HYPERX + INTEL NATS 2026 Additional Information

Tournament Operator

• Tournament Operator: DFRAG Media Group Pty Ltd

Tournament Dates

Announcement and registration

• Published: June 06, 2026
• Open Registration Opens: June 13, 2026
• Open Registration Closes: June 16, 2026

Seeding and slot allocation

• VRS Seed Lock: June 16, 2026
• LAN Slot Allocation: June 16, 2026

Online Open Qualifier

• Qualifier Registration Opens: June 16, 2026
• Qualifier Registration Closes: June 20, 2026, 10:00 AEST
• Qualifier Start: June 20, 2026, 11:00 AEST
• Overflow Date: June 21, 2026, if required

Offline LAN Main Event

• LAN Main Event: July 16-19, 2026

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Tournament Format

Summary

• Total teams: 8
• Ranked stages: Stage 1 Online Open Qualifier and Stage 2 Offline LAN Main Event
• Online stages: Stage 1 Online Open Qualifier
• LAN stages: Stage 2 Offline LAN Main Event

Stage 1 - Online Open Qualifier

• Stage type: Online
• Teams: Eligible confirmed registered rosters
• Format: Double-elimination
• Match format: Best-of-1 until qualification matches; Best-of-3 qualification matches
• Advancement: Top 4 eligible rosters advance to the Offline LAN Main Event

Stage 2 - Offline LAN Main Event

• Stage type: LAN
• Teams: 8
• Format: Double-elimination group stage, 2 groups of 4; 4-team double-elimination playoff
• Match format: As set out in the official ruleset

Platform and venue

• Online platform: FACEIT
• Online anti-cheat: FACEIT Anti-Cheat
• Online server location: Sydney, Australia
• Offline venue: DFRAG STUDIOS
• Offline location: Australia

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Qualification Pathways

All teams must complete Open Registration.

Pathway	Slots	Scope	Leads To	Notes
Open Registration + VRS Seeding	4	Global	Offline LAN Main Event	Not a Direct VRS Invite
Online Open Qualifier	4	Oceania (Australia and New Zealand)	Offline LAN Main Event	FACEIT platform entry

Pathway A - Open Registration + VRS Seeding

Open Registration is the official tournament registration pathway.

• Open Registration opens on June 13, 2026 and closes on June 16, 2026.
• Open Registration is available globally to all eligible rosters.
• Open Registration is hosted via GOOGLE FORMS.
• Open Registration is free to enter.
• Open Registration is first-come-first-served, subject to eligibility, roster validation, published capacity limits, and the published tournament rules.
• Open Registration order and timestamps are publicly inspectable via GOOGLE SHEETS.
• All teams enter through the same global Open Registration process via Google Forms.
• Open Registration is only valid once the roster has completed all required Open Registration steps and has been confirmed by the Tournament Organiser.
• Completing Open Registration does not complete Online Open Qualifier registration on FACEIT.
• Oceania-eligible rosters not directly seeded into the Offline LAN Main Event must separately complete Online Open Qualifier registration on FACEIT (qualifier platform entry; not official tournament registration) to enter the Online Open Qualifier.
• Online Open Qualifier registration on FACEIT may open on the same day as Open Registration; a roster must complete and be confirmed through Open Registration before FACEIT qualifier registration is valid.

Pathway B - Online Open Qualifier

• The Online Open Qualifier awards 4 Offline LAN Main Event slots.
• Full Online Open Qualifier rules are set out in Open Qualifier below.
• The Online Open Qualifier is not a global qualifier.

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Open Qualifier

The Online Open Qualifier is restricted to eligible confirmed registered rosters from the Oceania subdivision (Australia and New Zealand) that are not directly seeded into the Offline LAN Main Event through open registration and global VRS seeding.

Registration and schedule

• Online Open Qualifier registration opens on June 16, 2026.
• Online Open Qualifier registration closes on June 20, 2026, 10:00 AEST.
• The Online Open Qualifier will begin on June 20, 2026, 11:00 AEST.
• An overflow date of June 21, 2026 may be used if required.
• Online Open Qualifier registration (FACEIT platform registration) is hosted via FACEIT.
• Online Open Qualifier registration is qualifier platform entry only and does not replace Open Registration.
• Entry into the Online Open Qualifier is free, but requires confirmed Open Registration.
• Online Open Qualifier registration order and timestamps are publicly inspectable via FACEIT.

Platform and format

• Online Open Qualifier matches are hosted on FACEIT using FACEIT Anti-Cheat, on servers in Sydney, Australia.
• The Online Open Qualifier will be double-elimination.
• Matches will be Best-of-1 until qualification matches.
• Qualification matches will be Best-of-3.
• No roster-specific or discretionary selection criteria will be used.

Eligibility

• The Online Open Qualifier is open only to confirmed registered rosters based in Australia and New Zealand, or whose participating players are physically able to compete from Australia and New Zealand for all Online Open Qualifier matches.
• For this event, the Tournament Organiser applies an Oceania regional filter within the Asia VRS region / Oceania subdivision framework.
• Merely connecting to Sydney servers from another country does not satisfy the Online Open Qualifier eligibility requirements.
• A roster that does not satisfy the Online Open Qualifier regional eligibility requirements is not eligible to enter, be seeded into, advance from, or receive a LAN slot through the Online Open Qualifier pathway.
• Roster eligibility for the Online Open Qualifier may be checked before seeding, during the qualifier, after the qualifier, and before final LAN slot confirmation.
• If an ineligible roster is mistakenly entered into the Online Open Qualifier bracket, that roster will be removed from LAN slot contention once identified.
• If an ineligible roster finishes in a LAN qualification position, the LAN slot will pass to the next highest-placing eligible Oceania roster from the Online Open Qualifier according to the published standings and tiebreaker procedure.
• This is an objective eligibility procedure. See VRS Information for invite method.

LAN qualification

• The top 4 eligible rosters from the Online Open Qualifier will advance to the Offline LAN Main Event.
• Rosters that qualify through the Online Open Qualifier must be able to attend the Offline LAN Main Event in person at DFRAG STUDIOS from July 16-19, 2026.

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VRS Information

• Tournament Tier: Tier 2
• Ranked Stages: Stage 1 Online Open Qualifier and Stage 2 Offline LAN Main Event
• Direct VRS Invites: None
• Wildcard Invites: None
• Invitation Date: Not applicable
• VRS publication date used for invites: Not applicable
• VRS publication date used for seeding: June 2026
• VRS parent region/list: Asia
• VRS subdivision used: Oceania
• Eligible location filter (Online Open Qualifier only): Australia and New Zealand
• Visa region: Australia (Oceania)

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Seeding and Slot Allocation

• After Open Registration closes on June 16, 2026, the Tournament Organiser will determine initial tournament seeding using the published VRS seeding snapshot.
• VRS Seed Lock / LAN Slot Allocation will occur on June 16, 2026.
• The VRS seeding snapshot used for LAN slot allocation and Online Open Qualifier seeding will be published or linked before the VRS Seed Lock.
• The VRS-seeded LAN allocation pathway is open globally. No regional filter applies to the VRS-seeded LAN allocation pathway.
• The top 4 confirmed registered rosters globally by VRS seeding will be directly seeded into the Offline LAN Main Event through open registration using the published VRS seeding snapshot. This is not a Direct VRS Invite process.
• Any confirmed registered roster not directly seeded into the Offline LAN Main Event will be assessed for Online Open Qualifier eligibility.
• Only confirmed registered rosters that satisfy the Online Open Qualifier regional eligibility requirements will be seeded into the Online Open Qualifier for the remaining 4 LAN slots.
• Global rosters that are not directly seeded into the Offline LAN Main Event and do not satisfy the Online Open Qualifier regional eligibility requirements are not eligible to compete in the Online Open Qualifier.
• Rosters without a Global VRS rank cannot be seeded above VRS-ranked rosters.
• All rosters directly seeded into the Offline LAN Main Event must be able to attend the LAN at DFRAG STUDIOS from July 16-19, 2026.

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Vacancies & Replacements

If a roster directly seeded into the Offline LAN Main Event through open registration and VRS seeding withdraws, fails eligibility checks, fails roster validation, or fails to complete the LAN participation fee by the required deadline, the vacant slot will be offered to the next highest-seeded eligible registered roster globally using the same published VRS seeding snapshot.

If no eligible registered roster is available through the VRS seeded allocation pathway before the Online Open Qualifier begins, the vacant slot may be added to the Online Open Qualifier.

If a roster qualified through the Online Open Qualifier withdraws prior to the start of the LAN Main Event, the vacant slot will be filled by the next highest-placing eligible roster from the Online Open Qualifier, as determined by final standings and predefined tiebreakers.

If no eligible roster is available from the Online Open Qualifier standings, the Tournament Organiser will select a replacement based on the highest-performing non-qualified roster using objective performance metrics, including:

• final qualifier placement
• match record
• map differential
• round differential
• head-to-head result, where applicable

All replacement decisions will be made using transparent and pre-defined criteria. No discretionary invites will be issued.

Online Open Qualifier Ineligible Roster Procedure

If a roster that does not satisfy the Online Open Qualifier regional eligibility requirements enters the Online Open Qualifier, advances through the bracket, or finishes in a LAN qualification position, that roster will not receive an Offline LAN Main Event slot through the Online Open Qualifier pathway.

The affected LAN slot will be allocated to the next highest-placing eligible Oceania roster from the Online Open Qualifier using the following objective order:

1. final qualifier placement
2. match record
3. map differential
4. round differential
5. head-to-head result, where applicable
6. any further tiebreaker defined in the official ruleset

The same replacement ordering applies if a roster is removed by the Tournament Organiser before the start of the relevant stage. The full procedure is set out in Vacancies & Replacements in the official ruleset.

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Prize Pool and Compensation

Total Prize Pool: $10,000 AUD

• 1st: $5,000 AUD
• 2nd: $2,500 AUD
• 3rd: $1,500 AUD
• 4th: $1,000 AUD

Non-prize compensation

• Compensation beyond prize pool: None
• Travel support: None. Teams are responsible for their own travel to and from the LAN.
• Accommodation support: None. Teams are responsible for their own accommodation unless otherwise stated in a published update.
• Hardware or other support: None

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Visa / Location

• Visa region: Australia (Oceania)
• Offline venue: DFRAG STUDIOS
• Offline location: Australia
• LAN dates: July 16-19, 2026
• LAN attendance: Required for all rosters that receive a confirmed Offline LAN Main Event slot
• Travel responsibility: Teams are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel unless travel support is explicitly listed under Prize Pool and Compensation.
• Accommodation responsibility: Teams are responsible for arranging and paying for their own accommodation unless accommodation support is explicitly listed under Prize Pool and Compensation.

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Integrity and Disqualification

• Integrity, eligibility, and conduct rules are defined in the official ruleset.
• Disqualification decisions will be based solely on objective criteria defined in the ruleset and will be published at the time of enforcement.
• Any disqualification decisions will be published at the time of enforcement.
• Rules are transparent and applied equally to all participating rosters.

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Roster Continuity

• A forfeit will be declared in any match where a roster does not field at least three of the originally qualified or seeded roster athletes for the entirety of the match, in accordance with the official ruleset.

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LAN Participation Fee

• Open Registration fee: Free
• Online Open Qualifier fee: Free (requires confirmed Open Registration)
• LAN participation fee: $500 AUD
• Applies to: All teams that receive a confirmed Offline LAN Main Event slot
• Payment deadline: As provided by the Tournament Organiser after LAN slot confirmation
• Failure to pay: Slot may be forfeited and reallocated under Vacancies & Replacements

The LAN participation fee is not prize compensation and does not alter the prize distribution.

The LAN participation fee does not include travel or accommodation unless explicitly stated under Prize Pool and Compensation.

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Official Ruleset

• https://github.com/dfrag-tv/vrs-event-announcements/blob/main/dmg-cs2-ruleset-hyperx-nats-2026.md

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Verifiability

• This Additional Information is published on a platform that preserves version history.
• Open Registration order and timestamps are publicly inspectable via GOOGLE SHEETS.
• Online Open Qualifier registration order and timestamps are publicly inspectable via FACEIT.
• The VRS seeding snapshot used for LAN slot allocation and Online Open Qualifier seeding will be published or linked before the VRS Seed Lock.
• Any updates to this Additional Information will be preserved through version history.

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You can view the latest up-to-date version on this document on github: https://github.com/dfrag-tv/vrs-event-announcements/blob/main/dfrag-hyperx-nats-additional-info-formatted.md