International esports tournament organizer PGL recently announced that it will host at least 11 Counter-Strike 2 tournaments throughout 2025 and 2026. The company said, while noting that it is the only independent international tournament organizer in the Counter-Strike 2 scene, that changes made by Valve for 2025 serves as a significant milestone moment for the company and the Counter-Strike 2 competitive ecosystem. From the release:
“After eight years, following the new rules that won’t allow tournament organizers to partner with teams starting with January 1st, 2025, PGL is set to organize Tier 1 and non-major Counter-Strike 2 tournaments. Due to a prevailing monopoly, this endeavor was unattainable until January 1st, 2025. Thanks to the CS2 licensing rules that enable any tournament organizer to host events and the prohibition of conflicts of interest between event organizers and teams, PGL can pave the way for more diverse and competitive CS2 events.”
PGL announced the following tentative dates for PGL-operated Counter-Strike 2 competitions in 2025 and 2026:
PGL 2025 Tournament Schedule:
- PGL CS2 Tournament #1: Feb. 10-24
- PGL CS2 Tournament #2: March 31 – April 14
- PGL CS2 Tournament #3: May 3-19
- PGL CS2 Tournament #4: Sept. 29 – Oct. 13
- PGL CS2 Tournament #5: Oct. 18 – Nov. 3
PGL 2026 Tournament Schedule:
- PGL CS2 Tournament #6: February 16 – March 2
- PGL CS2 Tournament #7: March 23 – April 6
- PGL CS2 Tournament #8: May 2-18
- PGL CS2 Tournament #9: Aug. 3-17
- PGL CS2 Tournament #10: Sept. 28 – Oct. 12
- PGL CS2 Tournament #11: Oct. 19 – Nov. 2
Further, PGL noted in its announcement that changes to licensing by Valve will allow the company to “organize CS2 Tier 1, non-major tournaments, signaling the end of the era dominated by a few esports organizers who created a monopoly on the Counter-Strike market. This initiative not only introduces a breath of fresh air into the competitive scene but also aligns with PGL’s vision of fostering a more inclusive and varied esports ecosystem.”
These changes mean an increased schedule for Counter-Strike 2 pro teams, as PGL, BLAST, ESL FACEIT Group, and Starladder will all host different events, as noted in this social media post from Complexity Gaming CS GM Graham Pitt:
All this and still no RMR’s. Because players don’t travel enough already 🤪 pic.twitter.com/V5BSD1tbPH
— Graham Pitt (@messioso) April 1, 2024