THE ULTIMATE Counter-strike COMPETITION
A global circuit built for Counter-Strike and featuring clear pathways to make it from an amateur to pro, ensuring opportunities for everyone. ESL Pro Tour brings seven live events and more than $11 million up for grabs in total winnings annually.
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China 2026
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About the ESL PRO Tour
The World's best teams
ESL has been at the heart of competitive Counter-Strike since its earliest days, hosting legendary tournaments dating back to the early 2000s.
Today, under the ESL Pro Tour (EPT), ESL continues to shape Counter-Strike’s competitive landscape, delivering an unmatched combination of elite gameplay, unforgettable atmosphere and community driven entertainment.
It is an all-encompassing ecosystem that provides multiple tiers of opportunities to players and teams from across the world, featuring Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Pro League and ESL Challenger League.
Those looking to compete will play for advancement through the ranks with the goal of hoisting the legendary trophy at one of the two annual ESL Pro Tour Championship events.
EPT Championship & Masters winners automatically participate in the EGS
EPT Challengers offers a doorway for aspiring teams to compete on a global stage.
EPT In Detail
EPT Championships
Staples of the Counter-Strike competition for years, the EPT Championship tournament are where legends are made. Held twice a year, featuring a 1,000,000 prize pool and ESL Grand Slam Contribution, 24 teams battle it out in 3 stages - Play-In, Group-Stage and Playoffs - to claim the ultimate glory and stamp their mark in history.
Stage | # OF TEAMS | QUALIFIED VIA |
|---|---|---|
Play-In | 16 | ESL World Ranking, Local Invite |
Group-Stage
| 16 | Play-in, EPT Championship or Masters win, Valve sponsored Major win, ESL World Ranking
|
Playoff
| 6 | Group-Stage -
1st Place in each group directly to Semis
|
EPT Masters
EPT Master tournaments are where teams consistency is put to the test, elite competition where only the world-class or those aspiring to be compete. The goal: Win an EPT Masters trophy and automatically qualify to an EPT Championship. Stopping at all points of the globe and boasting over 2$ Million in prize pool, the tournaments at the EPT Master tier, are divided into two - Intel Extreme Masters & ESL Pro League. IEM offers the traditional tournament format, whilst EPL spans 3 weeks, with a group-stage and Playoff format for 32 teams.
Intel Extreme masters
Stage | # OF TEAMS | QUALIFIED VIA |
|---|---|---|
Group-Stage
| 16 | ESL World Ranking, Local Invite
|
Playoff
| 6 | Group-Stage |
ESL Pro League
Stage | # OF TEAMS | QUALIFIED VIA |
|---|---|---|
Group-Stage
| 8 x 4 Groups (32)
| Regional Qualifiers, EPT Challenger win, ESL World Ranking
|
Playoff
| 16 Teams | Group-Stage
1st Place to Quarter-Finals
2nd Place to Ro12
3rd/4th to Ro16
|
EPT Challenger
EPT Challenger offers an opportunity for teams to compete at a higher level in front of fans around the world. A global footprint that gives qualification to the Masters Level in ESL Pro League and begin many teams' journey to establishing themselves in Counter-Strike. ESL Challenger League being the ultimate opening door for any upcoming players and teams, win throughout the different levels of ESL Challenger League and qualify to ESL Pro League.
Annual Club Incentive
The Annual Club Incentive is a $2.95 million program in 2025 that rewards the top 16 teams based on their tournament participation and viewership impact. Teams earn points from average concurrent viewership during group stages and the number of events attended, with payouts distributed proportionally at year's end. Explore the ESL CS2 Ecosystem Agreement.
$2,950,000
ESL PRO Tour
Nights
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EPT Masters
IEM
Brazil 2026
Nights
EPT Masters
IEM
USA 2026
Nights
EPT Masters
IEM
China 2026
Nights
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Documents
General Rules
General Rules
Game Specific Rules
Roster Restrictions
Participation
Ecosystem Agreement
Team Participation Agreement
Competition Terms and Conditions
*N.B. These documents are applicable to all ESL Pro Tour events, with the exception of Valve-sponsored events for which separate documents will be made available.
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