The full team list for the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 Closed Qualifier has been confirmed, with 16 Counter-Strike 2 rosters fighting for a single place at the $1 million LAN final in Malta.
Ninjas in Pyjamas, HEROIC, Virtus.pro, 3DMAX and 100 Thieves are among the most recognizable names in the online qualifier, which runs from September 9 to September 13.
Only the winner advances to the Thunderpick World Championship Finals, scheduled for October 12-19 in Malta.
Sixteen teams fight for just one ticket
The Closed Qualifier features a predominantly European field, with 14 of the 16 participating teams coming from Europe.
Wildcard will represent North America, while BESTIA enter as the sole South American participant.
The invited field includes:
- Ninjas in Pyjamas, HEROIC, 3DMAX, EYEBALLERS, Nemesis, HOTU, Virtus.pro and Wildcard
- K27, 100 Thieves, BBL, FOKUS, Acend, INFINITE, 1win and BESTIA
That creates an unusually unforgiving qualifier. There is no second Malta spot available for the runner-up or another high-finishing team.
Sixteen teams will compete across five days for only one place at the $1 million main event.
NiP arrive with Krimbo as new in-game leader
Ninjas in Pyjamas are one of the most notable teams in the field after recently changing their leadership structure.
Karim “Krimbo” Moussa is now serving as the team’s in-game leader alongside stavn, sjuush, n0te and xKacpersky.
That makes the qualifier an important early test for the revised NiP lineup.
The organization has significant individual experience but will need to quickly establish its new tactical structure in a format where one poor series can end the entire qualification campaign.
HEROIC are another recognizable contender after recently earning a place at IEM Beijing through the European qualifier.
100 Thieves add further star power
100 Thieves are also part of the Closed Qualifier field.
Their roster includes several players with extensive experience at the highest level of Counter-Strike, including device and rain.
The lineup is completed by Gizmy, sirah and poiii, with gla1ve listed as coach.
| Team | Notable context |
|---|---|
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | Krimbo now leads the team |
| HEROIC | Recently qualified for IEM Beijing |
| 100 Thieves | Feature device and rain |
| Virtus.pro | Looking to rebuild international form |
| Wildcard | Only North American team |
| BESTIA | Only South American representative |
On paper, that gives 100 Thieves one of the most experienced cores in the qualifier, but name value alone will not guarantee progress through such a compressed field.
Virtus.pro and 3DMAX add more competition
Virtus.pro are another team capable of challenging for the only qualification spot.
Their current lineup features mir, b1st, F0R3VER, AquaRS and tO0RO under coach ProbLeM.
The roster has undergone substantial changes compared with previous versions of Virtus.pro, making the qualifier another opportunity to judge how effectively the new group is developing.
3DMAX bring a more established French core featuring Maka, Lucky, misutaaa, Kursy and Graviti.
FOKUS, Acend, EYEBALLERS and 1win further increase the depth of the bracket.
- 1win feature Ax1Le, nafany, fame and ArtFr0st
- FOKUS field ztr, Banjo, podi, jocab and Matheos
- Acend enter with SPELLAN, REDSTAR and h4rn
- Wildcard compete with HexT, reck, Cxzi, mhL and nEMANHA
Several of these teams have enough experience to punish any favorite that starts slowly.
Malta field will contain eight teams
The Thunderpick World Championship Finals will feature eight teams in total.
Seven places are being allocated through invitations based on the August 3 Valve Regional Standings, while the final position belongs to the Closed Qualifier winner.
The Malta LAN carries a $1 million prize pool, with $500,000 reserved for the champion.
It is the final stage of a wider Thunderpick circuit that has included regional competitions in Europe, North America and South America throughout 2026.
The Closed Qualifier itself is scheduled entirely online in Europe.
Qualifier format leaves little margin for error
The 16 teams will initially compete in a GSL-style group stage with best-of-three matches.
Teams that survive advance into a single-elimination playoff bracket, where the pressure increases considerably. Playoff matches remain best-of-three until the Grand Final, which will be played as a best-of-five.
That format rewards consistency across a relatively wide map pool rather than one strong opening performance.
A roster may need to survive several difficult series just to reach the final before then winning a longer BO5 for the Malta ticket.
Assessment
The Thunderpick World Championship Closed Qualifier has enough recognizable names to resemble a standalone international tournament.
NiP, HEROIC, Virtus.pro, 3DMAX and 100 Thieves would all consider qualification a realistic objective, while teams such as 1win, FOKUS, Wildcard and Acend have enough individual quality to create upsets.
The biggest story is the scarcity of available places.
With only one of 16 teams advancing, even a strong tournament run can ultimately produce nothing. That should make the September 9-13 qualifier one of the more punishing online CS2 events of the month.
Whoever survives will earn more than another tournament appearance. They will join a seven-team invited field in Malta and enter an eight-team LAN where $1 million is on the line.
