Here are the 50 teams that will play in the upcoming ESL Challenger League Season 52 Cup 3 tournament.
All 50 teams (North America - 15 teams, South America - 16 teams, Asia - 15 teams, and Oceania - 4 teams) have been invited based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) invitation data as of September 7, 2026.
Note: North America region will have 1 less team, Asia region will have 1 less team, and Oceania region will have 6 less teams competing in this tournament as there were no more teams on the VRS list eligible for an invite.
Teams will compete in a double-elimination brackets in their respective region, and the winner of each region will get invited to the ESL Challenger League Season 52 Regional Finals.
Note: A team can participate and win multiple cups within the same season. However, based on the ESL Pro Tour - Counter-Strike Rulebook 2026 that states: “2.28 - …In the event a team holds multiple cup victories, priority will be given to inviting the respective runners-ups. If those teams have already qualified, invitations may be extended to additional teams based on VRS rankings.”
North America
Chicken Coop Esports
North America
VRS Invite
Desi Boyz
North America
VRS Invite
regain
North America
VRS Invite
Overtake sector
North America
VRS Invite
Villainous
North America
VRS Invite
Iowa Stormboar
North America
VRS Invite
zomblers
North America
VRS Invite
detonate
North America
VRS Invite
empire
North America
VRS Invite
club 333
North America
VRS Invite
wanted goons
North America
VRS Invite
farmville
North America
VRS Invite
reign Above
North America
VRS Invite
new legends
North America
VRS Invite
overknight
North America
VRS Invite
marca
registrada
North America
VRS Invite
South America
galorys
South America
VRS Invite
LP
South America
VRS Invite
Bounty Hunters Esports
South America
VRS Invite
ex-keyd stars
South America
VRS Invite
isurus
South America
VRS Invite
alka gaming
South America
VRS Invite
turma do pagode
South America
VRS Invite
yawara esports
South America
VRS Invite
low cortisol
South America
VRS Invite
borracheiros
South America
VRS Invite
bestia academy
South America
VRS Invite
meia noite
South America
VRS Invite
QUINTESSÊNCIA
South America
VRS Invite
procyon
South America
VRS Invite
metanoia wolves
South America
VRS Invite
Grêmio
South America
VRS Invite
Asia
lynn vision gaming
Asia
VRS Invite
rare atom
Asia
VRS Invite
alter ego
Asia
VRS Invite
the huns esports
Asia
VRS Invite
the unit
Asia
VRS Invite
kaleido gaming
Asia
VRS Invite
just swing
Asia
VRS Invite
vitalem aerem
Asia
VRS Invite
chinggis warriors
Asia
VRS Invite
boring players
Asia
VRS Invite
not a squad esports
Asia
VRS Invite
team xdm
Asia
VRS Invite
The knockoutx
Asia
VRS Invite
legion
Asia
VRS Invite
blight.blue
Asia
VRS Invite
unsettled resent
Asia
VRS Invite
Oceania
rooster
Oceania
VRS Invite
marknlarry
Oceania
VRS Invite
orgless
Oceania
VRS Invite
iceblock
Oceania
VRS Invite
mindfreak
Oceania
VRS Invite
arcade esports
Oceania
VRS Invite
abyssal
Oceania
VRS Invite
marknlarry
Oceania
VRS Invite
orgless
Oceania
VRS Invite
fruju
Oceania
VRS Invite
Each team has received their invite based on their rosters stated in the VRS.
Note: the final roster submission deadline for all teams was September 29, 2026.
For a team to be eligible to accept their invitation they must retain a majority roster. In this case there are some notable points to consider when looking at the invited teams:
- Team Spirit (VRS 1), MOUZ (VRS 2), Team Falcons (VRS 3), FUT Esports (VRS 4), Team Vitality (VRS 5), Legacy (VRS 6), FURIA (VRS 7), G2 Esports (VRS 8), 9z Globant (VRS 9), FaZe Clan (VRS 10), Natus Vincere (VRS 11), and Aurora Gaming (VRS 12) can’t be invited based on the Valve’s Tournament Operating Requirements that states: “3.8.4 The VRS rank of the invited Rosters must be lower than 12 on the Global VRS at the time of the Invite Date.".
- North America:
- Liquid (VRS 17), M80 (VRS 41), NRG (VRS 50), Wildcard (VRS 54), SportsBetExpert (VRS 69), LAG (VRS 87), Voca (VRS 92), Marsborne (VRS 105), Without a Roof (VRS 150), NuTorious (VRS 206), Marsborne (VRS 235), ex-Aether (VRS 239), BOSS (VRS 253), insane players (VRS 260), FarmVille (VRS 269), Shimmer (VRS 271), Aether (VRS 272), EMPIRE (VRS 274), Festina Lente (VRS 297), 900FPSvsECO (VRS 306), Elusive (VRS 321), Incognito (VRS 346), Chicanery (VRS 355), girl kissers (VRS 360), raisedbypixels (VRS 373), and Unreal Nightmare (VRS 384) have all declined their invites.
- South America:
- MIBR (VRS 21), DENDELE (VRS 34), paiN (VRS 42), Imperial (VRS 65), Fluxo (VRS 72), BESTIA (VRS 85), ShindeN (VRS 97), ODDIK (VRS 131), Passion UA (VRS 149), MIBR fe (VRS 166), Fake do Biru (VRS 167), Gaimin Gladiators (VRS 172), UNO MILLE (VRS 174), RED Canids (VRS 180), Peladona (VRS 183), MIBR Academy (VRS 205), UNO MILLE (VRS 217), Turma do Pagode (VRS 250), paiN Academy (VRS 257), Back to Back (VRS 291), Atrix (VRS 296), Keyd Stars (VRS 298), paiN Academy (VRS 301), ex-KRÜ (VRS 311), and Crashers (VRS 312) have all declined their invites.
- Asia:
- The MongolZ (VRS 19), TYLOO (VRS 26), DEPO (VRS 59), 5star (VRS 121), NEXVOID (VRS 136), Chinggis Warriors (VRS 152), Rare Atom (VRS 227), Haunted House (VRS 233), FengDa (VRS 245), Change The Game (VRS 262), Club 333 (VRS 277), Banzai (VRS 279), BMZ (VRS 292), QuantumX (VRS 302), LEGAM (VRS 314), Sensation (VRS 315), UR (VRS 391), and Arise (VRS 394) have all declined their invites.
- Oceania:
- FlyQuest (VRS 52), THUNDER dOWNUNDER (VRS 77), Ground Zero (VRS 104), Mindfreak (VRS 191), Abyssal (VRS 197), SemperFi (VRS 208), Arcade (VRS 244), Ding Cuts (VRS 295), Mindfreak (VRS 316), FURY (VRS 352), BBBMBCBS (VRS 376), and Skele (VRS 397) have all declined their invites.