In the wake of the highly anticipated launch of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) this week, ESL provides an update on the impact of this new game iteration on its ongoing and upcoming Counter-Strike competitions.
ESL Challenger Jönköping Qualifiers
The qualifiers for the upcoming ESL Challenger competition in Sweden will now be played on CS2 starting from the first match on Tuesday, October 3.
ESL Impact League Season 4
The fourth season of the all-women league will transition to CS2, with the next match scheduled on Wednesday, October 4.
ESL Challenger League Season 46
The online league catering to aspiring, semi-professional, and professional teams will move to CS2 starting from the first match on Thursday, October 5. Rescheduled matches for North America will be announced soon.
ESL Meisterschaft 2023 Season 2
Division 1 and 2 matches will resume on October 12 and 15 respectively, transitioning to CS2 immediately. Stay tuned for updates regarding Divisions 3 to 6 replacements.
ESL ANZ Champs 2023 Season 2
ANZ Main and Champs matches will resume on October 2 and 9 respectively, transitioning to CS2 with immediate effect.
Intel® Extreme Masters Sydney 2023
The upcoming IEM event in Sydney, starting on October 16, will also be played on CS2.
Post IEM Sydney 2023
All ESL Counter-Strike competitions scheduled after IEM Sydney 2023, including Chinese qualifiers for IEM China 2024, ESL Challenger Jönköping, ESL Challenger Atlanta, ESL Impact S4 Finals in Valencia, and the recently announced ESL Pro Tour competitions in 2024, will transition to CS2.
Format Adjustments
In light of the transition, affected tournaments will adapt to an MR12 format. Ongoing competitions like ESL Challenger League Season 46 North America and Asia and ESL Impact League Season 4 will feature a mix of MR15 and MR12 matches. Tiebreakers leading to round differences will be resolved through decider matches.
Additionally, ESL wants to remind the community that ESEA and ESL Impact Cash Cups have already made the switch to CS2, and the game is now available on FACEIT. ESL Pro League Season 18, concluding this Sunday, and ESEA League Season 46, ending on Sunday, October 8, will continue on CS:GO.
