HellCup

HellCup, formerly known as Hellcase Cup, is a competitive gaming tournament where participants compete for a substantial cash prize in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and previously competed in its earlier version, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).The tournament was created and initiated by Hellcase, and from a small tournament, it eventually grew into a large and recognizable one, and players love it for its good support and open qualifiers.

History

The tournament began as part of Hellcase's effort to support eSports and has grown in scale. HellCup 10 (July 29 – August 11, 2024) featured 24 teams and a prize pool that reached $46,271.40 due to crowdfunding.

The first tournament, Hellcase Cup #1, was launched on December 22, 2016. At that time, only eight teams participated in the tournament, and the prize pool was only $3,000. However, with each subsequent tournament, the company developed and made significant progress in promoting itself in the eSports world.

The second tournament already had prizes almost three times larger than the previous one, but the tournament format was slightly changed. The tournament organizers repeatedly changed the format and tried to find the perfect balance.

Starting from HellCup #8, a key and important tournament in HellCup history, an open qualification appeared at the tournament, and now any team could independently try their hand and get to the final. This really interested young players from all over the world who wanted to try their hand and compete with seasoned professionals.

Format and Structure

HellCup tournaments are independent tournaments that do not depend on each other, regardless of whether you won or lost in the previous tournament. In the next one, all participants will be equal, and a group stage will be held.

A total of 24 teams compete in HellCup tournaments: 22 invited teams and two teams that have successfully navigated the open qualifiers. The open qualifiers themselves feature an additional 16 teams, bringing the total number of teams involved to approximately 40.

Key Features

• Prize Pool: Funded partly through the sale of Hellcase skins, engaging fans in the process.
• Open Qualifiers: Allows lesser-known teams to compete with established ones.
• Notable Teams: Nemiga Gaming, Endpoint, and B8 have participated in recent tournaments.

Impact

HellCup boosts visibility for rising teams and helps develop the competitive Counter-Strike community, increasing fan engagement through crowdfunding and in-game rewards.

During the first tournaments, the community was rather cold to the tournament itself and its idea, but starting with Hellcase Cup 3, more teams were registered, and the tournament gained publicity. Since 2020, the tournament has gained significant momentum, and its organizer was StarLadder.

Feedback from ordinary fans and teams that participated in the open qualifiers is very positive. The community is generally grateful for the opportunity for young teams to try themselves on the same stage as professional teams and compete for a good prize pool.