LoL, VALORANT, CS2, and more... Esports competitions to watch in 2026

2026 has just begun, and it is already time to look ahead to the key esports events to follow this year, from the first-ever Esports Nations Cup to what could be the final season for the current League of Legends and VALORANT formats. The calendar will once again be shaped by major international events, with Worlds returning to the United States, two Counter-Strike Majors, and the first truly large-scale tournaments on 2XKO, Riot Games’ new title.

After years of running with almost the same structure, 2026 could be the last season with leagues that are this closed. The shift is already visible in EMEA, where the LEC will welcome two additional teams for LEC Versus as a special exception. For the first time since 2013, Worlds will be split between two different cities, with the group stage and playoffs in Allen, Texas, and the grand final in New York, while League of Legends will also feature in the Asian Games, a nation-based competition.

After Champions Paris, which ranked among the top three most-watched VALORANT esports events in terms of hours watched, the FPS from Riot Games has confirmed its strong momentum on the competitive side and should continue on that trajectory in 2026. For the first time since the 2023 Lock In, an international event will return to South America, with the first Masters of the year heading to Chile.

The Esports World Cup will once again be one of the landmark events of the esports calendar, both for the number of titles involved and how deeply it is now embedded into existing circuits, with events such as the Mid-Season Cup on Mobile Legends, the World Cup on PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, and EA FC. After three editions of this “World Cup,” the EWC Foundation has announced the creation of the Esports Nations Cup, set to launch in 2026, even if details remain scarce for now, a sort of “Esports Olympics” held once more in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and expected to feature national teams across several games.

For now, Riot Games titles have not been confirmed, but many publishers have already committed to take part, including Tencent (PUBG Mobile), Electronic Arts (Apex Legends, EA FC), Ubisoft (Rainbow Six), Krafton (PUBG, Honor of Kings), Moonton (Mobile Legends), SNK (Fatal Fury), and Chess.com. It will also be a packed year for national-team competitions in general, with the Asian Games featuring, among others, League of Legends, MLBB, Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, and Pokémon Unite.

2026 will, unsurprisingly, be another packed season for CS2, just like previous years. The two Majors will once again stand out as the events to watch, alongside the ESL and BLAST circuits, which will continue to offer multiple stops throughout the year. ESL will host the first Major in the Cathedral of Counter-Strike at IEM Cologne, a first for the organizer since the release of Valve’s latest FPS, while PGL will run the second Major, another first, this time in Singapore at the end of 2026.