Falcons will face NIP in the opening match. Thunderpick has announced the first-round matchups for its upcoming World Championship, which will be held from October 14 to 18 with a total prize pool of $1 million. The organizers also announced that NIP will replace VP, who withdrew due to visa issues for AquaRS and health reasons for F0R3VER, which have caused him to temporarily step down from the active roster.
Virtus.pro had previously qualified for the event through the closed qualifier. According to the organizer's rulebook, any withdrawal will be replaced by the next eligible team in the VRS to accept the invitation. However, as the withdrawal occurred within 20 days of the start of the event, the replacement will be the next eligible team from the event's host region — Europe. The Malta-hosted event will feature two BO3 GSL groups to decide four teams advancing to a single-elimination playoff, followed by a BO5 grand final after the third-place match. Falcons, as the highest-seeded team, will open against NIP in a group that also includes 9z and Aurora. Group B will kick off with Legacy versus PARIVISION, with arT returning to the lineup after missing EPL for health reasons. FURIA's grueling schedule will also continue, with their opening match against BETBOOM.
This tournament has a $1 million prize pool, Group A Falcons VS NIP, 9Z VS Aurora; Group B Legacy VS PV, FURIA VS BB.