Stake Pulse Beat II is ready to open its doors next week, welcoming 16 Counter-Strike 2 teams who will face off in Stockholm, Sweden.
Scheduled to begin on Monday, September 21, Stake Pulse Beat II marks the second iteration of the Stake-sponsored Counter-Strike 2 tournament, and the first since July.
Like the inaugural event, Stake Pulse Beat II returns to BME Studio in Stockholm, Sweden, where 16 teams will face off over the week to determine the champions who will take home the largest slice of the US60,000 prize pool.
Out of 16 teams in attendance, all but two received direct invites to the event, including some more well-known names from the scene such as Fnatic, JiJieHao, Eternal Fire, Astralis, 100 Thieves, Virtus.pro, as well as the defending champions, Apogee Esports.
Yet even in this stacked field, a couple of squads stand out as more likely victors, namely Astralis and HEROIC, who are billed as the team to beat on the outright markets.
However, while the top-rated bookmakers have painted a clear picture of which are the teams to watch, Stake Pulse Beat II, like the first iteration of the event, promises to produce some upsets and unexpected results, keeping esports fans and punters on their toes.
Here is all you need to know about Stake Pulse Beat II, including the format, schedule, favourites, and outright odds, from the best esports bookmakers for CS2 betting.
Stake Pulse Beat II Format
Stake Pulse Beat II is scheduled to run from September 21 to 26, with 16 teams joining the race. The tournament is divided into two stages, including the group stage and the playoffs, with all 16 squads starting their campaign in the group stage.
Stake Pulse Beat II group stage will see four GSL-format groups of four teams, with all matches played as best-of-three (BO3). The top two teams from each group will proceed to the playoffs, while the bottom two per group will be eliminated from the event.
The playoffs transition to a single-elimination bracket with all matches, including the grand final, played as best-of-three.
Group Stage
- 16 teams
- Four GSL-format groups of four
- All matches are best-of-three
- Top two teams per group proceed to the playoffs
- Bottom two teams per group are eliminated
Playoffs
- Eight teams
- Double-elimination bracket
- All matches are best-of-three
How to Bet on Stake Pulse Beat II?
Betting on Stake Pulse Beat II is a straightforward process, mainly due to the easily accessible markets for the event.
Esports punters can place bets on the tournament with most online bookmakers, including Stake, which is the go-to platform for Stake Pulse Beat betting.
On Stake, CS2 bettors can find competitive odds, great market coverage, free streaming and in-play betting, as well as a welcome bonus and other promotions and bonuses for existing users.
- Visit Stake
- Register an account with the Stake sign up code NEWBONUS or log in
- Open the CS2 tab and look for Stake Pulse Beat II markets
- Explore the available markets and start placing bets
Stake Pulse Beat II Favourites
Stake Pulse Beat II welcomes 16 Counter-Strike 2 teams, and while not all of them are expected to shine, a handful of squads have a realistic chance of making a run for the trophy.
Among the participants, Astralis stand out as the team to watch, heading to Sweden as the main favourites on the outright markets.
Astralis have been relatively underwhelming this season, at least for their standards. They have not won a single title, and have managed a top-four finish in just three events, most recently at BLAST Bounty Summer in August.
However, while success has been hard to come by for Astralis, they have also spent the year competing almost exclusively in the biggest events of the season, meaning they enter Stake Pulse Beat II battle-hardened, with experience facing much stronger team to what awaits them in Sweden.
For similar reasons, HEROIC are also expected to do well at Stake Pulse Beat II, as they have not won many events this year but have spent much of it competing in bigger tournaments.
In July, HEROIC won Stake Ranked Episode 3 and have since appeared in a few qualifying events, producing a mixed bag of results.
100 Thieves and Fnatic are two outsiders who can make a splash at Stake Pulse Beat II.
100 Thieves are still looking for their breakthrough, as they have managed only two tournament titles this season, with their most notable accomplishment being a gold medal from CCT Europe Series #3.
They have since made the semifinals of CCT Europe Series #4, and even qualified for the Esports World Cup.
Having proven themselves as a competitive tier-two team, 100 Thieves look to be in a fine spot to make some noise in Sweden. But 100T still have to prove they can challenge stronger teams.
Like 100 Thieves, Fnatic will hope they can step it up in September, after showing some signs of life last month. Notably, they made the semifinals of Stake Pulse Beat I and have since qualified for Stake Ranked E4.
The new-look roster is slowly finding momentum, and Stake Pulse Beat II gives Fnatic a chance to show they have what it takes to compete for trophies.
Stake Pulse Beat II Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Astralis | 3.20 |
| HEROIC | 3.80 |
| 100 Thieves | 6.30 |
| Fnatic | 8.50 |
| FOKUS | 8.50 |
| Eternal Fire | 9.00 |
| BBL Esports | 11.00 |
| Betclic Apogee Esports | 13.00 |
| Sashi Esports | 14.00 |
| JiJieHao | 14.00 |
| Virtus.pro | 17.00 |
| Phantom Esports | 17.00 |
| EA Copenhagen | 20.00 |
| Johny Speeds | 30.00 |
| Sangal Esports | 55.00 |
| ASTRAL Esports | 55.00 |
Stake Pulse Beat II FAQ
- When is the Stake Pulse Beat II?
Stake Pulse Beat II is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 21, with the first games of the group stage. The tournament will run for the entire week and conclude on Saturday, September 26.
- Who are the favourites to win the Stake Pulse Beat II?
According to the latest outright markets, Astralis and HEROIC are the main favourites to win Stake Pulse Beat II, ahead of 100 Thieves, Fnatic, FOKUS, and Eternal Fire, who enter the tournament as dangerous outsiders.
- Where can I find betting odds for the Stake Pulse Beat II?
Counter-Strike 2 punters can find betting markets and odds for Stake Pulse Beat II on most online esports betting sites. That includes Stake, which is the go-to bookmaker for betting on the event, as it offers extensive market coverage, competitive odds, as well as free streaming and in-play betting.