GamerLegion, G2, Falcons, FaZe advance in CS:GO World Cup event

Field Level Media|published: Thu 13th August, 20:36 2026

A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home. Jordan Woodruff

GamerLegion, G2 Esports, Team Falcons and FaZe Clan were the first four teams to advance out of the group stage in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition at the Esports World Cup on Thursday in Paris.

Those four teams won their Group A and Group B upper-bracket semifinals to ensure their places in the 16-team playoff field at the $2 million World Cup event.

The event features 32 teams divided into four groups in the double-elimination opening stage. All opening matches consisted of a single map, while the remaining group-stage matches will be best-of-three.

The top four teams in each group will move on to the single-elimination playoffs. Playoff matches will be best-of-three until the grand final on Aug. 22, which will be best-of-five.

The championship team will receive $600,000 and 1,000 Esports World Cup club points. The runner-up will get $340,000 and 750 points.

On Thursday, GamerLegion steamrolled JiJieHao 2-0 in Group A, winning 13-3 on Dust II and 13-8 on Ancient. Russia's Timur "FL4MUS" Marev had a match-high 39 kills for GamerLegion, while Danish teammate Sebastian "Tauson" Tauson Lindelof added 30 kills on a plus-15 K-D differential.

G2 Esports battled for a 2-1 victory over BIG, sandwiching a 13-5 win on Cache and a 13-1 runaway win on Inferno around a 16-13 overtime loss on Ancient. Guy "NertZ" Iluz of Israel led G2 with 57 kills on a plus-21 differential.

In Group B, Falcons swept Astralis 13-7 on Ancient and 13-11 on Dust II. Bosnian star Nikola "NiKo" Kovac posted 41 kills for Falcons to lead all players.

FaZe had the same results against Legacy, prevailing 13-6 on Cache and 13-8 on Mirage. Canadian Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken paced FaZe with 36 kills and only half as many deaths.

Thursday also saw the first two eliminations of the tournament as lower-bracket play got underway in Group A. Team Spirit survived, beating Luminosity Gaming 13-3 on Ancient and 19-15 in overtime on Dust II. Aurora Gaming knocked out M80, 13-9 on Dust II and 13-9 again on Inferno.

The teams that lost in the upper-bracket semifinals are still alive but fell into lower-bracket semis, with those matches taking place Saturday and Sunday.

The tournament continues Friday with six matches:

--K27 vs. MIBR (Group B lower-bracket quarterfinals)

--BetBoom Team vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas (Group B lower-bracket quarterfinals)

--Team Vitality vs. B8 (Group C upper-bracket semifinals)

--FUT Esports vs. MOUZ (Group C upper-bracket semifinals)

--100 Thieves vs. PARIVISION (Group C lower-bracket quarterfinals)

--TYLOO vs. Lynn Vision Gaming (Group C lower-bracket quarterfinals)

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive -- Esports World Cup prize pool (with money winnings and Esports World Cup club points)

1. $600,000, 1,000 points

2. $340,000, 750 points

3. $190,000, 500 points

4. $110,000, 300 points