NOVAQ — champion of the Pavlodar Ertis Cup 2026
The Pavlodar Ertis Cup 2026 LAN tournament concluded with a victory for NOVAQ. In the grand final, the Kazakhstani team defeated Rune Eaters Esports 2–0 and claimed the top prize of $15,000.
Eight teams participated in the tournament. In the group stage, the teams were divided into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group advanced to the playoffs, which were held in a single-elimination format. All matches in the final stage were played in a best-of-three (bo3) format.
NOVAQ Roster
- Alisher “tasman” Marat
- Daniyar “Pumpkin66” Buldybaev
- Sanzhar “neaLaN” Iskhakov
- Dauren “AdreN” Kystaubaev
- Nursultan “Mescadi” Zhansseitov
- Adlet “keeN” Nurseitov (coach)
Prize Pool Distribution
The total prize pool for the tournament was $30,000 and was distributed as follows:
- 1st place — NOVAQ ($15,000);
- 2nd place — Rune Eaters Esports ($6,000);
- 3rd–4th place — DEPO, OMEGA ($2,500 each);
- 5th–6th places — Team Orda, Altay Esports ($1,000 each);
- 7th–8th places — AimAssassins, ZWAW ($1,000 each).
The Pavlodar Ertis Cup 2026 was a Counter-Strike 2 LAN tournament held July 25–26 in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, at the Ertis Promenade venue. As a result of the tournament, NOVAQ earned 293 VRS points and climbed to 67th place in the Valve rankings.
Photo: NOVAQ.
