Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, best known for playing Gregor «The Mountain» Clegane in HBO’s Game of Thrones, has appeared at the Esports World Cup 2026 Counter-Strike 2 Grand Final in Paris.
The Icelandic actor and professional strongman attended the final day of the CS2 competition, where FUT Esports and Team Spirit are set to battle for the EWC 2026 championship. The Grand Final is being played as a best-of-five series.
Björnsson’s appearance at the event is more than a celebrity cameo. The 2.05-meter strongman is also a gaming enthusiast and has previously spoken about his interest in Counter-Strike, where he appropriately uses «The Mountain» as his gaming nickname.
According to Björnsson, he has spent around 500 hours playing Counter-Strike. His gaming interests also extend beyond Valve’s shooter, with the Icelandic star known to follow other competitive titles, including StarCraft.
«The Mountain» Is a Counter-Strike Fan
Björnsson became internationally famous through his role as Gregor Clegane in Game of Thrones. The character, better known as The Mountain, became one of the series’ most recognizable figures.
Outside acting, however, Björnsson built an even longer career in strength sports. He has won numerous international strongman competitions and set multiple strength records during his career.
Gaming represents another side of the Icelandic athlete – and Counter-Strike appears to hold a special place among his interests.
His attendance at the Esports World Cup gives Björnsson an opportunity to watch some of the world’s leading Counter-Strike players compete live on one of the biggest esports stages of the year.
The EWC 2026 CS2 tournament features 32 teams and a $2 million prize pool, with the competition running from August 12 through August 23.
Björnsson Considers s1mple the Counter-Strike GOAT
One of Björnsson’s favorite players is Ukrainian Counter-Strike legend Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev.
The Icelandic strongman has described s1mple as the GOAT of Counter-Strike, highlighting his appreciation for the competitive side of the game rather than simply playing it casually.
s1mple has been one of the most prominent figures in Counter-Strike history, building his reputation through years of elite-level performances and becoming one of the most recognizable esports players to emerge from Ukraine.
While s1mple is not competing in the EWC 2026 Grand Final, Björnsson now has the opportunity to experience top-level professional Counter-Strike from inside the arena.
FUT and Spirit Meet in the EWC 2026 Grand Final
The celebrity appearance comes on the final day of the Counter-Strike 2 competition, with FUT Esports facing Team Spirit for the championship.
FUT reached the Grand Final after defeating FURIA in a closely contested semifinal. The victory marked the organization’s first appearance in a Big Event Grand Final.
Spirit secured the other spot after a convincing 2–0 victory over Legacy, winning Dust2 13–7 and Ancient 13–9. donk and sh1ro were among the key performers as Spirit booked their place in the title match.
The final also represents the first series between the current FUT and Spirit lineups and will be played in a best-of-five format.
It remains to be seen which team Björnsson will support. Either way, «The Mountain» has traded the battlefields of Westeros for a different kind of arena – one filled with Counter-Strike.
