Stake and StarLadder Launch New Tier 2 CS2 Event Series

CS2 Writer

Publish Date: January 14, 2026

Stake and StarLadder launch tier two CS2 LAN tournament series

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

Vitality lift the StarLadder Budapest Major trophy

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.