JiJieHao Rally Past HOTU to Lock In EWC CS2 Field
JiJieHao secured the final Open Qualifier spot for the Esports World Cup’s CS2 main event with a 2-1 win over HOTU, completing the 32-team field ahead of the group stage that begins August 12 in Paris.
The series ran Mirage (7-13), Cache (13-9) and Dust2 (13-11), as JiJieHao recovered from the opening-map loss to close out the decider. JiJieHao join 100 Thieves, BIG and K27 as the four teams that fought through the Open Qualifier bracket to reach the main stage, rounding out a field otherwise built from 27 VRS invites plus Lynn Vision’s ACL title run.
The Road Through the Bracket
JiJieHao’s path to the decider included a group-stage escape against Sangal in a three-map decider, followed by three straight 2-1 playoff wins over DENDELE, Phantom and finally HOTU. The full run reflects the kind of unpredictability that makes the qualifier worth tracking, as covered in the breakdown of the EWC 2026 qualification structure and the earlier roster picture from EWC CS2 qualifier playoff coverage.
What the Full Field Looks Like
With JiJieHao’s win, the 32-team main event is locked. The field spans established circuit heavyweights and qualifier breakthroughs alike:
- Vitality, Spirit, Falcons, MOUZ, Natus Vincere, G2, FaZe, Astralis, The MongolZ, PARIVISION
- Aurora, BetBoom, GamerLegion, paiN, 3DMAX, TYLOO, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Luminosity, MIBR, FUT
- B8, M80, Lynn Vision, Wildcard, 9z, FURIA, Legacy, magic
- 100 Thieves, BIG, K27 and JiJieHao – the four teams that came through the Open Qualifier
The $2 million prize pool marks a jump from last year’s $1.25 million, with the winner taking $600,000 plus 1000 Club Championship points. The MongolZ enter as defending champions after beating Aurora in last year’s final, and the double-elimination group stage will run best-of-one openers before shifting to best-of-three, culminating in a best-of-five grand final with a third-place decider attached, as detailed in further qualifier playoff context.
