GangKui Cup Season 2 announced

Through a post on X, XinSai Esports has announced the second season of the GangKui Cup. "While Tier 2 events may use direct VRS invitations, GangKui Cup Season2 will not issue direct invites", says XinSai Esports after classifying their event under the "Valve Ranked Tier 2" tournament category. The tournament will begin with an open registration, accepting teams from all over the world.

Click here to register

Teams are granted confirmed tournament slots upon paying the $500 USD registration fee, maxing out at 24 teams on a first-come first-serve basis. Among the registered teams, the top four as per the Valve Regional Standings are sent directly into the playoffs. The rest will have to battle it out in the play-in which begins on 26th March 2026. The play-in will be followed by an online group stage on 28th and 29th March 2026, setting the stage up for an eight-team playoffs.

The playoffs will run on LAN in Beijing, China from 1st to 5th April 2026. A double-elimination best-of-three bracket will determine the winner. The tournament will carry a prize pool of $10,000 USD if the total number of teams does not exceed sixteen, otherwise the prize pool jumps up to $15,000 USD.