ESL announce dates for 2026 calendar

Last week, ESL revealed its provisional schedule for hosting 2026 Counter-Strike events. More details are expected to be announced in the "near future."

While exact locations and the scale of the events are yet to be determined, fans can at the very least start thinking about planning to attend 2026 ESL events. The dates listed are:

• January 27th - February 8th
• February 23rd - March 16th
• April 12-19
• May 10-17
• September 21st - October 11th
• November 1-8

Based on the ESL schedule for 2025, 2024, and years prior, we can take an educated guess on what a few of these events should be. IEM Katowice has been held during the January/February window for the past few years, so it's likely going to be the first event of 2026 again. ESL Pro League Season 23 is likely the longer event beginning in late February.

The short April and May events are most likely Masters events like IEM Dallas and IEM Chendgu. There's a sizable gap in the 2026 scheduled from the end of May until the end of September, which could easily be filled by a Major.