Esports match organiser ESL has unveiled particulars on the qualifiers for 3 of its ESL Professional Tour Counter-Strike 2 occasions going down in 2026.
Along with regional qualifiers, international qualifiers will make their debut to scale back journey fatigue skilled by groups attending worldwide occasions.
ESL Professional Tour International Qualifier Format
The primary ESL Professional Tour occasion to function international qualifiers is IEM Brazil. Along with invitations primarily based on January’s Valve Regional Standings (VRS), the open qualifier will function a single-elimination bracket going down from January sixteenth to seventeenth. The highest 4 groups advance to the closed qualifier going down from January twenty first to twenty third.
Two groups from the closed qualifier safe a spot at IEM Brazil 2026. Whereas the main points on the occasion venue haven’t been revealed, the match takes place from April thirteenth to nineteenth.
IEM Brazil 2026 may even function an Americas qualifier performed on South American FACEIT servers. Working alongside the worldwide qualifier, one group from the closed qualifier will earn a spot on the principal occasion.
IEM Atlanta 2026 additionally features a international qualifier alongside IEM China 2026. Atlanta’s qualifier happens from February seventh to eighth, whereas the China qualifier takes place from August twenty fourth to twenty fifth.
Atlanta and China occasions additionally embrace a regional qualifier, permitting groups from the Americas and Asia to compete on regional servers for an opportunity to qualify for a world occasion.
Additional Integrity Measures
With a rise in on-line competitions, ESL has additionally unveiled new integrity measures to make sure a stage taking part in area throughout matches.
Beginning in 2026, gamers would require two cameras and FACEIT verification earlier than groups can verify in previous to a qualifier going down.
“We share the neighborhood’s perception that the integrity of our occasions should stay our highest precedence, and these measures are an important step in sustaining that customary,” mentioned ESL in a weblog put up.
ESL stays one of many main match organisers in Counter-Strike 2 esports. In June, it can host the IEM Cologne 2026 Main, the primary Valve-sanctioned match of the 12 months.
