Stake and StarLadder Launch New Tier 2 CS2 Event Series

Bruno Sobieraj Published January 14, 2026

StarLadder has partnered up with Stake to launch a brand new CS2 tier two LAN circuit – Stake Ranked.

Thanks to the partnership, StarLadder will host six tier 2 LAN events in 2026, with each one set to take place in a European capital.

Expanding the series to other parts of the world, namely North America or Asia, is something that the organizer is looking to explore in the future.

Stake Ranked Series Structure

The new Stake Ranked circuit is designed to help teams bridge the gap between tier one and tier two, providing a platform to gain VRS points and LAN experience against well-matched opposition.

Each event will consist of an Open Qualifier, a Closed Qualifier, and a LAN Finals stage. Six teams will be invited straight to the LAN Finals, and another 14 teams will be invited to the Closed Qualifier.

Both Qualifier stages will be played in a single-elimination best-of-three format, while the LAN Finals will be played in a double-elimination BO3 format.

Each event will feature at least a $100,000 prize pool per event, which would be allocated like so:

• 1st place – $25,000
• 2nd place – $17,500
• 3rd place – $13,500
• 4th place – $11,000
• 5th-6th place – $9,000 each
• 7th-8th place – $7,500 each

Announced Events

StarLadder change direction from a Major to tier 2. Credit: © StarLadder

While a total of six events are planned for the whole year, two of them have already been officially announced.

Here are all the dates and available information about the upcoming events:

Stake Ranked Ep.1

Open Qualifiers

• Date: February 21st-22nd
• Location: Online (Europe)
• Format: Single Elimination BO3
• Teams: N/A

Closed Qualifier

• Date: March 4th-8th
• Location: Online (Europe)
• Format: Single Elimination BO3
• Teams 16 (14 VRS + 2 OQ)

LAN Finals

• Date: April 1st-4th
• Location: LAN (Europe)
• Format: Double Elimination BO3
• Teams: 8 (6 VRS + 2 CQ)

Stake Ranked Ep.2

LAN Finals

• Date: May 27th-30th
• Location: LAN (Europe)
• Format: Double Elimination BO3
• Teams: 8 (6 VRS + 2 CQ)

Community Reaction and Final Thoughts

The community reaction to the new StarLadder x Stake circuit has been overwhelmingly positive. Some of the positive sentiment was expressed by well-known community members and broadcast talent in the tier two scene, for example, MacMate.

Credit: @MacMate_ on X

CS2 fans appreciate the notion of trying to build stability within the scene and giving out more opportunities to squads just outside the world’s best teams’ conversations.

A stable tier-two circuit is exactly what the CS2 esports scene needs at the moment. The steady flow of events will allow teams to break through the VRS barrier sooner, adding more team variety to the marquee tier-one events.

It’s safe to say that the Stake Ranked circuit will be a net positive for everyone involved.

• Read also: Anubis replaces Train in Active Duty map pool

Feature image credit: © StarLadder