ESL unveils 2026 dates for Counter-Strike 2 events

The eSports tournament organizer, ESL FACEIT Grouphas unveiled its Counter-Strike 2 event calendar for 2026. In total, ESL has shared six event dates from January to November 2026. Details about each event, such as location, format and prizes, have not been provided.

Announcing Counter-Strike events in advance has become standard practice within the esports ecosystem, largely due to Valve’s new tournament regulations. In an attempt to create a more stable esports calendar, tournament organizers are required to announce 2026 events by January 1, 2025. For 2027 events, announcements have to be made two years before the tournament.

The first 2026 ESL event will take place on January 27 and will last just under two weeks, concluding on February 8. Interestingly, the second 2026 ESL tournament will take place shortly thereafter on February 23. The schedule also includes three shorter, week-long events, which will take place in April, May and November.

ESL Counter-Strike 2 2026 Calendar:

• ESL Event: January 27 – February 8, 2026.
• ESL Event: February 23 – March 15, 2026.
• ESL Event: April 12 – 19, 2026.
• ESL Event: May 10 – May 17, 2026.
• ESL Event: September 21 – October 11, 2026.
• ESL Event: November 1 – November 8, 2026.

According to ESL, more details on all 2026 events will be forthcoming. Earlier this year, it announced that it would contribute at least $22M to its Counter-Strike ecosystem across 2025 and 2026.