XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool

Owen Harsono Published 28/06/2026

Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event.

XSE Pro League 2026: Event overview

Event	XSE Pro League 2026
Start Date	1 July 2026
End Date	12 July 2026
Prize Pool	$1,000,000
Teams	16
Location	Guangzhou, China

Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in a LAN format, with the playoffs taking place in the South China Agricultural University Gymnasium.

We haven’t really seen high-tier Counter-Strike since the IEM Cologne Major ended, so the XSE Pro League is the perfect way to get back in the groove. Check out sites like Thunderpick if you are looking to wager on the tournament.

XSE Pro League 2026 teams

Unfortunately, the XSE Pro League won’t feature most of the Tier 1 teams we saw in the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. This means the likes of Team Vitality, Team Falcons, and Team Spirit will not be in attendance.

Still, we have some very notable teams heading into the event. Here is a full list:

9z Team
BetBoom Team
B8
PARIVISION
FaZe Clan
Monte
MIBR
TYLOO
Ninjas in Pyjamas
BIG Clan
3DMAX
Lynn Vision
Alliance
SINNERS
EYEBALLERS
Team Nemesis

Two teams to keep a close eye on are PARIVISION and FaZe Clan. PARIVISION have recently swapped out two players after the Major, bringing in experienced veteran HObbit. Meanwhile, FaZe Clan are in a similar boat, benching broky in favor of former BIG Academy prospect JBOEN.

FaZe Clan – Image credit: StarLadder

However, PARIVISION and FaZe aren’t the only teams that made roster changes – many others at the event did too. So, we’ll get to see these new lineups in action at the event.

Format and schedule

The XSE Pro League will run from July 1 to July 12 and will feature two phases. There will also be a break between them.

XSE Pro League 2026 Swiss Stage

Like almost every other CS2 tournament, the XSE Pro League will use the tried-and-tested Swiss Stage format to weed teams out.

16 teams enter a Swiss System format.
All matches will be played in Best of 3 format.
Win three matches and you’re through, lose three matches and you’re out.

At the end of the group stage, eight teams will move on to the playoffs, while the remaining teams are eliminated.

XSE Pro League 2026 playoffs

Once we’re down to eight, the teams will move over to the South China Agricultural University Gymnasium to compete in the playoffs.

The eight survivors are seeded into a Single Elimination bracket.
All matches except for the Grand Final will be played in Best of 3 format.
There will be a third-place decider on the final day.
The Grand Final will be played in Best of 5 format.

So, losing one series means you’re out. There’s no room for error if you want to lift this trophy. Our best CS2 betting sites will let you get involved in the action.

Prize pool distribution

Even though we won’t see all of the best CS2 teams in the world competing, the XSE Pro League still features a pretty hefty prize pool, so no teams are going to mess around. There’s a total of $1,000,000 up for grabs. Here’s how the split looks like:

Team Placement	Prize Money Earned
1st	$260,000 ($200,000 + $60,000 Club Share)
2nd	$140,000 ($80,000 + $60,000 Club Share)
3rd – 4th	$90,000 ($30,000 + $60,000 Club Share)
5th – 8th	$50,000 ($20,000 + $30,000 Club Share)
9th – 11th	$27,500 ($10,000 + $17,500 Club Share)
12th – 14th	$27,500 ($10,000 + $17,500 Club Share)
15th – 16th	$27,500 ($10,000 + $17,500 Club Share)

Featured image credit: XSE

Owen Harsono

About Owen Harsono

Owen lives for competition, spending most of his gaming hours on Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant. A regular on the SEA Dota 2 leaderboards, he combines his first-hand experience with a deep passion for esports journalism, following the professional scenes of all three esports betting titles religiously. When he’s not writing, he’s most probably betting on esports and watching the latest events.

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