StarLadder and Stake Launch Tier 2 CS2 Circuit for 2026

Esports tournament organizer StarLadder has partnered with betting platform Stake to launch Stake Ranked, a new Tier 2 Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) LAN tournament series scheduled across 2026. The initiative, announced on Jan 12, 2026, is positioned as a structured competitive pathway for teams operating below the top-tier Major to progress into Tier 1 competition.

According to StarLadder, the partnership will host six events throughout 2026, “focused across Europe,” beginning with two confirmed tournaments, Stake Ranked Ep. 1 and Stake Ranked Ep. 2. As per the announcement, the Stake Ranked series will first establish its foundation in European markets before expanding into the Americas and Asia in the future.

StarLadder Founder Roman Romantsov said the collaboration reflects a long-term strategic push rather than a one-off sponsorship. In the announcement, Romantsov emphasized the need for a sustainable mid-tier ecosystem, stating that “Tier 2 events are often not treated properly due to various reasons, and we are here to fix that together with Stake.”

The new Counter-Strike events are reported to feature a mix of teams based on Global Valve Regional Standings (VRS) and advanced through Open Qualifiers. To keep its Tier 2 CS2 circuit image intact, the invitations will be sent “starting from 13th VRS rank.” Every event will feature 20 invitee teams: the top six teams to the LAN stage and the other 14 teams to the Closed Qualifiers stage.

StarLadder and Stake’s Tournament Structure Places Stake Ranked Within Tier 2 CS2 Circuit

Stake Ranked is positioned within the Tier 2 CS2 competitive circuit, acting as a LAN-focused initiative, as Romantsov emphasized within the announcement. Stake Ranked Ep.1 is scheduled on Apr 1- 4, 2026, prior to IEM Cologne Major 2026, while Stake Ranked Ep.2 is set from May 27 to May 30.

Stake Ranked Ep.1 will feature a $100K USD prize pool. The structure includes open qualifiers and closed qualifiers before progressing to finals, and does not restrict participation based on VRS, thus allowing emerging teams to enter the ecosystem. Both open and closed qualifiers will feature Single Elimination best-of-three (Bo3) matches.

The two-day Open Qualifiers start on  Feb 21, 2026, which advances two teams to the Closed Qualifiers round to compete with the 14 other invited teams (Global VRS) during the Mar 4 - 8, 2026 window. Both Open and Closed Qualifiers will be in online format, and Open Qualifiers will use the Faceit Platform to facilitate the matches. Additionally, both qualifying stages will be held on the Europe server.

The offline Finals are scheduled on Apr 1-4 and are set to take place in the Schengen zone, featuring eight participating teams advanced through Closed Qualifiers. The prize money will be distributed among all of the eight finalists, in decreasing order, with the 1st place holder receiving $25K. The announcement notes that the venue for the Finals will be notified during or prior to the team invites.

As of now, Starladder has only confirmed the details for Stake Ranked Ep.1. Episode 2 is confirmed; however, its location, format, and team selection criteria remain undisclosed, with Starladder indicating those details will follow later. 

Within the broader 2026 CS2 season, Stake Ranked is expected to sit between regional online leagues and high-profile international tournaments. Its aim to influence VRS ranks for teams hovering outside Major qualification thresholds could be beneficial for Tier 2 teams.