Pre-Major LANs keep on coming, with the next stop on the calendar being the Urban Riga Open Season 3, a 16-team LAN event on March 23 and March 24 in the capital of Latvia, Riga. The prize pool amounts to $10,000, with the winner set to take home half.
The two-day event will mostly sport tier 2 and tier 3 action, except for an appearance from an established tier one team in 3DMAX, who are doing what they can to qualify for IEM Cologne 2026.
Without further ado, here’s our Urban Riga Open Season 3 preview.
| Event | Urban Riga Open Season 3 |
|---|---|
| Dates | March 23 – March 24 |
| Location | Riga, Latvia |
| Total Prize Pool | $10,000 USD |
| Winner’s Share | $5,000 USD |
| Number of Teams | 16 |
| Group Stage | March 23 |
| Playoff Stage | March 24 |
| Format | Swiss Groups (BO1) -> Single-elimination Playoff Bracket (BO3) |
Two seasons of Urban Riga Open are coming soon. Credit: © Urban Riga Open
16 attending teams will be split up into four round-robin groups (all matches will be best-of-one), with two teams from each group advancing to the playoffs. The format for the playoffs will be the classic single elimination bracket with all matches being best-of-three.
Understandably, the whole group stage will be carried out on March 23, with the playoffs concluding the event on March 24.
The field spread is extremely wide at Urban Riga Open Season 3. The best CS2 team in attendance are 3DMAX, who are comfortably in the top 30 of the VRS ranking, while some of the attending squads are completely unranked.
Other recognizable names include Wildcard and FOKUS, who have been performing really well in tier two since their inception, booking themselves a spot at PGL Bucharest 2026.
Here are all the teams in attendance at Urban Rioga Open Season 3:
3DMAX should leave Latvia as Urban Riga Open champions. Credit: Brandon Dowling | © Esports World Cup
It’s no surprise that the CS2 betting favorites are 3DMAX. The French team has been an established tier 1 team since 2025, so anything but a win in Riga would be a massive disappointment, especially with Major qualification on the line.
However, arguably the second strongest team at the event, FOKUS, is in the same group, which could throw a spanner in the works. Interestingly, a completely unrelated team to FOKUS; FOKUS Reality, is in the same group as well.
Realistically, 3DMAX should run through the competition at this tournament and prove the CS2 odds right. They do need the win in order to keep getting invited to high-profile upcoming CS2 events.
Urban Riga Open Season 3 opening matches:
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Read also: FaZe Clan could miss CS2 Major as poor form continues in 2026
Featured image credit: © Urban Riga Open
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