Rainbow Six launches 2026 Challenger Series

Ubisoft has launched its second tier of competition for the 2026 Rainbow Six Siege X esports scene.

The Challenger Series provides amateur teams with a platform to earn qualification for the FPS title’s regional leagues.

Open to teams of all skill levels, teams from across the world can register for open qualifiers taking place from February 21st to March 1st across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Oceania. Registered teams will play in a single-elimination, best-of-one format with the highest-scoring teams securing a place in phase two of the Challenger Series.

The second phase sees 16 teams competing across a Swiss system format to ensure ‘balanced and highly competitive matches’ throughout. Eight teams from phase two advance to the finals, taking place from March 12th to 15th.

Similar to the open qualifiers, the Challenger Series Finals will use a single-elimination format to determine the eventual champion. The finalists will earn automatic qualification for their regional leagues running throughout the first and second halves of the year.

This year marks the second edition of the Challenger Series. In February 2025, Ubisoft overhauled the previous format, merging multiple regions to align with the top tier of Rainbow Six esports.

The 2026 Rainbow Six esports season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive for the title. December 2025 saw Ubisoft unveil the full roadmap, beginning with the Season Kick-Off taking place in April.

In addition to the regional league and Majors, the Esports World Cup has been integrated into the circuit, with the multi-title event hosting a mid-season tournament in August.

Before the 2026/27 season begins, the attention of the Rainbow Six scene is on the upcoming Six Invitational 2026, the title’s crowning tournament. 16 teams from around the world will compete in Paris, France, for a chance to earn the title of World Champion and the lion’s share of a $3m (~£2.23m) prize pool.