Grand FinalBo5
Upcoming
Astral Vanguard
🇰🇷 Seed 1
Emberfall Elite
🇨🇦 Seed 7
Season IV8-team single eliminationHelix Arena · Rotterdam
Nafes
Eight teams. One crown. Zero second chances.
The Nova Cup is a single-elimination invitational bringing together eight of the world's sharpest rosters for three nights of championship esports.
Grand Final starts in
--Days
--Hours
--Minutes
--Seconds
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 · 19:00 UTC
Next on stageGrand Final
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Format
Best of 5
Stage
Helix Arena
Prize pool
$250K
Astral VanguardNeon DynastyCrimson CircuitIronhold SyndicateSolstice TitansVoid RunnersEmberfall EliteQuantum Wolves
Teams
8
Invited rosters
Players
40
Across four regions
Prize pool
$250K
Winner takes 40%
Match days
3
Friday, August 21, 2026 – Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Finals week
Three stories left to settle
Two teams remain in the hunt for the trophy, and two former champions meet in the bronze match.
The run
Emberfall Elite are one series from the impossible
Seventh seed. Open-ladder qualifier. Zero international appearances before this week. Emberfall have now beaten the second seed and the third seed back to back without dropping a single elimination map.
The dynasty
Astral Vanguard chase a fourth crown
No roster has ever won three Nova Cups, let alone four. Astral survived the longest series in tournament history to get here — five maps, four hours, and a full-save rush that will be replayed for years.
The undercard
Ironhold and Crimson meet for third
Two former champions, both a map away from the final, both playing the bronze match instead. It is the fourth time these two have met this season and the head-to-head sits at 2-1 to Berlin.
The road so far
Single elimination, no second chances
Eight teams entered. Six are already out. Follow every series through to the grand final.
Quarterfinals
Quarterfinal 1 · Bo3Final
Fri, Aug 21 · Helix Arena — Main Stage
Quarterfinal 2 · Bo3Final
Fri, Aug 21 · Helix Arena — Main Stage
Quarterfinal 3 · Bo3Final
Fri, Aug 21 · Helix Arena — Main Stage
Quarterfinal 4 · Bo3Final
Fri, Aug 21 · Helix Arena — Main Stage
Semifinals
Semifinal 1 · Bo5Final
Sun, Aug 23 · Helix Arena — Main Stage
Semifinal 2 · Bo5Final
Sun, Aug 23 · Helix Arena — Main Stage
Grand Final
Grand Final · Bo519:00 UTC
Wed, Aug 26 · Helix Arena — Championship Stage
Bronze Match
Bronze Match · Bo315:00 UTC
Wed, Aug 26 · Helix Arena — Main Stage
Latest results
How the final four was decided
Semifinal 2Bo5
Final
Emberfall Elite
🇨🇦 Seed 7
Crimson Circuit
🇧🇷 Seed 3
Undertow13–8Static Garden9–13Ionosphere13–10Kiln13–7MVP firewatch
Emberfall Elite are through to the grand final in their first international appearance. firewatch posted the highest rating of any player this weekend.
Semifinal 1Bo5
Final
Astral Vanguard
🇰🇷 Seed 1
Ironhold Syndicate
🇩🇪 Seed 4
Vantage13–9Kiln8–13Meridian Bay13–11Halcyon10–13Ionosphere13–11MVP SOLBRINK
Five maps, four hours, and the longest series in Nova Cup history. SOLBRINK called a full-save rush at 11-11 on Ionosphere and it decided the match.
The field
Eight rosters, four regions
Every invited team, seeded by season-long circuit ranking.
Standings
Where every team sits
Prize pool
$250,000
- 1st$100,000
- 2nd$55,000
- 3rd$30,000
- 4th$20,000
- 5th – 8th$11,250
Broadcast
Every series, four languages, one desk
The Nafes broadcast runs in English, Portuguese, Japanese, German, with a co-stream program open to any approved creator.
🇬🇧 Priya “Vector” Anand
Play-by-play
🇳🇬 Emeka Balogun
Colour commentary
🇫🇷 Lucia Moreau
Desk host
🇺🇸 Sam Ortega
Analyst
Still to play
Ironhold Syndicate vs Crimson Circuit
Bronze Match · Bo3
Astral Vanguard vs Emberfall Elite
Grand Final · Bo5
Finals day
Finals Day at Helix Arena, Rotterdam — 12,800 seats, sold out.
Good to know
Frequently asked
Where is the Nova Cup played?
All three match days are held at Helix Arena in Rotterdam, in front of a 12,800-seat crowd. Doors open two hours before the first series of each day.
What is the format?
Eight invited teams, single elimination. Quarterfinals are best-of-three, semifinals and the grand final are best-of-five, and the bronze match is a best-of-three.
How were the eight teams seeded?
Seeds one through six come from the season-long circuit ranking. The final two slots were decided by an open ladder — which is how Emberfall Elite got here.
Is there a broadcast?
Every series is streamed in English, Portuguese, Japanese, and German, with a co-stream program open to any creator with an approved application.
Finals day
Grand Final
Astral Vanguard against Emberfall Elite, best of 5, for $100,000 and the Nafes trophy.