CS2 Stake Ranked Episode 2 Preview and Predictions

Stake Ranked Episode 2 is a Counter-Strike A-Tier tournament that will take place from May 27 to 30 in Barcelona, Spain. This will be the second Stake tournament, with the first one held from April 1 to 4 and won by G2. Stake Ranked Episode 3 will take place from July 15 to 18.

Ranked Episode 2 will feature 8 teams, with FaZe and Heroic considered the main favorites. The total prize pool is $100,000, with $25,000 going to the winner. In this article, we take a closer look at the entire tournament and provide predictions.

A total of 8 teams will play at Stake Ranked Episode 2, and the same format will be used as in the Stake Ranked Episode 1 tournament. 6 teams qualified for the esports tournament through VRS points, while two teams, Magic and Sharks, earned their place through the Closed Qualifier.

The tournament uses a Double Elimination Bracket, which means that all teams will have one chance to lose. After one loss, it will still be possible to reach the Grand Final from the Lower Bracket, but this also means that two matches will need to be played on the final day:

• the Consolidation Final
• the Grand Final.

All matches in the tournament, including the Grand Final, will be played in BO3 format. This is a LAN tournament that will take place in Barcelona, Spain. Only one match will be played at a time, so it will be possible to follow the action closely and look for valuable bets. Betting markets for all tournament matches are available on the Stake website, where it is also possible to bet on the tournament winner.

All esports teams participating in Stake Ranked Episode 2: FaZe, 3DMAX, 9z, Magic, HEROIC, Alliance, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Sharks.

Stake Ranked Episode 2 is an A-Tier tournament where well-known teams will be seen. FaZe receives the most attention, but three teams that will later compete at IEM Cologne Major 2026 will also play in the tournament.

The Stake bookmaker gives FaZe and Heroic the best chances of winning, but 9z and Magic, which performed solidly at PGL Astana, should not be written off.

The tournament winner can be backed on the Stake website, where the following odds are given:

Although FaZe and Heroic have the shortest odds to win this tournament, it would not be any kind of surprise if neither of these teams managed to win.

In the last tournament, FaZe lost 0:2 against paiN and Vitality, with the only victory coming against NRG. Looking only at the players and talent available, FaZe is clearly one of the best teams at Stake Ranked Episode 2, but current form raises major doubts.

One positive is that this will be FaZe’s last tournament in this part of the season, so the team may have enough motivation to go into the break with a victory.

Heroic is also one of the favorites, but this team has a much more important tournament next week, IEM Cologne Major.

The big question is what kind of motivation the team will have in this tournament and whether it will treat it as a chance to test new things or as a dress rehearsal before the Major. The team ended its PGL Astana run with losses against FURIA, Gentle Mates and Magic.

9z is one of the teams that could surprise. At PGL Astana, three solid wins were achieved against PARIVISION, Falcons and MOUZ. In the quarter-finals, the team suffered a painful loss against Magic. 9z will play at IEM Cologne Major, but from Stage 2, so it will have enough time to prepare and can dedicate more focus to Stake Ranked Episode 2.

The first opponent is Sharks, which it should beat, and then a match against Heroic or NIP would follow. Both teams are beatable, which means that 9z would be one win away from the final.

We recommend following 9z and FaZe, as there is a strong chance that they will meet in the final. If that happens, FaZe should be considered the favorite, but 9z can surprise, and this is the team we believe in the most at this tournament.

Stake Ranked Episode 2 starts on May 27, and the Grand Final will be played on May 30. Four matches will be played on each of the first three tournament days, while the Consolidation Final and Grand Final will take place on Saturday. Full tournament schedule:

Stake Ranked Episode 2 will start straight away with a Double Elimination Bracket, which means that although teams can lose once, only one of the losing teams will reach the final.

For many teams, this will be the last tournament of this level in the first half of the 2026 season. IEM Cologne Major starts on June 2, after which the player break will take place. Sharks, Heroic and 9z are the only teams that will play at IEM Cologne, with 9z doing so from Stage 2.

For FaZe, this is a chance to end a very difficult season with a victory. All opponents are beatable, so if the team plays to its potential, the final is certainly within reach.

This is one of those tournaments where there are no unnecessary matches, so intriguing meetings can be expected from the first day, which also allows valuable bets to be found at online sports bookies.