “FROZ3N” Van Der Walt
- Jacques “Lightning” van der Walt
- Kaiden “x1no” Vetmar
- Edwin “XYLOO” Le Quanture
- Seth “ZOHN” Borina
Team KZ
- Aldiyar “Aldikon” Alim
- Zhasulan “botpa1” Asembek
- Artem “Novikov” Novikov
- Zhasulan “raiNyyy” Tubaev
- Nikita “Semenyak” Semenyak
- Kairzhan “stratefly” Makhmut
- Ruslan “weaveR” Borzhikov
Prize Pool Distribution
The prize pool for the 2026 Games of the Future CS2 tournament is $150,000; how the amount will be distributed has not yet been disclosed.
Schedule for the First Day of Play
August 4, Moscow time.
- 8:00 a.m. — Team KZ 3:0 MIRAGE TEAM;
- 11:05 — Liga Pro Team vs. Klan Pedrajas;
- 2:10 PM — NOVAQ vs. Eternal Fire;
- 5:15 p.m. — Minsk House vs. Team Hybrids.
Where to Watch Games of the Future 2026 on CS2
- Broadcast in English:
Games of the Future 2026 for CS2 takes place from August 4 to 8, with eight teams competing for a $150,000 prize pool. First, the participants will compete in the group stage, after which some will be eliminated, and the remaining teams will advance to the playoffs.
Photo: Phygital International.
