Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2: its teams, tournaments, transfers and the business around them.
ESL names 17 broadcast talent for the IEM Cologne Major 2026
Presenters, five analysts and four casting pairs will carry the broadcast of the Cologne Major from June 2, with a former GamerLegion coach making his analyst debut.
VenuesESL returns to China with IEM Beijing 2026 at the Biohyalux ECM Arena
IEM Beijing 2026 brings 16 Counter-Strike 2 teams and US$1,250,000 to Wukesong from November 2 to 8, with fans on all six days of play and a 360-degree stage.
Prize MoneyValve drops capsules for the Cologne Major and sets how teams are paid
Valve has released the IEM Cologne Major stickers without capsules. HLTV reports that half of sticker revenue is shared, by ranking first and by Major placing afterwards.
TransfersSharks tie doc, gafolo and rdnzao to 2030 before the Cologne Major
Sharks have signed doc, gafolo and rdnzao to new contracts that run until 2030, twelve days before the team opens its second Major against HEROIC in Cologne.
Media RightsPGL Astana 2026 peaks at 1.16 million, PGL's best outside a Major
Esports Charts put PGL Astana 2026 above 1.16 million peak viewers, with Russian streams close to a record and a Portuguese audience that rose and fell with FURIA.
VenuesPGL Lodz 2027 brings a Counter-Strike 2 event to Atlas Arena in March
Atlas Arena in Lodz will host the final three days of PGL Lodz 2027, a 16-team Counter-Strike 2 event from March 18 to 28, 2027, the venue announced on May 17.
RankingsValve's May standings set the invites for DraculaN 7 and XSE Pro League
Valve's standings of May 4, 2026 decide who is invited to two summer events. Vitality lead with 2081 points, while FUT climb from 12th to 4th and Astralis enter the top six.
IntegrityESIC closes the SENZA case with six sanctions and a US$20,000 penalty
ESIC ruled on April 30 on the former SENZA roster: two years for byek over account sharing, 12 months for five players who did not cooperate, and a team penalty.
Prize MoneyGamerLegion and the Paris Major sticker share: the offers and replies
An HLTV investigation sets out the dispute over the players' share of GamerLegion's Paris Major sticker money, the offers that followed and the organization's written replies.
RostersFaZe name Neityu as stand-in for three events after karrigan exit
FaZe will field the French rifler Neityu, benched by ENCE since March, at BLAST Rivals, IEM Atlanta and Stake Ranked Episode 2. He is a stand-in, not a signing.
RostersESL reveals the 32 rosters of the IEM Cologne Major 2026
ESL has published the registered lineups of the 32 teams of the IEM Cologne Major. Three substitutes will play from the start, and BetBoom's five is still open.
AcademiesTeam Vitality open a Counter-Strike academy with the Project H five
Team Vitality presented Vitality Academy on April 22: five players aged 16 to 19 who had played together as Project H, a coach and a team manager from the main team's past.
IntegrityESIC issues a lifetime ban after an on-stage assault at a German LAN
ESIC banned German player MAUschine for life on April 21 after an assault on stage at the CAGGTUS Leipzig LAN party. He had already been banned for 10 years from DACH CS Masters and Fragster.
TransfersFalcons sign karrigan from FaZe and bench kyxsan before the Major
Falcons confirmed karrigan as in-game leader on April 20, minutes after benching kyxsan. The move reshapes a top-five team six weeks before the Cologne Major.
RostersMOUZ bench Brollan and Jimpphat and hand the calling to xertioN
MOUZ moved Brollan and Jimpphat to the bench on April 18, promoted xelex and made xertioN in-game leader. Major rules bring Brollan back for Cologne.
CreatorsCS2 talent lists for PGL Bucharest, IEM Rio and BLAST Rivals 2026
Three spring Counter-Strike 2 events named their broadcast teams. Who hosts, who analyzes, who commentates, and which voices work for more than one organizer.
CoachesFaZe name enkay J head coach after missing the Cologne Major
FaZe have filled the head coach seat left open in March with enkay J, formerly of ENCE. He takes over a team that will sit out a Major for the first time since 2016.
TransfersNinjas in Pyjamas sign stavn as primary AWPer after benching r1nkle
NIP benched their sniper and announced his successor within the hour, nine days after missing the IEM Cologne Major. The rebuilt five now has until November 2 to earn a Major place.
VenuesBLAST takes the first Open of its 2027 CS2 season to Singapore
BLAST Open Singapore will open the organizer's 2027 Counter-Strike 2 Opens in March, with a US$400,000 pool of acceptance fees for the teams it invites.
Media RightsESL sets 2026 co-streaming rules: Twitch only, always on, 5% webcam
ESL's Co-Streaming Guidelines 2026 charge no license fee but bind English co-streamers to its feed, its sponsors and a webcam of 5% of the screen during play.