Roman Imperium Cup VI groups revealed

The organizers of the Roman Imperium Cup have announced the group stage draw for the sixth edition of the Portuguese Counter-Strike 2 LAN, which will take place from March 12–15 at the SAW Esports Arena in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. The event continues to grow in prominence on the European tier-two circuit and will once again offer teams a chance to collect valuable Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points ahead of upcoming Major invitations.

This edition of the tournament features several recognizable names from the international scene, including Team Liquid, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and BC.Game, all of whom will be looking to improve their standings in the VRS ranking. Both Liquid and Ninjas in Pyjamas reportedly entered the event late after struggling with results elsewhere and seeing their Major qualification prospects weaken.

Expanded format and prize pool

Roman Imperium Cup VI introduces several structural changes compared to previous iterations of the tournament. The competition has been expanded from 16 to 20 teams, and the prize pool has also increased by €2,000, bringing the total to approximately €12,000 (~$13,900).

Teams will first compete in four round-robin groups, with each lineup playing at least four best-of-one matches during the group stage. The top two teams from each group will progress to a single-elimination playoff bracket, where matches will be played in best-of-three format to determine the champion.

The event will therefore feature a heavier schedule of LAN matches compared to earlier editions, allowing teams more opportunities to gather points and build momentum.

Group stage draw

The organizers confirmed the following groups for the tournament:

Group A

• M80

• 9INE

• Rebels

• JiJieHao

• NIC

Group B

• Ninjas in Pyjamas

• EYEBALLERS

• Voca

• SAW

• Iedopieca

Group C

• KOLESIE

• Betclic

• FOKUS

• Voca

• AM

• Avanti

Group D

• BC.Game

• OG

• Nexus

• Alliance

• GRINGOS

These groups will decide the eight playoff participants, with several matchups already scheduled shortly after the tournament begins.

Context from previous Roman Imperium Cups

The Roman Imperium Cup series has quickly become a recurring fixture in the European LAN calendar. Earlier editions were also held in Vila Nova de Gaia, typically featuring around 16 teams competing in a group stage followed by single-elimination playoffs.

The most recent event, Roman Imperium Cup V, took place in February 2026 with teams such as Ninjas in Pyjamas, Monte, BetBoom, fnatic, and Passion UA participating in the Portuguese LAN.

With the sixth installment expanding both its team count and prize pool, organizers appear to be positioning the event as an increasingly important stop for teams seeking competitive LAN experience and VRS points on the road to larger international tournaments.

Looking ahead

Roman Imperium Cup VI will run from March 12 to March 15, culminating in a best-of-three grand final on the final day of competition.

For several participating teams — particularly Liquid, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and BC.Game — the event represents an important opportunity to stabilize their results and strengthen their position in the race for upcoming Major invitations.