PGL, StarLadder Lock 11 CS2 Events for 2026

PGL and StarLadder have secured 11 top-tier Counter-Strike 2 event windows across 2026. PGL is scheduling five headline tournaments while StarLadder has confirmed at least one StarSeries date and indicated additional seasons.

PGL’s confirmed events are Cluj-Napoca (Feb. 9-22, $625,000), Bucharest (Apr. 4-11, $1.25 million), Astana (May 7-17, $800,000), Masters Bucharest (Oct. 24-31, $625,000) and a Singapore Major (Nov. 25-Dec. 13, $1.25 million).

StarLadder has announced StarSeries Fall for Sept. 17-20 with a $250,000 prize pool and an eight-team format. The organizer has also indicated potential StarSeries seasons in late May to early June and mid-to-late September. Together the two companies account for 11 tier-one event windows that sit alongside existing ESL and BLAST fixtures.

Several dates are close to other tournament activity. PGL Astana in early May sits near qualifying for IEM Atlanta and other events, creating a congested period that may force teams to prioritise appearances. Organizers have not yet published full rulebooks, complete qualification mechanics, final venue confirmations or long-term commercial terms for every slot; some dates do not have full event pages available.

Valve’s licensing changes removed closed partner-team protections and opened the top-tier market to more operators. That allows more bids for hosting rights and gives teams outside legacy partner relationships additional routes into major events. A denser calendar creates overlapping commitments and could force teams to choose between simultaneous events.

Organizers still need to publish final qualification pathways, full event rulebooks, venue confirmations and commercial arrangements. Attendance by elite rosters and broadcast production standards will influence which events secure consistent participation, and the May and September clusters are likely to be the first tests of calendar conflicts.