Whilst esports is often referred to as a singular entity, it is a vast industry comprised of several games, teams, companies and tournament organisers.
Every month, some of the biggest competitive titles are celebrated with the world’s best players competing in front of fans across studios, arenas and, in some cases, stadiums, to be crowned champion. However, due to the enormity of the ecosystem, it can be quite difficult to keep track of esports events.
To help showcase and navigate the 2026 esports calendar, Esports Insider has created a month-by-month list of major events taking place throughout the year. This ranges from significant regional showdowns to mainstream World Championships across games such as League of Legends, VALORANT, CS2, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and many more.
This list will be updated periodically as more major esports events and dates are announced. First published: 16/01/26.
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January
The 2026 calendar commences with arguably one of the most popular esports tournaments of the year, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s M7 World Championship. January also marks the start for League of Legends and VALORANT’s 2026 season, with Riot Games’ tier-one regional leagues commencing.
Despite the year just underway, Apex Legends will also crown its world champion, with the ALGS Championship taking place in Japan.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| M7 World Championship | MLBB | January 3rd – 25th | Indonesia |
| LCK Cup 2026 | League of Legends | January 14th – March 1st | South Korea |
| LPL 2026 Split 1 | League of Legends | January 14th – March 1st | China |
| King Pro League Spring 2026 | Honor of Kings | January 14th – April 11th | China |
| ALGS: 2026 Championship | Apex Legends | January 15th – 18th | Japan |
| VCT 2026: Americas Kickoff | VALORANT | January 15th – February 15th | US |
| LCP 2026 Split 1 | League of Legends | January 16th – March 1st | Taiwan |
| LEC Versus 2026 | League of Legends | January 17th – March 1st | Germany |
| CBLOL Cup 2026 | League of Legends | January 17th – February 28th | Brazil |
| VCT 2026: EMEA Kickoff | VALORANT | January 20th – February 15th | Germany |
| VCT 2026: China Kickoff | VALORANT | January 22nd – February 9th | China |
| VCT 2026: Pacific Kickoff | VALORANT | January 22nd – February 15th | South Korea |
| BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 | CS2 | January 22nd – 25th | Malta |
| LCS 2026 Lock-In | League of Legends | January 24th – March 1st | US |
| IEM Kraków 2026 | CS2 | January 28th – February 8th | Poland |
| CDL 2026: Stage 1 Major | Call of Duty | January 29th – February 1st | US |
| Frosty Faustings XVIII | FGC | January 29th – February 1st | US |
| Tekken World Tour Finals 2025 | Tekken 8 | January 30th – February 1st | Sweden |
| KIS Season 4 | Honor of Kings | January 31st – February 8th | Indonesia |
February

February 2026 is undoubtedly headlined by the Six Invitational, as the world’s best Rainbow Six Siege X teams head to Paris to claim one of esports’ most iconic trophies. In terms of international competitions, VALORANT, CS2, Dota 2 and Rocket League will also host notable LAN events that will take place across the Americas and Europe.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| Six Invitational 2026 | Rainbow Six Siege | February 2nd – 15th | France |
| BLAST Slam VI | Dota 2 | February 3rd – 15th | Malta |
| PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 | CS2 | February 9th – 22nd | Romania |
| VCT 2026: EMEA Clash | VALORANT | February 16th – 26th | TBA |
| DreamLeague Season 28 | Dota 2 | February 16th – March 1st | Online |
| RLCS 2026: Boston Major | Rocket League | February 19th – 22nd | US |
| Masters Santiago 2026 | VALORANT | February 28th – March 15th | Chile |
March

March 2026 sees the UK and Japan take centre stage, with both countries holding notable esports events for multiple titles. Starting with Japan, the country will be hosting three FGC events across Street Fighter 6 and Virtua Fighter 5.
Meanwhile, Dota 2’s ESL One tournament series will head to Birmingham, UK, alongside the Call of Duty League 2026: Stage 2 Major. Other notable events in March include the commencement of VALORANT’s VCT Stage 2 across all its International Leagues, as well as League of Legends’ first international event, First Stand.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1 | VALORANT | March – May 2026 | Germany |
| VCT 2026: Americas Stage 1 | VALORANT | March – May 2026 | US |
| VCT 2026: Pacific Stage 1 | VALORANT | March – May 2026 | South Korea |
| VCT 2026: China Stage 1 | VALORANT | March – May 2026 | China |
| Virtua Fighter Open Championship Finals | Virtua Fighter 5 | March 1st | Japan |
| PGL Wallachia Season 7 | Dota 2 | March 5th – 15th | Romania |
| Capcom Cup 12 | Street Fighter 6 | March 11th – 14th | Japan |
| Street Fighter League World Championship 2025 | Street Fighter 6 | March 13th – 15th | Japan |
| ESL Pro League Season 23 | CS2 | March 13th – 15th | Sweden |
| First Stand 2026 | League of Legends | March 16th – 22nd | Brazil |
| BLAST Open Spring 2026 | CS2 | March 18th – 29th | Netherlands, Denmark |
| ESL One Birmingham 2026 | Dota 2 | March 22nd – 29th | UK |
| CDL 2026: Stage 2 Major | Call of Duty | March 27th – 29th | UK |
April

In April 2026, League of Legends’ esports ecosystem continues with the start of the Regular Season following First Stand. Meanwhile, Age of Empires II’s biggest esports event, Red Bull Wololo, heads to London to crown the world champion.
Four CS2 events will also occur in April 2026, including IEM Rio and PGL Bucharest. Finally, Fortnite will host its first Major of the 2026 season.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| LCS Spring 2026 | League of Legends | April – June 2026 | US |
| LEC Spring 2026 | League of Legends | April – June 2026 | Germany |
| LPL Split 2 2026 | League of Legends | April – June 2026 | China |
| CBLOL Split 1 2026 | League of Legends | April – June 2026 | Brazil |
| LCK 2026 Season | League of Legends | April – September 13th | South Korea |
| Red Bull Wololo: Londinium | Age of Empires II | April 1st – 6th | UK |
| PGL Bucharest 2026 | CS2 | April 3rd – 11th | Romania |
| LCP Split 2 2026 | League of Legends | April 4th – June 7th | Taiwan |
| IEM Rio 2026 | CS2 | April 13th – 19th | Brazil |
| PGL Wallachia Season 8 | Dota 2 | April 16th – 26th | Romania |
| FISSURE Playground #3 | CS2 | April 20th – 26th | China |
| 2026 Honor of Kings Challenger Cup | Honor of Kings | April 25th – May 23rd | China |
| FNCS Major 1 Finals | Fortnite | April 25th – 26th | Online |
| BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 | CS2 | April 29th – May 3rd | US |
May

Following Fortnite’s first Major, the game’s first international LAN event, the FNCS Major 1 Summit 2026, will take place in May. The FGC will once again be showcased at Evo Japan 2026, whilst Rocket League heads to France for the RLCS Paris Major.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| FNCS Major 1 Summit 2026 | Fortnite | May 2026 | TBA |
| Brawl Stars Championship 2026: Brawl Cup | Brawl Stars | May 2026 | TBA |
| Evo Japan 2026 | FGC | May 1st – 3rd | Japan |
| PGL Astana 2026 | CS2 | May 7th – 17th | Kazakhstan |
| DreamLeague Season 29 | Dota 2 | May 13th – 24th | Online |
| CDL 2026: Stage 3 Major | Call of Duty | May 15th – 17th | US |
| CS Asia Championships 2026 | CS2 | May 19th – 24th | China |
| RLCS 2026 – Paris Major | Rocket League | May 20th – 24th | France |
| BLAST Slam VII | Dota 2 | May 26th – June 7th | TBA |
June

June 2026 will kick off with one of esports’ most prestigious events, a CS2 Major. This year, the first Major of the year will be held by ESL, upgrading its IEM Cologne event to Major status as a result.
Not to be out-matched, June will also feature major international tournaments for League of Legends and VALORANT, which will be hosting its MSI 2026 and Masters London 2026, respectively. Moreover, Evo’s biggest FGC event in the US will occur in June 2026, alongside the PUBG Nations Cup and Call of Duty League’s fourth Major.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| VCT 2026: Americas Stage 2 | VALORANT | June – September 2026 | US, Brazil |
| VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 2 | VALORANT | June – September 2026 | Germany, Spain |
| VCT 2026: Pacific Stage 2 | VALORANT | June – September 2026 | South Korea |
| VCT 2026: China Stage 2 | VALORANT | June – September 2026 | China |
| King Pro League Summer 2026 | Honor of Kings | June – September 12th | China |
| PUBG Nations Cup 2026 | PUBG | June 2026 | TBA |
| IEM Cologne Major 2026 | CS2 | June 2nd – 21st | Germany |
| Masters London 2026 | VALORANT | June 6th – 21st | UK |
| CDL 2026: Stage 4 Major | Call of Duty | June 25th – 28th | France |
| EVO 2026 | FGC | June 26th – 28th | US |
| MSI 2026 | League of Legends | June 26th – July 12th | South Korea |
July

July 2026 signifies the start of the Esports World Cup, a multi-title esports competition that features a wide array of games. In the US, a Call of Duty world champion will also be crowned this month via the Call of Duty League Championship 2026.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| Esports World Cup 2026 | Apex Legends | July – August 2026 | Saudi Arabia |
| Esports World Cup 2026 | PUBG | July – August 2026 | Saudi Arabia |
| LCS Summer 2026 | League of Legends | July – September 2026 | US |
| LEC Summer 2026 | League of Legends | July – September 2026 | Germany |
| LPL Split 3 2026 | League of Legends | July – September 2026 | China |
| CBLOL Split 2 2026 | League of Legends | July – September 2026 | Brazil |
| Brazilian Dynasty | Age of Empires II | July 1st – 5th | Brazil |
| FISSURE Playground #4 | CS2 | July 13th – 19th | TBA |
| Esports World Cup 2026 | League of Legends | July 13th – 19th | Saudi Arabia |
| Call of Duty League Championship 2026 | Call of Duty | July 16th – 19th | US |
| LCP Split 3 2026 | League of Legends | July 24th – August 30th | Taiwan |
| BLAST Bounty Summer 2026 | CS2 | July 30th – August 2nd | Malta |
August

Alongside the continuation of the Esports World Cup, Dota 2 will host its biggest event of the year in China, the International 2026. Other esports events that have already been scheduled include the Overwatch World Cup in the US, as well as Marvel Rivals’ first international esports event of the year, the Mid Season Finals.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| Overwatch World Cup 2026 | Overwatch 2 | August – September 13th | US |
| Marvel Rivals Ignite 2026: Mid Season Finals | Marvel Rivals | August 2026 | TBA |
| PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026 | PUBG Mobile | August 2026 | Saudi Arabia |
| Esports World Cup 2026 | Rocket League | August 2026 | Saudi Arabia |
| FNCS Major 2 Finals | Fortnite | August 8th – 9th | Online |
| Esports World Cup 2026 | CS2 | August 12th – 23rd | Saudi Arabia |
| The International 2026 | Dota 2 | August 13th – 23rd | China |
| BLAST Open Fall 2026 | CS2 | August 26th – September 6th | Denmark |
September

Whilst little has been announced for September 2026 so far, the month is undoubtedly headlined by two massive competitions. Both Rocket League and VALORANT fans will witness the crowning of new world champions at the RLCS 2026 World Championship and VALORANT Champions 2026.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| FISSURE Playground #5 | CS2 | September 7th – 13th | China |
| RLCS 2026 – World Championship | Rocket League | September 15th – 20th | TBA |
| PGL Wallachia Season 9 | Dota 2 | September 17th – 27th | Romania |
| VALORANT Champions 2026 | VALORANT | September 24th – October 18th | China |
| BLAST Slam VIII | Dota 2 | September 29th – October 11th | TBA |
October

Scheduled to take place in October 2026, the League of Legends World Championship is not only the crowning moment of the MOBA title’s esports scene, but it is often seen as the pinnacle of esports from a mainstream perspective. Whilst not as popular in the Western World, the record-breaking King Pro League Grand Finals for Honor of Kings is also expected to occur in October.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| King Pro League Grand Finals 2026 | Honor of Kings | October – November 14th | China |
| ESL Pro League Season 24 | CS2 | October 3rd – 11th | Poland |
| FNCS Major 3 Finals | Fortnite | October 5th – 6th | Online |
| Thunderpick World Championship 2026 | CS2 | October 14th – 18th | Malta |
| League of Legends World Championship 2026 | League of Legends | October 16th – November 14th | US |
| PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 | CS2 | October 24th – 31st | Romania |
November

November 2026 spells the end of Marvel Rivals, Fortnite and PUBG Mobile’s esports season, with each title hosting events to crown world champions. Counter-Strike 2’s second, and final, Major of the year will also take place in Singapore, organised by PGL.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| Marvel Rivals Ignite 2026: Grand Finals | Marvel Rivals | November 2026 | TBA |
| Fortnite Global Championship | Fortnite | November 2026 | TBA |
| PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2026 | PUBG Mobile | November 2026 | Türkiye |
| IEM China 2026 | CS2 | November 2nd – 8th | China |
| BLAST Rivals Fall 2026 | CS2 | November 11th – 15th | Hong Kong |
| BLAST Slam IX | Dota 2 | November 17th – 29th | TBA |
| PGL Major Singapore 2026 | CS2 | November 25th – December 13th | Singapore |
December
To round off the year, the only significant event that has been announced for December is the PUBG Global Championship 2026. However, expect more events to be added in the near future.
| Name | Game | Date | Location |
| PUBG Global Championship 2026 | PUBG | December 2026 | TBA |
The post Esports events calendar 2026: Every major esports tournament appeared first on Esports Insider.

