CS2 Major Tournaments Calendar – First Half of 2026
The first half of 2026 (January-June) promises Counter-Strike 2 fans one of the most packed seasons in the discipline’s history. The total prize pool for key S-tier tournaments will exceed $13,000,000. Complete list of major CS2 tournaments in 2026 with prize pools:
BLAST Bounty Season 1
- Dates: January 13-25
- Prize pool: $1,150,000
- Location: Malta
- Number of teams: 32
IEM Krakow
- Dates: January 28 – February 8
- Prize pool: $1,222,000
- Location: Krakow, Poland
- Number of teams: 16
PGL Cluj-Napoca
- Dates: February 14-22
- Prize pool: $1,250,000
- Location: Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Number of teams: 16
EPL S23
- Dates: March 5-15
- Prize pool: $776,000
- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- Number of teams: 8
BLAST Open Rotterdam
- Dates: March 18-29
- Prize pool: $1,100,000
- Location: Copenhagen/Rotterdam
- Number of teams: 16
PGL Bucharest
- Dates: April 3-11
- Prize pool: $1,250,000
- Location: Bucharest, Romania
- Number of teams: 16
IEM Rio
- Dates: April 13-19
- Prize pool: $1,000,000
- Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Number of teams: 16
Fissure Playground 3
- Dates: April 20-26
- Prize pool: $1,000,000
- Location: Shenzhen, China
- Number of teams: 16
BLAST Rivals S1
- Dates: April 27 – May 3
- Prize pool: $1,000,000
- Location: Fort Worth, USA
- Number of teams: 8
PGL Astana
- Dates: May 7-17
- Prize pool: $1,600,000
- Location: Astana, Kazakhstan
- Number of teams: 16
IEM Atlanta
- Dates: May 11-17
- Prize pool: $1,000,000
- Location: Atlanta, USA
- Number of teams: 16
IEM Cologne Major
- Dates: June 2-21
- Prize pool: $1,250,000
- Location: Cologne, Germany
- Number of teams: 32
Tournament Details
BLAST Bounty Season 1 (January 13-25, Malta)
- Defending champion: Spirit (first and second season)
BLAST Bounty S1 2026 is the perfect start to the year! A full 32 teams participate in this tournament, which uses an interesting system with opponent selection and bounties for eliminating leaders. The first two stages will be held online, and the remaining 8 teams will travel to LAN to compete for the main prize. This format has only been used twice before, but has already won over viewers with unexpected eliminations of favorites by underdogs. For the teams themselves (especially tier-2) – BLAST Bounty is an excellent opportunity to earn coveted VRS points and practice against the world’s CS elite.
IEM Krakow (January 28 - February 8, Krakow, Poland)
- Defending champion: Vitality
If you looked at the tournament list and wondered “where’s IEM Katowice?”, here’s your answer: the legendary tournament has been moved to Krakow. Rumor has it the main reason was the small capacity of Spodek Arena. It’s certainly sad to say goodbye to such an iconic venue in competitive CS, but let’s hope this will make the event more atmospheric and epic. By tradition, 24 teams will come to Poland, 8 of which have already secured their place in the main stage, while the remaining 16 will have to earn their slots in the Play-In.
PGL Cluj-Napoca (February 14-22, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
- Defending champion: MOUZ
Last year, PGL decided to recreate DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 and hold a tournament in Romania under their own brand. In 2026, we expect the same and possibly even better, as this will be the first PGL tournament attended by the best team of 2025 – Vitality. The group stage will use the Swiss system, where all matches will be played in BO3 format and held at the tournament operator’s studio in Bucharest. For the playoff meetings with spectators, teams will move to Cluj-Napoca’s BT Arena.
EPL S23 (March 5-15, Stockholm, Sweden)
- Defending champion: Vitality
In March, a new season of ESL Pro League begins, which has undergone some changes. Previously, this event was held entirely on LAN, but in a studio without spectators. Now organizers have decided to move the first two stages online, while playoffs will be played in an arena with a large audience present.
BLAST Open Rotterdam (March 18-29, Copenhagen/Rotterdam)
- Defending champion: G2
For this tournament, teams will once again have to travel a bit, first playing groups in Copenhagen, then moving to Rotterdam for playoff matches. By the way, of the 16 teams, only 6 squads will make it to Ahoy Arena – two directly to the semifinals and four will begin their trophy hunt from the quarterfinals.
PGL Bucharest (April 3-11, Bucharest, Romania)
- Defending champion: Falcons
Currently, this is Falcons’ only trophy in CS2. Last year, the event unexpectedly developed a highly engaging storyline, as literally during the tournament m0NESY signed a contract with the Falcons. This wasn’t officially broadcast anywhere, but all the rumors were so accurate that no one even tried to deny them. The cherry on top was the grand final, where G2 and Falcons faced each other. Ironically, degster lifted his first trophy, became MVP, and was then benched. It’ll be interesting to see if Abdul can find a team to visit Bucharest again, but this time as the defending champion.
IEM Rio (April 13-19, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Defending champion: NAVI
In 2025, this tournament wasn’t held, or rather it took place in Melbourne. We’re sure all of Brazil is celebrating and already preparing to create absolute madness in the arena. For FURIA, this event should be one of the most memorable – they absolutely cannot disappoint the fans and must make it to the playoffs. This won’t be easy, as only 6 teams will make it to matches on stage. Considering the huge number of rumors about FalleN leaving, all of Brazil will come to send off their main local star and put on an epic performance for him.
Fissure Playground 3 (April 20-26, Shenzhen, China)
- Defending champion: FURIA
Honestly, one of the biggest mysteries of this season. FISSURE is experiencing severe financial difficulties, having lost their main partner in the form of bookmaker BetBoom. The tournament broadcasting studio has already almost completely ceased operations, but the situation with FISSURE as a tournament operator remains unknown. Let’s hope we don’t lose such a vibrant representative among organizers and that all planned events take place.
BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 (April 27 - May 3, Fort Worth, USA)
- Defending champion: FURIA
Another unusual format from BLAST, where only 8 teams participate, divided into 2 groups, and only one squad from each group of four won’t make it to the arena. The event brings together teams from different regions, so it’s a great chance for some organizations with few VRS points to find themselves among the elite. There’s always room for unexpected results here, when underdogs sink their teeth into giants and “easy” matches turn into real spectacles.
PGL Astana (May 7-17, Astana, Kazakhstan)
- Defending champion: Spirit
For some reason, PGL increased the prize pool and in Kazakhstan’s capital, organizations will share $1,600,000. A year ago, PGL threw a real celebration for CIS fans and brought big CS to this region for the first time in a long while. Last year, many top squads skipped the event and Spirit easily took the trophy. We hope this time everything will be much more interesting, although that tournament was memorable for HooXi’s epic return and molodoy’s cool debut on the pro scene in his home region.
IEM Atlanta (May 11-17, Atlanta, USA)
- Defending champion: Vitality (IEM Dallas)
Texas was punished for bad behavior and middle fingers directed at apEX, and the tournament changed locations. In 2026, the CS celebration will take place in Atlanta, Georgia. Everything else remains unchanged – the classic Intel Extreme Masters format with 16 teams, two groups, and 6 teams in the playoffs. We hope the famous plate trophy will also remain unchanged.
IEM Cologne Major (June 2-21, Cologne, Germany)
- Defending champion: Spirit
For the second year in a row, the season will conclude with a Major, but this time it’s even more significant, as it will be held in the cathedral of Counter-Strike – the famous Lanxess Arena. IEM Cologne has always been a significant tournament, alongside IEM Katowice, but now Valve will also have a hand in it. We can’t wait to find out what the developers have prepared for such a legendary event. Perhaps we’ll see new items or an updated Pick’em mechanic, but we’ll only learn all this in six months.
Author: Alex
Alex is an author and esports observer with more than seven years of experience. He specializes in analyzing new releases in the world of computer games, gaming services, and in-game economies. Alex shares practical experience and an expert perspective on the development of gaming, helping readers understand complex mechanics and stay up to date with the latest news.
