Esports match organiser ESL has introduced that each one future matches of the ESL Professional Tour will use the newest Counter-Strike 2 patch launched on January twenty first, 2026.
Beginning with the remaining matches of the IEM Rio 2026 International Qualifier, all future on-line and LAN tournaments forming a part of the CS2 circuit will function an up to date model of Anubis.
Introduced on January twenty second, the change will see groups competing on the brand new Anubis format along with adjusted leaping mechanics and extra highly effective variations of the MP7 and the MP5-SD submachine weapons.
The replace to Valve’s first-person shooter title arrived following the opening day of the qualifier for IEM Rio, which noticed Fnatic and BC.Sport eradicated within the opening spherical. Of the 16 groups competing, two will earn a spot on the most important occasion going down in April.
Alongside impacting on-line tournaments, the change additionally influences Tier 1 tournaments hosted by the organiser. The primary to be impacted is IEM Kraków, taking placefrom January twenty eighth to February eighth.
ESL is the primary high-profile match organiser to make use of the replace in official tournaments. Fellow match organiser BLAST has revealed it’s going to use the beta of the earlier replace throughout the second week of its BLAST Bounty match, that means the brand new model of Anubis received’t function.
ESL Professional Tour In 2026
The ESL Professional Tour stays one in every of Counter-Strike’s longest-standing match circuits. The 2026 season begins with IEM Kraków, which options the world’s high 24 groups competing for a $1m (~£744,463) prize pool.
This yr’s season contains Season 23 and 24 of ESL Professional League, together with extra IEM occasions going down in Rio de Janeiro, Atlanta, China, and Cologne. The Cologne occasion will play host to the twenty fourth Main occasion in June.
ESL’s packed match calendar reaffirms its place as one in every of Counter-Strike’s greatest organisers. With it transferring to the brand new patch on the earliest attainable alternative, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see how groups and gamers react in a short while body.
