Esports event organiser StarLadder has joined forces with on-line on line casino and sports activities betting platform Stake to launch a Tier 2 Counter-Strike 2 esports circuit.
The inaugural version of Stake Ranked will deal with Europe with six occasions set to happen all through 2026.
- Crew Vitality secures seven-figure multi-year Stake partnership
- StarLadder names Esports Charts as viewership analytics accomplice
- FURIA holds prime spot in January CS2 Valve Regional Standings
StarLadder reveals the primary two tournaments “are strategically positioned” inside Counter-Strike 2’s busy event calendar. Stake Ranked Ep. 1 takes place from April 1st to 4th, 2026, earlier than the invite cut-off for the IEM Cologne Main. The second occasion will happen from Could twenty seventh to thirtieth.
Each LAN occasions will happen in European capital cities, with StarLadder sharing particulars on their actual areas at a later date.
“Our legacy is in LAN occasions manufacturing,” stated Roman Romantsov, Founding father of StarLadder. “We see that Tier 2 occasions are sometimes not handled correctly because of varied causes, and we’re right here to repair that along with Stake.”
The Tier 2 occasion is constructed across the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) and open to “nearly all contributors.” A 16-team closed qualifier options 14 invited from the VRS and two from open qualifiers, offering novice groups with a pathway to competing on the occasion. For the primary occasion, February’s VRS will decide which groups obtain invitations.
Two groups from the closed qualifier will earn a spot on the Remaining Stage, the place they may be part of six invited groups to compete for a $100,000 (~£74,239) prize pool.
StarLadder isn’t any stranger to internet hosting high-profile occasions. In late 2025, the event organiser hosted the Budapest Main on the MVM Dome
Stake’s Esports Growth
Over the previous 12 months, Stake has continued to develop its presence throughout the esports trade. In July 2025, it entered a multi-year cope with French esports organisation Crew Vitality, turning into the betting accomplice of its Counter-Strike roster.
November 2025 noticed Stake be part of the Esports Integrity Fee (ESIC) as an anti-corruption accomplice. It offers a variety of information to the Fee, guaranteeing truthful competitors in esports is maintained.
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