Winio Went 25/25 on Day 1 of the EWC 2026 Open Qualifier
The Winio model correctly predicted the winner of all 25 matches it covered on Day 1 of the EWC 2026 Open Qualifier, finishing the day with 100% accuracy.
August 8, 202607:42 AM
Liquid, 100 Thieves and BC.Game Reach EWC 2026 Playoffs
Liquid, 100 Thieves and BC.Game Advance, but Only One Can Reach EWC 2026
Liquid, 100 Thieves, BC.Game, BIG and HEROIC have all advanced to the playoffs of the Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier. Most of the international favorites survived the 64-team group stage, but the playoff draw created a major problem: Liquid, 100 Thieves and BC.Game are now competing for the same qualification spot.
The LAN qualifier is taking place in Paris from August 7 to 9. The 64 participants were divided into 16 double-elimination groups, with two teams from each group advancing to the playoffs.
The remaining 32 teams will now compete in a single-elimination bracket. Only four will qualify for the $2 million main event. Every match is played as a best-of-three.
How the Favorites Reached the Playoffs
| Team | Group-stage results | Map record |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid | 2-0 vs Dhala, 2-0 vs Metizport | 4-0 |
| 100 Thieves | 2-0 vs SadFamous, 2-0 vs NADE | 4-0 |
| BIG | 2-0 vs z to forward, 2-0 vs Fluxo | 4-0 |
| HEROIC | 2-0 vs REM, 2-1 vs 9INE | 4-1 |
| BC.Game | 2-1 vs BASEMENT BOYS, 2-0 vs 1win | 4-1 |
The five teams won all ten of their group-stage series and finished with a combined 20-2 map record.
Only One of Liquid, 100 Thieves and BC.Game Can Qualify
The biggest story is the playoff draw. Liquid, 100 Thieves and BC.Game were placed in the same section of the bracket alongside FOKUS, Acend, 1win, OG and INFINITE.
The opening matches are:
| Match | Stage |
|---|---|
| Liquid vs 1win | Round of 32 |
| BC.Game vs OG | Round of 32 |
| 100 Thieves vs INFINITE | Round of 32 |
| FOKUS vs Acend | Round of 32 |
This means that at least two of Liquid, 100 Thieves and BC.Game will miss the main event, regardless of how well they played in the group stage.
BIG, HEROIC, fnatic and NRG were placed in different sections of the bracket, while three of the most popular teams in the qualifier must eliminate one another. The group stage confirmed the favorites’ level; the draw will now determine which of them actually reaches the main event.
AI-powered predictions for the EWC 2026 Open Qualifier playoffs are available on **Winio**.
