CS2 teams are slowly preparing to watch the Stake Ranked Episode 2, a LAN tournament taking place in Spain. Taking place in Barcelona from May 27 to May 30, fans will see 8 CS2 teams compete for a $100,000 prize pool. There are some interesting names that we can watch here, such as FaZe Clan and Ninjas in Pajamas, so let’s dive deep and learn more about them.
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Stake Ranked Episode 2 Tournament Format & Overview
Stake Ranked Episode 2 will be an offline competition that StarLadder organized. As mentioned, it will take place in Barcelona and will include a total of 8 teams. The competition will be held over 3 days and features a $100,000 prize pool.
In terms of the format, we will only have playoffs. There will be a double-elimination bracket with Bo3 games, so expect epic clashes.
Stake Ranked Episode 2 Teams – Favorites and Underdogs
Despite the fact that the Stake Ranked Episode 2 will only feature 8 teams, all of them are special. Two earned their spot through the Closed Qualifiers, whereas the rest earned it via their VRS Global rank. Here is an overview of everyone:
- 9z Team
- HEROIC
- Alliance
- 3DMAX
- FaZe Clan
- Ninjas in Pajamas
- Sharks Esports – Close Qualifiers
- Magic – Closed Qualifiers
When it comes to favorites, 9z Team is probably the first one that fans will be paying close attention to. Despite the 5th-8th placement at the PGL Astana 2026, the team has had okay results in 2026 and won numerous Tier 2 competitions.
HEROIC is next on the list and it’s another interesting team with decent results so far. The team has not won any big event in 2026 so far, but there is a good chance this will be the first one.
Lastly, we also have to share a few words about Alliance. The team has established itself as a solid Tier 2 team and won several events this year, such as the Journey Spring 2026 and Conquest of Prague 2026. The last one came just a few days ago, so Alliance definitely enters Stake Ranked Episode 2 as one of the teams to pay close attention to.
Stake Ranked Episode 2 – Schedule & Talent
Those of you looking to follow the Stake Ranked Episode 2 in real-time can tune in on May 27 at 13:00 EEST for the 3DMax vs magic game. Fans can also watch HEROIC vs NiP, Alliance vs FaZe Clan and Sharks Esports vs 9z Team.
In terms of the broadcast talent, CS2 fans will see a lot of familiar names, such as:
- Brandon “BDog” Rawlings
- Lucy “LucyLuce” Eastwood
- Neo “Ne0kai” Caine
- Harvey “Skriv” Rodgers
- Martin “STYKO” Styk
Considering the name of the event, it’s no surprise that people can follow it live on Kick. It’s definitely one of the events that deserves more attention, so we can’t wait to see which team will lift the trophy.
