ChaiViz
17.10.2026
Four teams are left at the Thunderpick World Championship 2026. Team Falcons, Aurora Gaming, FURIA and BetBoom Team all survived the group stage at BLAST Arena Studios in Malta. Two semifinals run today. The grand final follows on Sunday, with a third-place match also on the schedule.
Every playoff series is a best-of-three. The champion takes $500,000 from the $1,000,000 prize pool.
Both favorites looked shaky in the groups. Each semifinal also pits them against a team that beat them at a big event this year. That makes these CS2 predictions harder than the bracket suggests. On GoCore, every correct pick earns +1 and every wrong one costs a point. Here is how we see all four matches playing out.
Both semifinals are rematches with real history behind them. These are the CS2 matches today that decide who plays for the title.
Falcons came to Malta as the clear favorites. They won the IEM Cologne Major, but they have not reached a grand final in four events since. This week they needed overtime on Ancient to beat Ninjas in Pyjamas. They also dropped Mirage to 9z before winning that series 2-1.
BetBoom took the hard road. They lost their opener to FURIA, reverse-swept PARIVISION and then edged Legacy 2-1 in the decider. Against Legacy, they came back from 4-10 on Nuke and won it in overtime. Magnojez has been their best player all week.
There is one warning sign for Falcons. BetBoom beat them 2-0 at the Cologne Major. Still, we back Falcons. NiKo, m0NESY and TeSeS give them more ways to win rounds than anyone left in the bracket. BetBoom played their best Counter-Strike just to get here, and Falcons are a step up from Legacy.
Our pick: Team Falcons.
This is the closest series of the weekend. FURIA are the defending champions and topped Group B without dropping a series. They beat BetBoom 2-0 and Legacy 2-1.
Aurora lost their opener to 9z, then beat NiP and got revenge on 9z to qualify. That early stumble does not worry us. Aurora have reached the top four at three straight events, including bronze at ESL Pro League Season 24 earlier this month. They beat FURIA on the way there.
Wicadia has carried Aurora in Malta, and the rest of the lineup is playing solid. FURIA lean heavily on KSCERATO, while YEKINDAR has started slowly. We trust Aurora's depth to win the rematch.
Our pick: Aurora Gaming.
If our semifinal picks land, Falcons meet Aurora for the trophy. Falcons beat Aurora at ESL Pro League Season 24, and we expect the same result here.
Aurora are still chasing their first title with this lineup. Falcons have the star power and the bigger stage experience. A win in Malta would also be their first trophy since Cologne.
Our pick: Team Falcons win the Thunderpick World Championship 2026.
FURIA and BetBoom already met in the group stage. FURIA won 2-0 on Ancient and Mirage. BetBoom have grown into the event since then, but FURIA's experience should show again in the rematch.
Our pick: FURIA.
This bracket rewards a balanced approach. Falcons and FURIA are the steadier picks. Aurora over FURIA carries the real risk, and it is where the leaderboard gap could open up. Lock in your Thunderpick World Championship 2026 picks on GoCore before the first semifinal goes live.
Malta also kicks off a busy stretch. PGL Masters Bucharest runs October 24 to 31, and the PGL Major Singapore starts November 25. Of all the CS2 upcoming tournaments, those two will show whether this week's champion can carry the form forward. Who do you have lifting the trophy on Sunday? Share your bracket with the GoCore community.
ChaiViz
17.10.2026
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