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As the 2026 season draws closer, ESL has released a massive rundown of everything players and fans can expect from next year’s ESL Pro Tour Counter-Strike 2 qualifiers. The upcoming season will bring regional qualifiers as usual, but also a significant new addition, global qualifiers designed to reduce travel fatigue and open opportunities to more teams worldwide.

Alongside the schedule, ESL confirmed a new wave of integrity measures, including mandatory two-camera setups and FACEIT Verification for all players entering online qualifiers.

Here is everything you need to know.

Global Qualifiers Arrive in 2026

ESL will introduce global qualifiers for all three major ESL Pro Tour CS2 events taking place in 2026: IEM Brazil, IEM Atlanta, and IEM China.

Global qualifiers will run on European servers but remain open to every region, giving more teams access to high-level competition without the heavy travel load that regional circuits sometimes require.

Each event will still have a region-specific qualifier running in parallel, ensuring teams can compete locally if they prefer.

IEM Brazil 2026 Qualifiers

Global Qualifier

Open Qualifier: January 16 to 17
Closed Qualifier: January 21 to 23

  • Open: Single elimination, all matches best-of-one except deciders which are best-of-three
  • Matches begin at 18:00 CET on European FACEIT servers
  • Top four teams advance to the Closed Qualifier

Closed Qualifier Format:

  • 16 teams compete, with 12 invited by VRS rankings (positions 12 to 23)
  • Double-elimination bracket, all matches best-of-three
  • Two teams qualify for IEM Brazil 2026
  • Match days split into morning, afternoon, and evening blocks across three days
  • All matches played on European ESL servers in Amsterdam and Germany

Americas Qualifier

Open Qualifier: January 16 to 17
Closed Qualifier: January 21 to 23

  • Open follows the same single-elimination structure, with matches starting 18:00 BRT
  • Top four teams reach the Closed Qualifier
  • Eight teams compete in the Closed Qualifier, with one earning a spot at IEM Brazil
  • Played on ESL’s São Paulo servers

IEM Atlanta 2026 Qualifiers

Global Qualifier

Open Qualifier: February 7 to 8
Closed Qualifier: February 10 to 12

  • Same structure as Brazil
  • All matches played online on European FACEIT and ESL servers

Americas Qualifier

Open Qualifier: February 7 to 8
Closed Qualifier: February 10 to 12

  • Matches played on North American FACEIT servers
  • Closed Qualifier takes place on ESL servers in Chicago and Dallas
  • One team qualifies for IEM Atlanta 2026

IEM China 2026 Qualifiers

Global Qualifier

Open Qualifier: August 24 to 25
Closed Qualifier: September 2 to 4

  • 16 teams fight for two slots at IEM China
  • Played online on European servers

Asia Qualifier

Open Qualifier: August 24 to 25
Closed Qualifier: September 2 to 4

  • Matches played on Asian FACEIT servers
  • The Closed Qualifier uses ESL servers in Singapore and Hong Kong
  • One team qualifies for the main event

Stronger Integrity Rules for 2026

With online qualifiers becoming even more important next year, ESL is rolling out stricter integrity systems to ensure fair play across all EPT competitions.

Two cameras per player

Players must now run two cameras during matches:

  • One showing their in-game screen
  • One showing their entire play environment

This is intended to provide better visibility and prevent any off-screen interference.

Mandatory FACEIT Verification

All players must complete FACEIT Verification before their team is allowed to check in. Verification will apply to both global and regional qualifiers.

ESL says these changes are a direct response to community feedback, reinforcing that maintaining competitive integrity remains their top priority.

What’s Next

Sign-ups for all open qualifiers will be announced closer to each event date. ESL also confirmed that the updated ESL Pro Tour rulebook, reflecting these new integrity rules, will be published by the end of the year.

Teams and fans can stay updated by following ESLCS across social media or subscribing to the official EPT newsletter.