CS2 Esports Calendar 2026: Every Big Tournament Still to Come
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IEM Cologne wrapped up in June and the second half of the 2026 season is now underway. Between EWC in Riyadh, a full autumn of tier-1 events, and the PGL Singapore Major closing the year in December, there's a lot of CS2 still to come.
This article covers every major event from August onwards. For Majors and EWC, details come from official organizer announcements. For the autumn circuit, dates and prize pools are taken from organizer announcements where available, and from established esports reporting and databases where official confirmation hasn't been published yet. Events are labeled accordingly in the table below.
All Remaining CS2 Tier-1 Events at a Glance
*Most official sources and organizer pages list EWC CS2 as taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Liquipedia currently lists the location as Paris. Check the official EWC website for the confirmed venue before travelling or booking.
Prize pools marked TBC are not yet officially published. Tilde (~) indicates approximate dates per reports, not official confirmation.
Esports World Cup 2026
Dates: August 12-23
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (venue discrepancy noted above)
Prize pool: $2,000,000
Teams: 32
EWC 2026 carries the largest prize pool of any CS2 event this year, $750,000 more than either Major. The format puts 32 clubs into four groups of eight teams, each group playing a double-elimination bracket. The top four teams from each group advance to a 16-team single-elimination playoff, with group stage opening matches played as Bo1, subsequent matches as Bo3, playoffs as Bo3, and the Grand Final as Bo5, per official EWC format documentation.
The Road to EWC Open Qualifier runs August 7-9 at the same venue, giving the final four spots to teams who hadn't already qualified through regional pathways. The qualifier supports up to 128 teams and distributes $100,000 in prize money, with only the top four finishers earning main-event spots.
Like Majors and other top events, EWC features club rosters rather than national teams. The distinction worth knowing is that EWC results contribute to EWC Club standings, not Valve Regional Standings. VRS points, which determine Major stage invitations, come from Valve-designated events such as Majors and selected tournaments run by ESL, BLAST, and PGL. Teams managing their calendar around the Singapore Major qualification picture treat EWC differently from those tournaments as a result.
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Dates: August 26-September 6 (per reports)
Location: Porto, Portugal
Prize pool: $1,100,000 (per reports)
Teams: 16
BLAST has not published an official announcement for this event at the time of writing, so the details above are based on Liquipedia and esports coverage. Assuming they hold, BLAST Open Fall is the first Valve-designated tier-1 event after EWC and so the first tournament that feeds directly into VRS standings for the Singapore Major.
Sixteen teams compete across a group stage before the playoffs move to a live audience in Porto. The event's position immediately after EWC means it's where teams show whether summer form is real and how rosters have settled after any transfer activity.
The September-October Circuit
Several events run between September and late October, and collectively they build the VRS standings ahead of Singapore. None of the following have been officially confirmed by their respective organizers at the time of writing.
StarLadder StarSeries Season 20 is reported for around September 17-20 in Vaasa, Finland, with a $500,000 prize pool and eight teams. If confirmed, it marks the 20th edition of one of Counter-Strike's oldest tournament brands.
ESL Pro League Season 24 is going on in October 9-11th in Katowice, Poland, at the Spodek Arena. ESL has not confirmed the dates, venue, or prize pool for Season 24 at the time of writing. EPL seasons have typically ranged from $750,000 to over $1,000,000 total when club reward components are included. Sixteen teams are expected to compete.
Thunderpick World Championship 2026 is reported for October with a $1,250,000 prize pool and eight teams. Exact dates and location remain unconfirmed.
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 is reported for around October 24-31 in Bucharest, Romania. PGL has held multiple Romanian events across 2026, and Bucharest has become a regular stop. Prize pool details are not yet officially published.
November's Path to Singapore
Two events in rapid succession close the VRS picture before the Singapore Major begins. Neither has been officially confirmed at the time of writing, with details drawn from esports scheduling coverage.
IEM Beijing 2026 is reported for around November 2-8 in China. No official prize pool or format has been confirmed by ESL. The timing, directly before the Singapore invite cutoff, means results here carry more weight than the event's position in the calendar might suggest.
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026 is reported for around November 9-15 in Hong Kong, immediately after IEM Beijing. Teams making the trip to Asia for IEM Beijing may stay in the region for BLAST Rivals, which compresses scheduling across both events. Because these two events sit closest to the Singapore VRS snapshot, a strong showing in either can shift a team from a Stage 1 or Stage 2 invite to a Stage 3 invite, and that's a meaningful difference in how much ground they need to cover to reach the playoffs.
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Dates: November 25-December 13 (playoffs December 10-13)
Location: Singapore, playoffs at Singapore Indoor Stadium
Prize pool: $1,250,000
Teams: 32
Source: PGL official announcement, GosuGamers
PGL Major Singapore 2026 is the only Major left in 2026 and the first CS Major ever held in Southeast Asia. The event runs across three Swiss stages named Challengers, Legends, and Champions, with 32 teams distributed across the bracket based on VRS rankings. Teams that survive through the Champions stage enter an eight-team single-elimination playoff bracket, with the Grand Final played as a best-of-five. The playoff rounds move to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for December 10-13.
PGL has confirmed the three-stage Swiss format and the Singapore Indoor Stadium venue for the playoff stage. The specific VRS snapshot date that determines which teams receive direct invitations to higher stages has not been officially published at the time of writing.
As with previous Majors, new team stickers and player autograph items are expected to be released in connection with the event, with items becoming tradable after standard Valve cooldown periods expire.
FAQ
What is the next CS2 tournament after IEM Cologne? The Esports World Cup 2026 CS2 event runs August 12-23, with 32 teams and a $2,000,000 prize pool. Most official sources list the location as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, though Liquipedia currently shows Paris. The Road to EWC Open Qualifier is running August 7-9, with the top four of up to 128 participating teams earning the final main-event spots.
When is PGL Major Singapore 2026? November 25 to December 13, 2026. The three Swiss stages run in a studio format, and the eight-team playoff rounds move to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for December 10-13. This is the first CS Major ever held in Southeast Asia.
Does EWC count toward Major qualification? No. EWC results contribute to EWC Club standings rather than Valve Regional Standings. VRS points, which determine Major stage invitations, come from Valve-designated events such as Majors and selected tournaments organized by ESL, BLAST, and PGL.
How many CS2 Majors are there in 2026? Two. IEM Cologne Major 2026 ran June 2-21, and PGL Major Singapore 2026 runs November 25-December 13. Both carry a $1,250,000 prize pool and feature 32 teams across three Swiss stages followed by an eight-team single-elimination playoff with a best-of-five Grand Final.
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