The Thunderpick World Championship (TWC) is returning this fall with one of the biggest Counter-Strike 2 tournaments of the year. The $1 million event will bring 20 of the world’s best teams to Malta this October, including defending champions The MongolZ and top contenders NAVI, FURIA, and Aurora.

The action begins with the Closed Qualifier from September 9-11, where the last spots for the Finals will be decided. The LAN Finals follow on October 15-19, with $850,000 of the prize pool on the line.

Who’s Competing?

The 2025 lineup features four Top 10 ranked squads, making this one of the most competitive editions of the TWC yet. Leading the charge are:

• The MongolZ, defending TWC champions, ranked #3 in the world
• NAVI, Major-winning powerhouse from Ukraine
• FURIA, Brazil’s top team, currently #8 globally
• Aurora, rising Russian roster, now a solid Top 5 team

They’ll be joined by legendary names and regional standouts including Ninjas in Pyjamas, BIG, ENCE, SAW, Imperial, and 9z, plus fast-rising squads like M80, JiJieHao, and PARIVISION.

A Growing Tournament

Now in its third year, the Thunderpick World Championship has quickly carved out a spot on the CS2 calendar thanks to its independent backing and sizable prize pool, the largest ever sponsored by a bookmaker.

Kelly Sanders, Head of Strategy at Thunderpick said:

“With top teams from around the world converging on Malta and the return of defending champions The MongolZ, fans can expect an unforgettable event full of high-stakes gameplay.”

The event will once again be hosted in partnership with Hotspawn, with all matches streamed live on twitch.tv/thunderpicktv.

The Road to Malta

The Thunderpick World Championship is more than just a finals weekend, it’s the culmination of a global competition. Teams battled through online qualifiers earlier this year, and the Closed Qualifier in September will decide the last few spots in the Maltese LAN.

When the dust settles in October, one team will lift the trophy, joining The MongolZ (2024) and Virtus.pro (2023) as TWC champions.