ESL Challenger League Season 51 Cup 1 - Team Invites

Here are your 103 teams that will be playing in the ESL Challenger League Season 51 Cup 1 tournament.

89 teams (Europe - 41 teams, North America - 14 teams, South America - 14 teams, Asia - 11 teams, and Oceania - 9 teams) have been invited based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) invitation data as of January 5, 2026. The remaining 14 teams have been invited based on their finishing spots in ESEA League Season 54, and Season 55.

Note: Asia region will have 3 less teams competing in this cup, 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 51 Regional Finals.

Europa

Alliance

Europa
VRS Invite

Oramond

Europa
VRS Invite

Venom

Europa
VRS Invite

Sangal 1XBET

Europa
VRS Invite

Nuclear TigeRES

Europa
VRS Invite

Johnny Speed

Europa
VRS Invite

AM Gaming

Europa
VRS Invite

MOUZ NXT

Europa
VRS Invite

GenOne

Europa
VRS Invite

500

Europa
VRS Invite

1WIN

Europa
VRS Invite

SPARTA

Europa
VRS Invite

ex-RUBY

Europa
VRS Invite

illwill

Europa
VRS Invite

Leo Gaming

Europa
VRS Invite

ASTRAL

Europa
VRS Invite

Nemesis

Europa
VRS Invite

JiJieHao

Europa
VRS Invite

ex-Zero

Europa
VRS Invite

OlyBet

Europa
VRS Invite

Lazer Cats

Europa
VRS Invite

kONO

Europa
VRS Invite

ALGO

Europa
VRS Invite

Partizan Esports

Europa
VRS Invite

WW

Europa
VRS Invite

MINLATE

Europa
VRS Invite

Nexus Gaming

Europa
VRS Invite

Omega

Europa
VRS Invite

los kogutos

Europa
VRS Invite

HAVU Gaming

Europa
VRS Invite

WHITEBIRD

Europa
VRS Invite

ALLINNERS

Europa
VRS Invite

Bushido Wildcats

Europa
VRS Invite

BASEMENT BOYS

Europa
VRS Invite

ENCE Academy

Europa
VRS Invite

Rebels

Europa
VRS Invite

Sera esport

Europa
VRS Invite

Team PRIME

Europa
VRS Invite

CSDIILIT

Europa
VRS Invite

Famalicão

Europa
VRS Invite

TDK

Europa
VRS Invite

VP.Prodigy

ESEA Elite #1 S54 EU

UNiTY esports

ESEA Elite #1 S54 EU

FORZE Reload

ESEA Elite #2 S54 EU

Fire Flux

ESEA Elite S55 #1 EU

Flame Sharks

ESEA Elite #1 S55 EU

eLITenergy

ESEA Elite S55 #2 EU

TNT

ESEA Elite #2 S55 EU

Ameryka Północna

M80

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

marsborne

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

Voca

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

SkinRave

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

BOSS

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

Sakura

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

FlyQuest RED

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

regain

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

OverKnight

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

Mythic

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

SportsBet
Expert

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

Phoenix

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

Zomblers

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

InControl

Ameryka Północna
VRS Invite

LAG Gaming

ESEA Elite S54 NA

MONEY CREW

ESEA Elite S54 NA

Ameryka Południowa

Imperial Esports

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

YNG Sharks

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

MIBR

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

RED Canids

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

Keyd Stars

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

ODDIK

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

Bounty Hunters Esports

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

Galorys

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

ShindeN

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

Fake do Biru

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

Yawara

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

KRÜ Esports

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

FOLHA AMARELA

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

LP

Ameryka Południowa
VRS Invite

Four Magic

ESEA Open S54 SA

Procyon

ESEA Open S54 SA

Azja

Morningstar

Azja
VRS Invite

Chinggis Warriors

Azja
VRS Invite

Change The Game

Azja
VRS Invite

BORING PLAYERS

Azja
VRS Invite

Eruption

Azja
VRS Invite

Last Bullet

Azja
VRS Invite

Just Swing

Azja
VRS Invite

Nomads

Azja
VRS Invite

Legion

Azja
VRS Invite

100Ra

Azja
VRS Invite

Arise

Azja
VRS Invite

deep cross gaming

ESEA Open S54 AS

The QUBE

ESEA Open S54 AS

Australia i Oceania

Mindfreak

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

THUNDER dOWNUNDER

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

Rooster

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

Ground Zero

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

Underground

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

Vantage Esports

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

BBBMBCBS

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

FURY

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

Timewaves

Australia i Oceania
VRS Invite

Exsto Gaming

ESEA Open S54 OCE

Each team has received their invite based on their rosters stated in the VRS.

Note: the final roster submission deadline for teams in each region are as follows:

  1. Europe: January 30, 2026
  2. Oceania, Asia, South America, and North America: February 3, 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:

  1. FURIA (VRS 1), Team Vitality (VRS 2), Team Falcons (VRS 3), Team Spirit (VRS 4), Natus Vincere (VRS 5), MOUZ (VRS 6), FaZe Clan (VRS 7), The MongolZ (VRS 8), Aurora Gaming (VRS 9), B8 (VRS 10), Legacy (VRS 11), and G2 Esports (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."
  2. Europe:
    1. Liquid (VRS 13), 3DMAX (VRS 14), Astralis (VRS 15), PARIVISION (VRS 16), HEROIC (VRS 17), FUT (VRS 19), Ninjas in Pyjamas (VRS 20), SAW (VRS 22), GamerLegion (VRS 24), BetBoom (VRS 26), Gentle Mates (VRS 27), HOTU (VRS 28), fnatic (VRS 30), EYEBALLERS (VRS 31), K27 (VRS 33), 9INE (VRS 34), BIG (VRS 35), ECSTATIC (VRS 36), Monte (VRS 37), ENCE (VRS 39), SINNERS (VRS 40), Friendly Campers (VRS 43), CYBERSHOKE (VRS 44), Inner Circle (VRS 47), OG (VRS 49), Virtus.pro (VRS 50), magic (VRS 52), GUN5 (VRS 53), Sashi (VRS 56), Phantom (VRS 66), 33 (VRS 73), BIG EQUIPA (VRS 74), FAVBET (VRS 75), ECLOT (VRS 77), Metizport (VRS 79), Nemiga (VRS 81), Acend (VRS 86), BC Game Esports (VRS 92), ARCRED (VRS 94), CPH Wolves (VRS 97), Spirit Academy (VRS 100), Partizan (VRS 108), NOVAQ (VRS 116), AaB (VRS 117), Eternal Fire (VRS 121), FORZE Reload (VRS 124), NIP Impact (VRS 133), Mousquetaires (VRS 135), AMKAL (VRS 137), Tricked (VRS 141), ALLINERS (VRS 142), Imperial Valkyries (VRS 146), Betclic (VRS 148), Insilio (VRS 152), KHAN (VRS 154), Partizan (VRS 160), Let Her Cook (VRS 161), and Phantom (VRS 164) have all declined their invites.
  3. North America:
    1. Passion UA (VRS 21), NRG (VRS 23), and Wildcard (VRS 91) have all declined their invites.
  4. South America:
    1. paiN (VRS 18), Fluxo (VRS 38), BESTIA (VRS 41), 9z (VRS 57), MIBR fe (VRS 70), Gaimin Gladiators (VRS 71), Atrix (VRS 113), Dusty Roots (VRS 120), and FURIA fe (VRS 130) have all declined their invites.
  5. Asia:
    1. Lynn Vision (VRS 45), Rare Atom (VRS 54), TYLOO (VRS 55), The Huns (VRS 68), FengDa (VRS 98), DEPO (VRS 115), GATERON (VRS 209), ScarX (VRS 219), IHC (VRS 266), and Chinggis Warriors (VRS 271) have all declined their invites.
  6. Oceania:
  1. FlyQuest (VRS 32), SemperFi (VRS 131), Rooster (VRS 168), LITE (VRS 210), Underground (VRS 227), KZG (VRS 231), Animus Victoria (VRS 274), ex-TALON (VRS 277), and Muttley Crew (VRS N/A) have all declined their invites.

Podsumowanie

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