Liquid advances to playoffs at EWC 2026 Open Qualifier with dominant 2-0 sweeps

Team Liquid punched their ticket to the playoff stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier after rolling through two opponents without losing a single map. The North American organization beat Dhala 2-0 on August 7 and followed it up with another 2-0 sweep of Metizport the next day, making the kind of statement that turns heads in a 64-team bracket.

The Open Qualifier, running August 7 to 9 in Paris, serves as one of the final on-ramps to the main EWC CS2 tournament scheduled for August 12 through 23. For teams that didn’t secure a direct invite, this is essentially the last door before it closes.

What’s at stake in Paris

The qualifier itself carries a $100K prize pool. The main CS2 event features a $2 million pool and a 32-team bracket.

The double-elimination format gives teams a safety net. Lose once, and you drop to the lower bracket for another shot. Lose twice, and you’re booking an early flight home.

Their first opponent, Dhala, is a French mix team. Other notable squads navigating the bracket include BC.Game, HEROIC, and 100 Thieves.

A new home for the Esports World Cup

This edition of the EWC marks a meaningful departure from tradition. Previous iterations of the tournament were held in Saudi Arabia, where the event first established itself as a flagship moment on the esports calendar. Moving to Paris represents both a geographic shift and a strategic one, with organizers opting for expanded formats and what they’ve framed as increased accessibility for competitors.

Holding the qualifier as a LAN event, rather than running it online, adds another layer of legitimacy.

Liquid’s trajectory and what comes next

With the qualifier wrapping up on August 9 and the main tournament kicking off just three days later on August 12, there’s almost no recovery time. Teams advancing from the open bracket will need to carry their momentum straight into the main draw, where the $2 million prize pool and a global audience await.

For now, Liquid sits comfortably in the upper bracket, two wins from two attempts, zero maps dropped.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.