FaZe Clan and NIP survive elimination at XSE Pro League as esports’ $1M China tournament battles production chaos
Both legacy CS2 organizations clawed back from the brink in Guangzhou, but the real story might be the transformer explosions and multi-hour delays plaguing esports' latest big-money event.
Two of the most recognizable names in competitive Counter-Strike avoided early exits from the XSE Pro League Guangzhou 2026 on July 3, with FaZe Clan and Ninjas in Pyjamas each picking up must-win matches to keep their tournament lives intact. The victories moved both squads to 1-2 records in the Swiss group stage, buying them at least one more chance to advance in a $1 million event that has been as notable for its technical disasters as its gameplay.
FaZe handled SINNERS with a clean 2-0, while NIP battled Luminosity Gaming to reach the same 1-2 standing.
What happened on day three
FaZe entered the day in rough shape. A 6-13 loss to MIBR had followed an earlier defeat to TYLOO, leaving the roster staring down a 0-2 hole where one more loss meant packing bags for the airport.
NIP’s path was similarly uncomfortable. A narrow 14-16 loss to 3DMAX had put the organization in the same precarious position. Their best-of-three against Luminosity proved enough to reset the ledger to 1-2.
The tournament features between 16 and 19 teams, and the Swiss stage is designed to eliminate teams that lose again.
The XSE Pro League, organized by Xinsai Esports, runs from July 1 through July 12 in Guangzhou, China. The $1 million prize pool is split evenly between player shares and club shares, a structure that gives organizations direct financial incentive to perform rather than just collecting salary while players chase prize money.
Production problems steal the spotlight
The event has been hit by transformer explosions that caused power outages, leading to multi-hour delays. Technical issues with player graphics and audio have added to the frustration.
Player and fan dissatisfaction has been vocal.
The bigger picture for esports investment
The 50-50 prize split between players and clubs is a detail worth noting for anyone tracking how esports revenue structures are evolving. The XSE approach directly ties organizational revenue to tournament performance rather than sponsorship alone.
Both FaZe and NIP will need to win their next matches to avoid elimination entirely.