1win Essence II: Format, Schedule, Fixtures and More

With The International getting closer by the day, Tier 1 tournaments have entered a hiatus, and Tier 2 tournaments get their chance to shine. Among the two remaining events, we have the 1win Essence II with a $200,000 USD prize pool and a handful of big teams in the lineup.

Let's take a look at the teams invited to the event, how it will be organized, and the possible implications of a tournament this close to TI for both the ten invited teams and the players on their rosters.

1win Essence II: Invited Teams

In contrast to most Tier 1 tournaments, the full lineup for 1win Essence II was invited directly, eliminating the need for qualifiers and giving the organizers an opportunity to hand pick teams to make their event as interesting as possible for the fans.

Take a look at the full lineup for the tournament below:

• Team Falcons
• BetBoom Team
• Team Liquid
• Nigma Galaxy
• 1w Team
• LGD Gaming
• MOUZ
• OG
• GamerLegion
• Vici Gaming

Tournament Organization

The tournament will be divided into two stages: a round-robin Group Stage featuring best-of-2 series and two groups of five teams. The top two teams from each group will proceed to the Upper Bracket of the Playoffs, while the 3rd and 4th place teams from each group will advance to the Lower Bracket. The remaining team from each group will be eliminated.

Both groups seem pretty balanced, but Group B seems to stand out in terms of difficulty, with Team Falcons and 1w Team as the favorites playing in the same group. BetBoom Team is the clear favorite in Group A, but second place is most likely an open slot that could be contested between Team Liquid, LGD Gaming, and MOUZ.

The Playoffs will run from August 3 to August 5 and will feature a traditional double-elimination bracket with best-of-3 series and a best-of-5 Grand Final.

Casting Talent

With most of the biggest casters getting ready for The International, 1win Essence II brought in some of the best remaining options and will feature familiar names that occasionally appear at bigger events, such as Admir "lizZard" Salkanović and Benjamin "Bkop" Kopilow.

Group Stage Schedule

The Group Stage will begin on July 30 and run until August 2. Teams will play up to two matchups per day between 09:00 and 17:00 GMT. Take a look at the Group Stage schedule for the 1win Essence II: 

Interesting Matchups

The smaller lineup also limits the number of interesting matchups, but we still have at least one exciting face-off in each group:

Group A: BetBoom Team vs. LGD Gaming — August 1

BetBoom Team was the runner-up at the Esports World Cup 2026, and LGD Gaming seems to be the best candidate for second place right now, with Team Liquid still displaying inconsistent performances.

This matchup will probably define the Top 2 in Group A and should also serve as a good reference when comparing the performances of Team Liquid and LGD Gaming against BetBoom Team.

Group B: Team Falcons vs. 1w Team — August 2

The last day of the Group Stage has a special surprise, with Team Falcons facing 1w Team in a matchup worthy of a The International Grand Final. Team Falcons are the reigning TI champions but have not won a single tournament in 2026.

1w Team has a completely different story, with a roster that conquered DreamLeague Season 28 and ESL One Birmingham 2026 while playing under the Tundra Esports banner. Despite their unexpected elimination before the Playoffs at EWC 2026, they still stand as one of the favorites to lift the Aegis of Champions at TI 2026.

Closing Thoughts

1win Essence II will be a good opportunity to check on some of the biggest teams before The International 2026 and, at the same time, see how the rest of the field performs compared to 1w Team and BetBoom Team.

If you're interested in the potential surprises this smaller event might bring, make sure to keep an eye on the news section of the Strafe website for more updates!

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Featured Image Source: Twitter (@1win_essence)