Oceania regains ESL Pro League qualification spot

On Saturday, December 20, ESL announced a significant U-Turn for the Counter-Strike 2 world, reversing their controversial decision to sever Oceania’s direct connection to the ESL Pro League.

The initial announcement in November, which effectively removed Oceania’s EPL spot for the upcoming ESL Challenger League season, was met with massive backlash from the community.

Players and CS2 fans alike argued that the decision would shut down the region’s growth, which has historically punched above its weight.

ESL ultimately acknowledged the misstep and reversed the change, restoring Oceania’s ESL Pro League qualification spot for the 2026 season and beyond.

“Admittedly, we probably didn’t get it right the first time with changes, and this has led to today’s change,” said Marc Winther, Director of Game Ecosystems for Counter-Strike at ESL FACEIT Group, acknowledging the mistake.

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As confirmed, Oceania will retain a qualification route for ESL Pro League Season 24 through the newly formed Asia-Oceania Regional Finals.

As a result, the qualification process has been expanded significantly.

Previously set to be a four-team Asian bracket, the new Asia-Oceania Regional Final will welcome eight teams, featuring the winners of the Asian Cups and the four champions of the Oceania Cups.

Named ESL Challenger League Season 51 Asia-Pacific, the online tournament will kick off on May 25 and conclude on May 28.

The qualifications will use a single-elimination bracket, with all matches played best-of-three, except for the grand finals, where the top two teams will battle for an ESL Pro League S24 invite in a best-of-five series.

The Asia and Oceania Cups will be held from February to May, both on the same dates.

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ESL Challenger League Season 51 Cup Dates

• Oceanic/Asia Cup #1 – February 17-24
• Oceanic/Asia Cup #2 – March 20-27
• Oceanic/Asia Cup #3 – April 2-9
• Oceanic/Asia Cup #4 – April 26 – May 3

Asia-Oceania Regional Final Information

• Eight CS2 teams (4 Asia + 4 Oceania)
• Single-elimination bracket
• All matches except for the grand final are best-of-three
• Grand final is best-of-five
• Winners secure invite to ESL Pro League Season 24