Stake and StarLadder Unveil 2026 Counter-Strike Circuit Increasing VRS Impact
Stake and StarLadder have announced their complete 2026 Counter-Strike tournament circuit, comprising six tournaments with $100,000 prize pools each. The series, called Stake Ranked Episodes, includes one tournament already completed in April, one previously announced, and four newly revealed events running through November.
The circuit is structured as follows: Episode 2 (May 27-30), Episode 3 (July 15-18), Episode 4 (October 1-4), Episode 5 (October 27-30), and Episode 6 (November 17-20). These eight-team LAN events serve as significant stops in the competitive Counter-Strike landscape, with the tournaments identified as vital qualifiers in the race to major international competitions like IEM Cologne.
Episode 1, held April 1-4, marked the beginning of this circuit. The series represents a substantial commitment from Stake and StarLadder to the Counter-Strike esports ecosystem, with approximately $600,000 in combined prize money distributed across the full tournament circuit throughout 2026.