Perfect World has revised the invitation system for the CS Asia Championships 2026 following a breach of tournament rules. Initially, two teams were set to receive Wildcard invites directly to the main stage, but according to the regulations, this was not permissible. Now, these slots have been redirected to the closed qualifiers for Asia. In exchange, the organizers have increased the number of participants from the global VRS ranking from 12 to 14 teams.

What is now known about the championship — dates, format, and prize pool

The CS Asia Championships 2026 will take place from May 18–24 in Shanghai, China. A total of 16 teams will compete:

• 14 teams will receive direct invites based on the global VRS ranking (as of February 2026);
• two more teams will advance through the Asian closed qualifiers, which will include eight invitees based on the regional ranking and teams from the open qualifying stage.

The tournament's prize pool will be an impressive $1,000,000, with $400,000 going to players and another $600,000 to organizations. The distribution of funds is as follows:

Players:

• 1st place — $150,000
• 2nd place — $70,000
• 3rd place — $60,000
• 4th place — $40,000
• 5th–6th places — $20,000
• 7th–8th places — $10,000
• 9th–12th places — $4,000
• 13th–16th places — $1,000

Organizations:

• 1st place — $250,000
• 2nd place — $100,000
• 3rd place — $70,000
• 4th place — $50,000
• 5th–6th places — $25,000
• 7th–8th places — $20,000
• 9th–12th places — $6,000
• 13th–16th places — $4,000

Perfect World not only supports interest in the CS scene in Asia but also sets an important precedent in adhering to international regulations. The change in the invitation format underscores transparency and maturity in the tournament approach, and expanding the global pool of participants could lead to even more competitive play.