ESL to expand playoffs to eight teams in 2027

Tournament operator ESL announced the return of the eight-team playoff format as the standard for its Counter-Strike 2 events, starting in 2027. All playoff matches will be held with live audience. The changes will take effect at IEM Krakow 2027.

The company also promised to expand its ESL Pro Tour to three additional cities on three different continents by the end of 2027, spanning seven tournaments throughout the year. The Esports World Cup will be the eighth event managed by ESL.

ESL also announced details of its Annual Club Incentive program for next year, allocating $10,450,000 to it. Including Intel Grand Slam, the payout could reach $12,450,000. For comparison, PGL is allocating $11,000,000 for these purposes, while BLAST is allocating $10,000,000.

ESL's CS2 event calendar for 2027 looks as follows:

Origin: x.com