#CAC2026 will take place in Shanghai, China from May 20–24! 16 top teams from around the world will compete for a $1,000,000 total prize pool and the championship title! The tournament kicks off tomorrow at 11:00 (UTC+8), with 8 Bo1 and 4 Bo3 matches on Day 1. Check the attached image for group divisions and the first-round schedule. Welcome to tune in!
Perfect World Esports is bringing #CAC2026 to Shanghai, China from May 20–24, 2026 with a $1,000,000 prize pool!
The main event invited teams are locked in: PV, Falcons, MOUZ, Aurora, MGLZ and 9 more — that's 14 direct invites. Plus qualifiers TYLOO & LVG.
16 top CS teams will battle it out in China for the biggest event of the year!
Lineup shown in the image 👇
Prize Breakdown
Total: $1,000,000
Team prizes: $600,000
Player prizes: $400,000
Schedule
Group Stage (May 20–22)
Double elimination, 2 groups.
Opening matches: Bo1
All other matches: Bo3
Group winners go straight to semis.
2nd/3rd place play Bo3 deciders: A2 vs B3 & B2 vs A3 for the last semifinal spots.
Playoffs (May 23–24)
Single elimination.
Semis & 3rd place match: Bo3
Grand Final: Bo5
This is going to be huge. Can't wait for it!
@PWRDEsports
CHAMPIONS! 🏆 Legacy defeat 3DMAX 3-2 to claim their FIRST international title at #CAC2025! Brazilian star latto clinches the MVP award.
Coming into this, the Brazilian squad had ZERO premier trophies - their best run was 9th-11th at the Austin Major, where they also ended Vitality's LAN streak. Now they've lifted their maiden international trophy in Shanghai - the city where Brazil's new championship era begins!
This victory means EVERYTHING - not just for Legacy, but for the entire Brazilian CS scene. Who knows? Maybe CAC 2025 is just the start of their dynasty.🎉
#CAC2025 Playoffs Day 2: DONE. 3DMAX & Legacy advance to Finals!
3DMAX and Legacy prevail in two reverse-sweep semifinals, securing their spots in the Grand Final.
Liquid and HEROIC finish their run in the Top 4, with the Third Place match still to come today before the championship showdown at SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center - 11:00 for Third Place, 15:00 for the Finals!
#CAC2025 Playoffs Day 1: DONE. 3DMAX & Legacy advance to Semis!
3DMAX and Legacy prevail in their quarterfinal matches, securing their spots in the Top 4.
They are set to face Liquid and HEROIC respectively in today's Semifinals, battling for a place in the Grand Final.
#CAC2025 Day 3 Recap - Oct 16 (UTC+8)
Day 3 of groups: DONE. Top 6 for playoffs are SET!
Liquid & HEROIC dominate their groups, both advance to semis with a clean 3-0 run!
Legacy, fnatic, FUT & 3DMAX secure their spots in the Top 6.
TYLOO fell to the defending champs FaZe, while FaZe got double-eliminated by FUT 😬 - both are OUT.
Playoffs start at 13:00 today at the Oriental Sports Center. Two Quarterfinals are on the schedule. Tune in!
#CAC2025 Day Recap - Oct 15 (UTC+8)
Day 2: DONE. 6 more Bo3s in the books!
In the Lower Bracket, it's heartbreak for Fluxo, B8, MIBR, and LVG as they are eliminated with two losses.
In the Upper Bracket semis:
HEROIC and fnatic both go 2-0, setting up a Winners' Final clash in Group A and locking their spots in the playoffs!
Day 3 starts at 11:00.
Another 6 Bo3s on deck.
2 Winners' Finals: Winners advance to Semifinals, losers drop to Quarterfinals.
4 Lower Bracket matches to decide the final 2 teams for the Top 6.
Full schedule below! Don't miss it.
#CAC2025 Day Recap - Oct 14 (UTC+8)
Day 1: DONE. 12 matches in the books!
TYLOO with the TRIPLE OT thriller to advance in Group B!
FaZe pulled a classic choke, losing 13-11 to FUT after an 8-0 start 😬
In Group A:
LVG dropped to losers' but made a comeback to knock out GL.
Liquid & Legacy both 2-0, they'll face off in the Winners' Final.
The Huns & GL are out.
Day 2 starts at 11:00. 6 Bo3s today. Full schedule below! Don't miss it.
#CAC2025 will take place in Shanghai, China from October 14th to 19th! 16 top teams from around the world will compete for a $1,000,000 total prize pool and the championship title! The tournament kicks off tomorrow at 11:00 (UTC+8), with 8 Bo1 and 4 Bo3 matches on Day 1. Check the attached image for group divisions and the first-round schedule. Welcome to tune in!
The #CAC2025 Asia Qualifier has come to an end, with the Mongolian team The Huns ultimately breaking through intense competition to become the final team qualifying for the main event. With this, all 16 teams set to participate in the CAC 2025 main event have been confirmed. From October 14 to October 19, 2025, these 16 teams will gather in Shanghai to compete for a total prize pool of $1 million USD and the championship title. Let’s wait and see what unfolds!
Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Americas Qualifier champion team Imperial has withdrawn from the tournament. Their spot has been passed to the Americas Qualifier runner-up, Fluxo.
Want a chance to compete in Asia's top CS2 tournament series? The CAC 2025 Asia qualifiers are open for registration now:
EAST ASIA: https://t.co/6Kw9X6lm6R
OCEANIA: https://t.co/pSKPDB3VXo
REST OF ASIA: https://t.co/Y8kymNJccI
#CAC2025 will add one directly invited team to the main event and adjust the qualifier regions and slots.
[Invited Teams]
CAC 2025 main event will feature 16 teams, with 10 directly invited. The confirmed invites are:
FaZe Clan, TYLOO, 3DMAX, Lynn Vision Gaming, paiN Gaming, https://t.co/vutnSOd38F, Liquid, Legacy, B8 and MIBR. Let's witness their battles in Shanghai!
[Prize Pool]
Total prize pool: $1,000,000 USD
Within the total prize pool, the split is as follows:
Team rewards: $600,000
Player rewards: $400,000
[CAC 2025 Schedule]
Group Stage (Oct 14–16)
>Double-elimination format
>16 teams split into two groups
>>Group winners advance directly to Semifinals
>>2nd & 3rd place teams advance to Quarterfinals
Playoffs (Oct 17–19)
>Single-elimination bracket
>>Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and 3rd-place match: BO3
>>Grand Final: BO5
[Regional Qualifiers]
Besides the 10 invited teams, 6 more will qualify through qualifiers in three regions:
>Europe: 4 slots
>Americas: 1 slot
>Asia: 1 slots
Europe Open Qualifiers:
>Registration is closed
>Tournament dates: August 10–11, 2025
>Top 4 teams advance to CAC 2025 main event
Americas Open Qualifiers:
>Registration is ongoing
>Tournament dates: August 16–17, 2025
>Champion team advances to CAC 2025 main event
Asia Qualifiers:
>Comprises four sub-regions: China, East Asia, Oceania, and Others
>China Open Qualifiers:
>>Registration period: September 8–11, 2025
>>Tournament dates: September 12–14, 2025
>>Teams can register via the PWA platform
>The winning team from each sub-region advances to the Asia Closed Qualifier
>Asia Closed Qualifier: September 15–16, 2025
>Champion team advances to CAC 2025 main event
Stay tuned for more electrifying updates!
Latest Update on #CAC2025:
Perfect World Esports will host the next iteration of the world-class CAC 2025 tournament series in Shanghai, China, from October 14 to 19, 2025, featuring a $1,000,000 USD prize pool! Top teams from around the globe will gather in China this autumn, delivering an epic CS showdown for fans.
[Invited Teams]
CAC 2025 main event will feature 16 teams, with 9 directly invited. The confirmed invites are:
FaZe Clan, TYLOO, 3DMAX, Lynn Vision, paiN Gaming, https://t.co/vutnSOd38F, Liquid, Legacy, B8. Let's witness their battles in Shanghai!
[Prize Pool]
Total prize pool: $1,000,000 USD
Within the total prize pool, the split is as follows:
Team rewards: $600,000
Player rewards: $400,000
[CAC 2025 Schedule]
Group Stage (Oct 14–16)
>Double-elimination format
>16 teams split into two groups
>>Group winners advance directly to Semifinals
>>2nd & 3rd place teams advance to Quarterfinals
Playoffs (Oct 17–19)
>Single-elimination bracket
>>Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and 3rd-place match: BO3
>>Grand Final: BO5
[Regional Qualifiers]
Besides the 9 invited teams, 7 more will qualify through qualifiers in three regions:
>Europe: 4 slots
>Americas: 1 slot
>China: 2 slots
Europe Open Qualifiers
>Registration: Aug 4 (12:00 CEST) – Aug 9 (12:00 CEST)
>Platform: Esportal
>Matches: Aug 10–11 (check Esportal for details)
Americas Open Qualifiers
>Registration: Aug 11 (12:00 BRT) – Aug 15 (12:00 BRT)
>Platform: Esportal
>Matches: Aug 16–17 (check Esportal for details)
China Open Qualifiers
>Registration: Sep 12 (12:00 BJS) – Sep 18 (12:00 BJS)
>Platform: PWA
>Matches: Sep 19–21 (check PWA for details)
This time, top teams will once again compete for the glory of CS in China. CAC 2025 is locked and loaded — just mark your calendars for it!
“We will be back, from the abyss.” we meant it.
Thanks to all who supported and believed in us — especially those who stood by us through our lowest moments. Even when we were on the brink of collapse.
Let’s build new glory together with the Asia region and our brother clubs.
UPDATE on #CAC2025:
Perfect World Esports will host the world-class CAC 2025 tournament in Shanghai, China, from October 14 to 19, 2025. The total prize pool per event in our CAC series has also been increased to $1,000,000!
The new dates for this year are a modest shift from our originally announced dates for CAC 2025, intended to better coordinate with busy schedules for teams in the global event calendar this year. The new million-dollar prize pool for our CAC series shows our commitment to supporting competitive Counter-Strike in Asia and around the world.
Check out the overview for CAC 2025 below, with more detail to come in the following weeks!
Teams:
16 teams to main event: 10 direct invites + 6 regional qualifiers
Prize Distribution:
$1,000,000 in total: $600,000 to teams + $400,000 to players
Main Venue:
SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai, China
Regional Qualifiers (July - August 2025):
· Open Qualifiers: Online (All regions)
· Closed Qualifiers:
o Online: Europe / South America / North America
o Offline (Shanghai): Asia
· Slots: 6 teams advance to Main Event from Regional Qualifiers
Format:
Group Stage (Oct 14 - 16): Double-elimination, 2 groups of 8
> Group winners → Semifinals
> Group 2nd & 3rd → Quarterfinals
Playoffs (Oct 17 - 19): Single-elimination
> Quarterfinals/Semifinals/3rd Place: BO3
> Grand Final: BO5
With these moves, we are excited to continue bringing the best of Asia to the world – and the best of the world to Asia – with the Counter-Strike Asia Championships. See you there!