NRG join Liquid as an EWC partner team

Of the 40 organizations selected for the 2026 Esports Foundation Club Partner program, NRG were chosen via open signups, while Liquid auto-qualifies after having been a Top 8 Club last year.

The Esports World Cup Foundation has shared details of their 32-team CS2 tournament, set to start in August and featuring a $2,000,000 prize pool. Participants will be decided by VRS rankings, as well as through Open Qualifiers. Current HLTV predictions have M80, Voca, paiN, and Legacy claiming the Americas' invites, but there's plenty of time for the VRS landscape to change between now and then.

Last year's EWC CS2 champions MongolZ are not one of the 40 partnered teams, but Falcons, Vitality, MOUZ, and Heroic, in addition to several other Europeans organizations, are. Somewhat surprisingly absent are FaZe.

As the Esports World Cup approaches, it's worth noting that concerns about safety in the region amidst an intensifying war between Iran and the United States, with drone and missile attack targeting Saudi Arabia. However, the Esports World Cup foundation stated last month that they do not plan to alter the EWC schedule or location.

Other concerns persist regarding issues such as LGBTQ+ treatment in Saudi Arabia. Liquid, for example, faced controversy last year for their Pride initiatives seemingly conflicting with the country's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and censorship.