Stake Ranked

Our Esports Commitment

Stake is proud to sponsor and co-organise Stake Ranked, the premier Counter-Strike 2 Tier 2 LAN tournament circuit, launched in partnership with leading esports organiser StarLadder. Stake Ranked represents our continued commitment to the growth, integrity, and future of competitive Counter-Strike 2 - giving rising teams a clear pathway to the highest tier of professional play.

Across six episodes throughout 2026, we're investing over $600,000 in prize money to back the teams shaping the future of the game, with LAN Finals running 1-4 April (Episode 1), 27-30 May (Episode 2), 15-18 July (Episode 3), 1-4 October (Episode 4), 27-30 October (Episode 5), and 17-20 November (Episode 6).

A Competitive League

Stake Ranked operates fully in line with Valve's tournament framework and is integrated with the Global Valve Regional Standings (VRS), with invitations and seeding determined by VRS rankings to ensure transparency and competitive integrity at every stage. Each episode runs through three stages: Open Qualifiers on FACEIT, a 16-team Closed Qualifier (14 VRS invitees plus two Open Qualifier winners), and an 8-team LAN Finals played out in a double-elimination, best-of-three format in Europe's Schengen region.

Every event offers a minimum $100,000 prize pool that breaks down to $25,000 for the champion, $17,500 for the runner-up, $13,500 for third, $11,000 for fourth, $9,000 each for fifth and sixth, and $7,500 each for seventh and eighth - alongside meaningful VRS points awarded all the way down the bracket that feed directly into Valve Major qualification.

Stake Ranked Episode 3 - Closed Qualifier Underway

Following Ninjas in Pyjamas' grand final triumph over magic at Episode 2 in Barcelona, the road to Stake Ranked Episode 3 begins with the Closed Qualifier from 18-21 June 2026, hosted online via FACEIT. Sixteen teams battle through a Single Elimination, Best-of-Three gauntlet for the final two slots at the LAN Finals - joining six Global VRS invitees already locked in: G2, paiN, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Wildcard, 3DMAX, and HEROIC. The 16-team Closed Qualifier field is made up of 10 VRS-invited sides, two returning Episode 2 performers (Walczaki and BET-M), and four graduates from the Open Qualifier (Phantom Esports, Team Spirit Academy, SHISHKA, and Noir Verse). Full brackets, match schedules, and live odds for the Closed Qualifier are available now on the Stake Ranked EP3 Qualifiers page, with LAN Finals markets going live on the Stake Ranked EP3 Finals page from 15-18 July.

Bet on Every Stage of the Action

Watch aspiring CS2 teams battle it out live with free streams and real-time odds on Stake Sportsbook, and explore the full range of markets across every Stake Ranked match and the wider CS2 calendar. Sharpening your picks? Our CS2 Stake Ranked predictions break down every episode stage by stage, while our Esports betting guide, how to bet on CS2 walkthrough, and FPS terminology explained cheat sheet have you covered whether you're new to esports or a seasoned punter. For everything else across the scene, our esports blog tracks news, previews, and results as they happen.