Six Invitational 2026 preview

As Rainbow Six Siege X tournaments go, you aren’t going to get any larger than the Six Invitational. Whereas it begins at the start of 2026, the Six Invitational acts as the tip of the earlier yr, in addition to an off-the-cuff, annual World Cup. 

As such, the Six Invitational is in its personal tier, being the most important occasion within the R6 Siege esports calendar. With this scale, it’s hosted by R6’s developer and writer, Ubisoft, the place one of the best groups from world wide come to compete for the most important prize Rainbow Six esports has on provide.

With that in thoughts, right here’s every little thing it’s essential to know concerning the Rainbow Six Siege Invitation 2026, together with its schedule, taking part groups, construction, prize pool, and find out how to watch the occasion.

The Six Invitational will kick off on February 2 with the group stage and conclude on February 15 with the playoffs and Grand Finals. The occasion will likely be hosted in Paris, with the Adidas Area serving because the venue, marking the fifth yr in a row that the Six Invitational has come to France.

BLAST is a secondary sponsor and host behind Ubisoft, who you could know because the organisers of the CS2 Austin Main in 2025.

In whole, 20 groups are invited to the Six Invitational 2026. They get into the occasion based mostly on a number of components, becoming a member of from both their placements of their area’s pro-league, Invitational Qualifier, profitable a Minor, the earlier Six Main, or being allotted an invite by Ubisoft.

Listed here are all of the groups concerned within the Six Invitational:

Initially of the Six Invitational 2026, the 20 groups will likely be cut up into 4 round-robin teams of 5. This group stage will happen from February 2 to February 6. First-place groups of every group go straight to Spherical 2 of the higher bracket, whereas second and third-place groups spherical out the higher bracket’s first spherical. The second-placed groups will get to decide on which of the third-placed groups they wish to face.

Fourth-place groups advance to the decrease bracket of the playoffs, whereas the bottom-place groups of every group are eradicated. From there, the playoffs are a double-elimination bracket, with all matches besides the Grand Finals being Bo3. The Grand Finals are Bo5, with neither workforce getting a map benefit.

The groups within the teams get factors not solely with match wins, but additionally spherical wins and losses. Right here’s how the group stage factors work:

In case you’re unable to get to Paris to observe the occasion in individual, you possibly can watch the Six Invitational 2026 on official streams. The event will likely be streamed without cost on each YouTube and Twitch on the next channels:

The Six Invitational 2026 has a mighty prize pool of $3 million. Whereas there will likely be particular person rewards, in contrast to in different esports occasions, these rewards is not going to include further prize cash. As a substitute, the prize pool share relies solely on a workforce’s placement.

Right here is how the prize cash is cut up:

Whereas satirically, firstly of the yr, the Six Invitational 2026 will say farewell to Rainbow Six Siege esports calendar. It has the unofficial title of the World Cup of Siege for a motive, and should you’re a fan of R6 esports, that is one you can’t miss.

With a meaty $3 million prize pool up for grabs and 20 of one of the best groups from world wide, there’s loads on the road. A fifth go to to France for the Six Invitational guarantees to repeat the success Ubisoft has beforehand discovered with the occasion, and if you wish to see one of the best Rainbow Six has to supply to compete, you needn’t look any additional.