Team Liquid and NIP to compete in Birch Cup 2025 CS2 LAN event

Team Liquid and Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) are among several European and North American Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams set to compete at the Birch Cup 2025 LAN event.

Taking place in Gdansk, Poland, from September 26th to 28th, the event is one of the last tournaments taking place before the StarLadder Budapest Major invite cut-off.

Joining Team Liquid and NIP in Poland are several notable esports organisations from Europe and North America. Wildcard will be making the trip to secure valuable Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points that will determine the 32 teams competing in the second Major of the year.

From Europe, the likes of Fnatic, ENCE, OG Esports and Team Nemesis are also confirmed as participants as the race for the top 32 begins to heat up.

The 24 teams will compete for a share of a $15,000 (~£11,099) prize pool, along with vital VRS points that could make the difference for teams on the cusp of the Major places.

Although Birch Cup 2025 is classed as a Tier 2 event, its place within the tournament calendar has attracted some of Counter-Strike’s most successful organisations. Teams have prioritised lesser-known LAN events due to the VRS valuing LAN matches higher than online. As a result, this gives teams an opportunity to earn more points with strong performances.

This is similar to the North American event Fragadelphia, which had to expand to 48 teams after tickets sold out in under three minutes.

NIP is the highest-ranked team competing at the event based on the August VRS. Currently ranked 19th, the Swedish organisation has a chance to cement its place in the top 32 with a strong showing.

Team Liquid is the second-highest, ranked 26th. After a difficult run of form, a solid performance could make the difference in securing a Major spot.

Below is a full list of teams competing at Birch Cup 2025: