ESL unveils 2026 Counter-Strike event dates 

Esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group has provided a glimpse into its Counter-Strike 2 event calendar for 2026.

In total, six event dates have been revealed by ESL from January to November 2026. Details surrounding each event, such as location, format and prize pool, have not been provided.

Announcing Counter-Strike events ahead of time has become common practice within the esports ecosystem, in large part due to Valve’s new tournament rulebook. In an attempt to create a more stable esports calendar, tournament organisers have to announce events in 2026 by January 1st, 2025. 

For events in 2027, announcements have to be made two years ahead of the tournament.

ESL’s first event of 2026 will take place on January 27th and last just under two weeks, concluding on February 8th. Interestingly, the second ESL tournament of 2026 will take place shortly after on February 23rd.

The calendar also features three shorter week-long events that will occur in April, May and November. According to ESL, more details surrounding all of its 2026 events will be provided in the near future.

The 2026 ESL Counter-Strike 2 calendar:

Earlier in the year, ESL announced that it would contribute at least $22m (~£16.8m) to its Counter-Strike ecosystem throughout 2025 and 2026. 

The ESL Pro Tour in 2025 will feature two championship events — IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne — as well as five ‘master’ category events. This includes ESL Pro League Seasons 21 and 22, IEM Dallas, IEM Chengdu and IEM Spring.