1w Wins Moscow Cyber Games 2026 to Secure PGL Major Singapore Spot

What changed#

Russian esports organization 1w took top honors at the Moscow Cyber Games 2026 Counter-Strike 2 tournament, defeating HOTU 2-0 in the grand final. Hosted at the Moscow Video Game and Animation Cluster, which opened in November 2025, the championship was a flagship event of the II Moscow International Video Game Week. It marked the first tournament hosted in Moscow since 2019 to contribute officially to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS).

A total of 956 teams representing 31 countries entered the tournament. In the grand final, 1w opened the series with a 13<9> win on Anubis. HOTU mounted a strong comeback on Dust2, recovering from an 8<4> deficit to lock the score at 11<11>, but 1w took the final two rounds to secure a 13<11> map win and close out the series. Mongolian side The Huns Esports finished third after defeating fellow country squad 5star eSports 2<1>.

Why it matters#

The timing of the tournament was crucial, as the final ended immediately before a Valve ranking refresh that determines direct invites for major international events. By winning the event, 1w secured a direct ticket to the second stage of PGL Major Singapore 2026, along with guaranteed invitations to PGL Cluj-Napoca 2027 and BLAST Bounty 2027 Season 1.

For HOTU, the final loss severely impacts their upcoming schedule. Having missed out on the guaranteed Major slot, they are now left battling fnatic and 100 Thieves for the final remaining European invite.

The victory also highlights a successful partnership between 1w captain Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov and coach Konstantin “groove” Pikiner, who previously won IEM Katowice in 2021 under Gambit.

What to do next#

The tournament attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers across live venue attendance and online broadcasts. Following the conclusion of the event, Gulnara Agamova, head of the Moscow Creative Industries Agency, confirmed plans to hold international esports events at the venue on a regular basis. Meanwhile, HOTU must now rely on the final VRS standings to see if they can edge out fnatic and 100 Thieves for the last European slot at the Singapore Major.