The Thunderpick World Championship 2026 begins on October 14 in Malta, bringing together eight competitive rosters for a $1,000,000 prize pool. Top-ten Valve Regional Standings contenders Falcons, FURIA, Legacy, and Aurora headline the event alongside bb team, 9z, pvision, and Ninjas in Pyjamas. Ninjas in Pyjamas secured their spot after Virtus.pro withdrew due to ongoing visa issues.

Roster adjustments shape several opening matchups. arT returns to the active lineup for Legacy after recovering from meningitis, having previously missed time where bobz stood in at ESL Pro League Season 24. Group A opens with 9z facing Aurora, while Falcons test themselves against Ninjas in Pyjamas. Over in Group B, Legacy take on pvision and FURIA clash with bb team.

The group stage utilizes a double-elimination format across two groups of four teams, with every series played as a best-of-three. The top two squads from each group advance to the single-elimination playoffs. The tournament concludes with a high-stakes best-of-five grand final to crown the champion.