Skyesports Cancels Elite CS2 Events Through 2026

• Skyesports drops all Tier 1 events, shifting focus to grassroots and Tier 2 tournaments.
• With support from Tamil Nadu Govt, it will be hosting the Chennai Esports Global Championship (CEGC) with a $50,000 prize pool.
• The move aims to strengthen emerging talent pathways and stabilize India’s esports ecosystem.

Indian esports tournament organizer Skyesports is abandoning elite-level competitive gaming after repeated operational failures.

The company has canceled its Skyesports Masters 2025 Counter-Strike 2 tournament, which carried a $350,000 prize pool, and scrapped all plans for Tier 1 CS2 events through 2026. The decision marks the third major cancellation this year, following the September Skyesports Championship and November World Tour events.

"Going forward, our focus will shift towards strengthening the Tier 2 and grassroots ecosystem," the company said in a statement, citing the need for "more accessible opportunities for emerging teams."

The retreat follows a troubled history with premium tournaments. Technical failures during the 2024 Skyesports Championship prompted Russian team BetBoom to withdraw mid-tournament, citing "unmet promised conditions." Skyesports Masters 2024 was forced online after India's general election made it "extremely challenging to obtain the necessary approvals for hosting a large-scale on-ground event."

The company's Skyesports Souvenir 2025 tournament collapsed in January after Valve failed to respond to requests for schedule changes and wildcard invitations leaving organizers concerned the event would lose its official ranking status.

Skyesports Shifts Focus to Tier 2 Counter-Strike Tournaments

The company is now concentrating on the Chennai Esports Global Championship, a Tier 2 CS2 tournament organized with Tamil Nadu's state government. The event runs Nov. 7-9 at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium with a $50,000 prize pool.

Six teams will compete after advancing through regional qualifiers in Europe, India and Southeast Asia. The tournament is part of the Valve Regional Standings system Skyesports cancels Masters 2025 and Tier 1 CS2 events in 2026, providing competitive legitimacy despite its lower status.

Tamil Nadu has allocated ₹562 crore (roughly $67 million) to esports and youth development in its 2025-26 budget. State officials view the CEGC as a step toward establishing Tamil Nadu as a regional esports hub, though the full game lineup beyond CS2 and Battlegrounds Mobile India hasn't been disclosed.

The CEGC will also feature a BGMI tournament Nov. 14-16 with a ₹50 lakh ($60,000) prize pool, targeting India's mobile gaming market. Industry analysts project India will reach 730 million gamers by 2028.

Skyesports continues operating BGMI tournaments that serve as entry points for aspiring professionals. In August, the company launched Gaming Mahotsav, a festival in Chennai combining esports with comics, cosplay and live music.

The withdrawal from Tier 1 events represents a significant contraction for Indian esports. While grassroots development could strengthen talent pipelines, Skyesports must first rebuild credibility after its operational troubles. The company's ability to execute midtier events consistently will determine whether this represents a viable strategy or simply a retreat from ambitions it couldn't fulfill.