StarLadder announces LAN tournament series for tier 2 teams

Tournament operator StarLadder has announced the launch of a new tier 2 tournament series, with six events planned for 2026. The competition will focus on the European region, but the organizers noted that expanding to the Americas and Asia is a future goal.

Each of the six tournaments will begin with an open qualifier. The first will be held from February 21st to 22nd, where participants will compete for two slots in the closed qualifier. The closed qualifier will also be held online, featuring 16 squads, and the first stage will take place from March 4th to 8th.

Each tournament will culminate in an 8-team LAN final: six rosters will receive direct invites based on Valve's ranking, while the remaining two squads will advance to the competition through the closed qualifier.

Stake Ranked Ep. Stake Ranked Ep. 1 will run from April 1st to 4th, while Stake Ranked Ep. 2 will run from May 27th to 30th. LAN finals will be held in European capitals to be announced later. Both events will feature a $100,000 prize pool.

Origin: x.com