Now we’re talking.

All this talk of whether it should be six-team playoffs or eight-team has been blown out of the water - what about 16-team playoffs?

The Esports World Cup hasn’t quite had the reverence in Counter-Strike that the Saudis might have hoped, and that’s not all for Counter-Strike related reasons, but this is a big step in the right direction on that side of things.

A $2m (!) prize pool is the headline grabber here, but we’re more interested in the traditional groups-into-playoffs style format that something like the FIFA World Cup has. Except better.

Better, because it’s four double elimination groups of eight with half going through, instead of twelve round robin groups of four where sometimes the third team goes through. Which is utter woke nonsense, we’re sure you agree.

It’s not dissimilar to a Swiss system that EPL and the Major has, in the fact that half of the teams go through, but without the second group stage which bogs stuff down. Oh, and it has open qualifiers for four spots (as well as a spot for the ‘Asian Champions League 2026 winner?).

Halle-bleedin’-lujah.

The only - and we mean only - flaw, is that the opening round is BO1. 16-team playoffs. Eight-team groups. Double elimination groups. Open qualifiers on LAN.

Did… did we just get sportswashed? Maybe, but boy do we feel clean.

We should also mention, as an aside, that PGL had to cancel an event due to the overlap - and they are NOT happy. Oops.

Poll

Is the new EWC format the new king? Will the Saudi event be the best tournament next year?

Let us know your thoughts by replying to the email or by leaving a comment after choosing your response - make sure to include your gamertag to be featured in the next edition!

Your opinions from last poll:

Here’s what some of you replied to our recent newsletter when we asked you for your CS-related nightmare blunt rotation:

🐧 Pochamage: "chrisJ, draken, smooya, Maniac - do you really need me to tell you why?”

🧦 Weldo: “Definitely DaZeD after his recent change; kNgV- because he’s a nutter when sober; HUNDEN because the man is painful; and k0nfig because he’s just a c-ck.”