Stake and StarLadder partner to launch a CS2 circuit

On Monday, January 12, StarLadder announced their partnership with crypto gambling site Stake to launch Stake Ranked, a new Counter-Strike 2 circuit of Tier-2 events.

The newly formed circuit will run throughout 2026 with six tournaments planned, starting with Stake Ranked Ep. 1 in April.

The competitive series will focus mainly on the European region; however, StarLadder stated that they plan to expand to the Americas and Asia in the future.

“Our goal with Stake Ranked is to create a genuine pathway for ambitious teams to progress from Tier 2 to Tier 1 competition. We believe the heart of Counter-Strike lies in the LAN environment, where talent is proven, stories are built, and the community truly connects with the game,” said Akhil Sarin, Chief Marketing Officer of Stake.

“This partnership allows us to deliver professionally managed events that raise the standard of Tier 2 competition, while giving Stake an authentic role in supporting the growth and future of competitive Counter-Strike.”

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While the tournament system is built around the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), the Stake Ranked circuit will remain accessible to all teams, featuring open and closed qualifiers.

The events will culminate in an eight-team final stage, with six teams securing invites based on global VRS and two advancing from the closed qualifiers. Each final will offer a minimum US$100,000 prize pool.

Even though the plans are to host six events throughout the 2026 season, StarLadder have announced the dates of just the first two installments of the Stake Ranked series, scheduled for April and May.

Stake Ranked Tournament Dates

• Stake Ranked Ep.1 – April 1-4
• Stake Ranked Ep.2 – May 27-30
• Stake Ranked Ep.3-6 – TBA

Stake Ranked Tournament Prize Pool

• Champions – $25,000
• Runners-up – $17,500
• 3rd-place – $13,500
• 4th-place – $11,00
• 5th-6th-place – $9,000
• 7th-8th-place – $7,500

Stake Ranked Tournament Format

Open Qualifiers

• Single elimination
• Best-of-three

Closed Qualifiers

• Single elimination
• Best-of-three
• 14 teams invited via VRS
• 2 teams advancing from open qualifiers

Finals

• Six teams invited via VRS
• Two teams from the closed qualifiers
• Double elimination
• Best-of-three

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