Team Liquid advances to EWC 2026 playoffs with dominant 2-0 sweeps
In brief
- Team Liquid defeated Dhala 2-0 and Metizport 2-0 at EWC Open Qualifier in Paris
- Liquid advanced to playoffs without losing a single map across both matches
- Main EWC CS2 tournament features $2 million prize pool, runs August 12-23
Dominant sweep through the bracket
Liquid dispatched both opponents with decisive 2-0 victories, signaling the kind of form that makes them serious contenders heading into the main tournament. Dhala, a French mix team, fell first on August 7. Metizport followed the next day with the same scoreline.
The Open Qualifier ran August 7 to 9 in Paris and carried a $100K prize pool. Other notable squads navigating the bracket included BC.Game, HEROIC, and 100 Thieves — all vying for the limited playoff slots available.
The main event awaits
The main EWC CS2 tournament features a $2 million pool and a 32-team bracket, scheduled for August 12 through 23. Liquid's clean qualifier run gives them momentum, though the compressed timeline leaves little room for preparation. The qualifier wrapped August 9; the main tournament kicks off just three days later on August 12.
Previous iterations of the tournament were held in Saudi Arabia. Moving to Paris represents both a geographic shift and a strategic one. Holding the qualifier as a LAN event, rather than running it online, adds another layer of legitimacy to the advancement pathway.
