CS2 XSE Pro League 2026 Preview and Predictions

XSE Pro League 2026 is a Counter-Strike 2 A-Tier tournament that will take place in Guangzhou, China from July 1 to 12. The tournament will be held a little more than a week after the concluded IEM Cologne Major.

A player break is currently taking place, so not all the best Counter-Strike 2 teams will be seen at the tournament, but FaZe, BetBoom, 9z, B8 and Ninjas in Pyjamas are among the favorites at XSE Pro League. The tournament prize pool is $1,000,000.

Here, we will look at the tournament format, schedule and teams, and provide predictions.

A total of 16 teams will play at XSE Pro League 2026, and the format used will be almost the same as in the recently concluded IEM Cologne Major.

In the first stage, the teams will compete in Swiss BO1, but all progression and elimination matches will be played as BO3. 8 teams will advance to the playoffs, where play will begin from the quarter-final stage. In the playoffs, all matches are BO3, while the Grand Final is BO5. There will be no third-place match at XSE Pro League.

This group format means that esports teams can lose twice and still advance to the playoffs. To qualify for the playoffs, 3 wins are required. 2 teams will advance with a 3-0 record, while the other six teams will advance with 3-1 and 3-2 records.

XSE Pro League is an A-Tier tournament. Vitality, Spirit, FURIA, Falcons and Natus Vincere will not be there. However, several teams from the IEM Cologne Major will play, including Monte, BetBoom, 9z, B8, MiBR and BIG.

All XSE Pro League tournament participants: 9z, BetBoom, B8, Monte, PARIVISION, FaZe, MiBR, TYLOO, Ninjas in Pyjamas, BIG, 3DMAX, Lynn Vision, Alliance, EYEBALLERS, SINNERS, Nemesis.

At XSE Pro League, we will see several intriguing teams that already showed at the IEM Cologne Major that they can challenge even the strongest Counter-Strike 2 teams. 9z and BetBoom, which reached the playoffs at the IEM Cologne Major, are considered the main favorites in the esports tournament.

PARIVISION and FaZe, which have made roster changes, are also among the favorites, although a tournament win for either team could be considered a surprise. Odds for all teams to win XSE Pro League:

In the XSE Pro League tournament, we will see many teams that have already made changes. This will be the first tournament where teams such as PARIVISION, FaZe, NIP and MiBR play with new players, so caution is needed when placing bets.

We have selected several outright XSE Pro League bets that offer the most value.

9z can be viewed as the XSE Pro League favorite, and the main reason for that is its unchanged roster. The team had a solid stretch leading up to the IEM Cologne Major, where it managed to reach the playoffs and lost only 1:2 to FURIA in the quarter-final.

The main reason we are picking 9z is that other teams arrive with changes, while 9z remains unchanged. There was not much time to prepare for the tournament, and time also had to be left for rest after the IEM Cologne Major, but when a team’s roster stays the same, it is much easier to maintain a high level even with less practice.

For this team, XSE Pro League is an excellent opportunity to collect even more VRS points and establish itself among the strongest Counter-Strike 2 teams, which would allow it to take part in the remaining S-Tier tournaments of the 2026 season.

9z should be considered the favorite against any team, and at least the road to the final is definitely manageable.

BetBoom was one of the most pleasant surprises of the IEM Cologne Major. It is the only team that reached the playoffs from Stage 1. After a long tournament, the team arrives at XSE Pro League slightly changed. At IEM Cologne, it played with “FL4MUS”, while at XSE Pro League it will play again with “S1ren”.

The game at IEM Cologne was solid. Confident results against lower-level teams, a serious challenge against S-Tier teams as well. At XSE Pro League, 9z and BetBoom stand out the most, so it would not be surprising if these teams met in the final.

The team should not feel too much fatigue, as it mostly played online tournaments during the 2026 season. The result at the IEM Cologne Major should motivate the team, which suggests that solid team play could be seen in China.

FaZe and PARIVISION are two of the biggest names in this tournament, but the teams do not arrive in their best form.

FaZe has made its first changes, with “broky” leaving and “JBOEN” replacing him. It seems that “Neityu” remains the fifth player. It is not clear whether this roster will finish the 2026 season, as there is still a lot of talk about the future of “frozen”. This player has too much talent to spend a year in a FaZe organization going through a rebuild.

PARIVISION’s start to the 2026 season was impressive, but the tragic result shown in recent tournaments also made the fiasco at the IEM Cologne Major unsurprising.

Changes were made immediately after the Major. “BELCHONOKK” and “nota” left the team and were replaced by the highly experienced “HObbit”, who has not played at the highest level for a long time, and 18-year-old “slaxejezzz”.

PARIVISION has enough talent to show a solid result, but the big question is how quickly it can integrate newcomers into a complex system.

FaZe is playing without any additional pressure, only one player has changed, so XSE Pro League could be a pleasant surprise. In China, FaZe usually receives strong support, so there should be a fun atmosphere from the spectators as well.

XSE Pro League starts on July 1, and the Grand Final will be played on July 12. The first two days will feature BO1 matches, while on the third day four BO3 matches will already be played, after which the two teams that advance to the playoffs with a 3-0 record and the teams whose tournament is already over will be confirmed. Full schedule:

The XSE Pro League tournament will take place during the player break, when teams are making changes. Not all of the best Counter-Strike 2 teams will be at the tournament, but a high level can still be expected.

BetBoom, 9z, FaZe and PARIVISION are named as the main favorites, but teams such as Monte, TYLOO and BIG can also surprise.

When placing bets at online bookies sites, it is recommended to use the first two days to get familiar with the teams. The first matches will be played in BO1 format, where many surprises can be expected, so odds on underdogs carry much more value. These points are also important for XSE Pro League:

• PARIVISION, FaZe, BetBoom, Ninjas in Pyjamas and MiBR will play their first tournament after making changes, so the gameplay will be harder to predict
• XSE Pro League will be the first Counter-Strike 2 tournament where the Cache map will already be used. It replaces Overpass
• The most value in betting should be looked for during the playoffs, as well as in matches where teams are playing for survival in the tournament
• Monte, BIG and TYLOO have the potential to fight for a place in the final. The teams are playing without roster changes, there will be no S-Tier opponents at the tournament, so they can beat any other opponent
• Some of the teams may be playing their final tournament with their current roster, so this can add extra motivation. During the tournament, it is recommended to follow the news to see whether certain players move to another team