Circuit rules
How the 2026 NA CS2 Circuit works: the points each stop pays, how ties are broken, who owns the points, and how the Crown Purse is won and paid.
- Status
- In effect
- Last updated
- October 6, 2026
- Questions
- contact@nstlga.gg
The short version
- 4 stops pay circuit points by placement (×1, ×2 or ×3), and every team that plays scores.
- Finish the season 1st with 25 or more points and your team takes the whole $5,000.
- Otherwise the top three split it: $3,000, $1,500 and $500.
- Points belong to the roster core: they follow 3 of the 5 players, not the team name.
The circuit#
The 2026 NA CS2 Circuit is a season of 4 events run by Generation NSTLGA LLC (“NSTLGA”). Every stop pays circuit points by where a team finishes, the points add up across the season, and the final standings decide the $5,000 Crown Purse.
Each stop is its own event with its own prize pool and rules. This page covers the circuit points and the Crown Purse that sit on top of them.
Placement points#
Each stop has a multiplier: the cups pay ×1, League Season 2 paid ×2 and the Texas Open LAN pays ×3. Every team that plays a stop earns points, so showing up always counts.
| Placement | League Season 2 (×2) | Emerald Cup (×1) | Texas Open LAN (×3) | Black Pearl Cup (×1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | 5 | 15 | 5 |
| 2nd | 8 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
| 3rd | 6 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| 4th | 4 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| 5th–8th | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Every other team that plays | – | 1 | 3 | 1 |
League Season 2 is already played: it paid 1st through 4th separately and 2 points each to 5th–8th, and the standings on the Circuit page come from those results.
A team disqualified from an event earns no points from that event.
The standings#
- A team's circuit total is the points it has earned across every stop played so far.
- The standings on the Circuit page are updated after each stop. Until the season ends, teams on the same total share a rank.
- The standings lock 7 days after the Black Pearl Cup grand final, to allow for protests. The locked standings are final and decide the Crown Purse.
Tiebreakers#
If teams finish level on points in the final standings, the tie is broken in this order:
- Higher finish at the Texas Open LAN.
- Higher finish at League Season 2.
- Higher finish at the Black Pearl Cup, then the Emerald Cup.
- Head-to-head series record across circuit events.
- If still level, the tied teams pool their crown shares and split them evenly.
Stealing the crown#
Only one team can steal the crown. The team that finishes 1st in the final standings takes the full $5,000 Crown Purse if it has 25 or more points.
- The threshold is judged on final season totals, not on who reaches 25 first. A team that gets there early still has to finish 1st.
- No single stop pays 25, so it takes strong finishes at more than one stop.
The standard split#
If the 1st-place team finishes under 25 points, the purse is split between the top three:
- Golden Crown
- $3,000 · 1st in the final standings
- Silver Crown
- $1,500 · 2nd in the final standings
- Bronze Crown
- $500 · 3rd in the final standings
Who owns the points#
Points belong to the roster core, not the team name. The core is the 5 players from the team's last circuit event.
- Rename or new org
- Points carry over if at least 3 of the 5 players from the team's last circuit event are still registered.
- Players leave
- If the core drops below 3, the points are retired and the new lineup starts at zero.
- Roster split
- Whichever side keeps 3 of the 5 keeps the points.
- Transfers
- Points can't be sold, merged or handed to another team.
How the purse is paid#
- Payment is made within 30 days of the standings locking.
- It's paid by the same method, and with the same paperwork, as event prize money.
- It's split evenly among the players on the roster core holding the points, or paid to their org with the players' written consent.
- Questions about a payout go to contact@nstlga.gg.
Questions?
Email contact@nstlga.gg.
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