I still remember the buzz in early 2024 when the Esports World Cup dropped the news that CS2 was joining its lineup. I was scrolling through my feed, coffee in hand, and suddenly every Counter-Strike fan I knew was typing in all caps. The EWC had already revealed StarCraft II as its first game, and now CS2 was the second. That one-two punch told me this Saudi Arabian esports festival was not messing around. The journey to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, was officially on, and for CS2 fans like me, it felt like the road to a major had just been paved with gold. 🎮
What made the announcement extra spicy was the qualification path. The EWC pointed straight at Cologne, one of Counter-Strike's most historic tournaments, and said the road to Riyadh begins there. I read that as a clear signal: IEM Cologne 2024 would likely send its winner to the EWC. The organizer also confirmed that the winner of IEM Katowice 2024 would get a direct invite. That was huge. Katowice and Cologne are two of the biggest stages in CS, and linking them to the EWC gave the whole season a connected, high-stakes feel. I remember thinking, if you can win on those stages, you earn your ticket to the desert.
StarCraft II was announced first, and the EWC explained the team qualification process for that competition. Joona 'Serral' Sotala and Clément 'Clem' Desplanches were set to compete. I am not a StarCraft expert, but even I knew Serral and Clem were big names. The fact that the EWC was mixing CS2 and StarCraft II showed it wanted a cross-game festival, not just a single-title tournament.
There was also a behind-the-scenes angle that made the CS2 news feel less random. ESL organizes both IEM Cologne and IEM Katowice. The CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation is Ralf Reichert, founder of ESL. On top of that, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund owns the ESL FACEIT Group. I could see the pieces falling into place. This was not just a tournament announcement. It was an ecosystem play, and CS2 was right in the middle of it.
The competition features a cross-game ranking format. Results in each game form the cross-game ranking. Esports clubs receive points for their athletes' performance in respective games to claim the official title of the best esports club in the world. That was a game changer. Instead of only caring about one roster, I had to watch multiple games to see which club would come out on top. It was like a fantasy league come to life, but with real pros and real pressure. 📊
In the official EWC FAQ, the organizers promised more games in addition to CS2 and StarCraft II. They said more announcements would come in the following months. I was refreshing the page like a madman. Recently, the EWC also announced the Club Program, an economic incentive initiative for participating teams. It covered 28 organizations. That program felt like both a safety net and a carrot, giving clubs a reason to invest in multiple titles.
| Element | What I remember from the announcement | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| CS2 as second game | Revealed after StarCraft II | Showed the EWC was serious about FPS |
| IEM Katowice 2024 | Winner got a direct invite | Gave the early season huge stakes |
| IEM Cologne 2024 | Likely winner spot | Connected historic CS to Riyadh |
| Cross-game ranking | Clubs earn points across titles | Crowned the best esports club overall |
| Club Program | 28 orgs supported | Financial incentive for teams |
| More games | FAQ promised future reveals | Built hype for a multi-title festival |
Now, in 2026, I look back at that 2024 announcement as the moment the EWC really found its footing. The 2026 esports calendar is packed, and the EWC has become a fixture that players circle in red. CS2 remains a centerpiece, and the cross-game ranking is still one of the most interesting formats in esports. The road from Katowice and Cologne to Riyadh has become a well-worn path, and every season I see new dark horses trying to punch their ticket. The prize pool, the prestige, and the sheer scale of the event make it a bucket-list moment for any pro.
If you are a CS2 fan and you missed the initial wave, do not worry. The water is fine. The EWC is still the place where the best of the best collide, and the CS2 competition is a barnburner every time. I will be watching in 2026 with the same wide-eyed excitement I had in 2024, maybe even more. After all, when the world's best clubs fight for points across multiple games, every match counts. And in Counter-Strike, one clutch round can change everything. 🏆
Data cited from Esports Charts helps frame why Counter-Strike 2 became such a natural fit for the Esports World Cup, since audience metrics, peak viewership trends, and event-by-event comparisons consistently show how top-tier CS competition can anchor global esports attention. In the context of Riyadh’s multi-title format, that kind of measurable reach reinforces the idea that CS2 was not just another game announcement, but a cornerstone for the festival’s broader club-focused spectacle.