On Jan. 12, 2026, StarLadder announced a partnership with sportsbook Stake to create Stake Ranked, a Tier 2 Counter-Strike 2 circuit made up of six tournaments focused on Europe next year. The organizer said it plans to expand into the Americas and Asia later. The format starts with open qualifiers. The first open qualifier will be played Feb. 21-22 and will award two spots into an online closed qualifier. That closed qualifier will feature 16 teams and take place March 4-8.
Each event finishes with an eight-team Finals. Six teams will receive direct invitations based on Global VRS, and two teams will qualify from the closed qualifier. StarLadder already set dates for the first two stops, with both Finals slated for European capital cities:
- Stake Ranked Ep. 1: April 1-4
- Stake Ranked Ep. 2: May 27-30
Both events will carry a $100,000 prize pool, distributed as follows:
- 1st place – $25,000
- 2nd place – $17,500
- 3rd place – $13,500
- 4th place – $11,000
- 5th-6th place – $9,000
- 7th-8th place – $7,500
“Our goal with Stake Ranked is to create a genuine pathway for ambitious teams to progress from Tier 2 to Tier 1 competition. We believe the heart of Counter-Strike lies in the LAN environment—where talent is proven, stories are built, and the community truly connects with the game. This partnership allows us to deliver professionally managed events that raise the standard of Tier 2 competition, while giving Stake an authentic role in supporting the growth and future of competitive Counter-Strike,” says Akhil Sarin, Chief Marketing Officer of Stake.
Roman Romantsov, Founder of StarLadder, added: “Our legacy is in LAN events production. We see that Tier 2 events are often not treated properly due to various reasons, and we are here to fix that together with Stake. Stay tuned; invites will be sent soon, according to Valve rules.”
For players and teams outside the top tier, Stake Ranked offers a clear route into LAN finals and cash prizes tied to a visible ranking metric. The schedule concentrates early action in late February and March before moving into city Finals in April and May. Read the full StarLadder announcement on StarLadder’s site for organizer notes and future stop plans.
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Counter-Strike 2
Developed by Valve
For over two decades, Counter-Strike has offered an elite competitive experience, one shaped by millions of players from across the globe. And now the next chapter in the CS story is about to begin. This is Counter-Strike 2.
A free upgrade to CS:GO, Counter-Strike 2 marks the largest technical leap in Counter-Strike’s history. Built on the Source 2 engine, Counter-Strike 2 is modernized with realistic physically-based rendering, state of the art networking, and upgraded Community Workshop tools.
- Genre: Shooter, Tactical
- Platforms: Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer
- Release: 2023-09-27
- Publisher: Valve
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Age Rating:
GRAC 19+ / PEGI 18 / USK 18 / CERO Z / ESRB M / CLASS_IND 18 / ACB R 18+
- IGDB Rating: 67.3/100
