Esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group has given a sneak peek into its plans for the Counter-Strike 2 event calendar in 2026.
A total of six event dates have been unveiled by ESL stretching from January to November 2026. Specifics about each event, including location, format, and prize pool, are yet to be disclosed.
The practice of announcing Counter-Strike events in advance has become customary within the esports industry primarily due to Valve’s updated tournament rules. To establish a more structured esports calendar, event organizers are required to announce 2026 events by January 1st, 2025.
For tournaments in 2027, announcements must be made two years ahead of the competition.
The first ESL event of 2026 is scheduled for January 27th and will run for just under two weeks until February 8th. Interestingly, the second ESL tournament of 2026 will follow shortly on February 23rd.
The calendar also includes three shorter week-long events set to take place in April, May, and November. ESL has mentioned that more details regarding all their 2026 events will be shared soon.
The 2026 ESL Counter-Strike 2 calendar:
- ESL Event: January 27th – February 8th, 2026
- ESL Event: February 23rd – March 15th, 2026
- ESL Event: April 12th – 19th, 2026
- ESL Event: May 10th – 17th, 2026
- ESL Event: September 21st – October 11th, 2026
- ESL Event: November 1st – 8th, 2026
The ESL Pro Tour in 2025 will include two championship events — IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne — along with five ‘master’ category events such as ESL Pro League Seasons 21 and 22, IEM Dallas, IEM Chengdu, and IEM Spring.