Dota 2
CS2
Get rdy: Competitive guide for January 16th-22nd
The calendar has flipped, the holidays are over, and competitive gaming is slowly waking back up. This weekend won’t overwhelm the schedule just yet, but the gears are starting to turn.
Counter-Strike 2
While there isn't any competitive games happening just yet there are some qualifiers to check out.
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
The BLAST Bounty series returns to kick off the year, opening with a round of high-stakes qualifiers.
Running from January 13–18, 32 teams will battle through a single-elimination gauntlet for just eight spots at the LAN finals, set for January 22–25 in Malta.
We suggest keeping an eye on NIP vs Liquid taking place on January 15th at 17:00 CET if you've a morbid fascination/fetish for choking. NIP made changes but have the DNA of a team who always bottle it, and Liquid are the worst good team around who consistently underperform and have for like 6 years despite signing great players.
Dota 2
Competitive Dota 2 is in a brief reset phase. The marquee events don’t start until February, which makes January a month of qualifiers with less spectacle, but more pressure for some.
Qualifiers
ESL One Birmingham 2026
ESL One Birmingham 2026 is expected to run from March 22nd-29th.
- WEU Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
- SEA Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
- SA Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
- NA Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
- EEU Open Quals 2 - January 14-15
- EEU Closed Quals - January 16-18
- SEA Closed Quals - January 16-18
- NA Closed Quals - January 16-18
- SA Closed Quals - January 18-20
- WEU Closed Quals - January 18-20
PGL Wallachia Season 7
PGL Wallachia Season 7 is set for March 5-15th with 16 teams competing at the PGL Studio in Bucharest, Romania for a share of the $1,000,000 prize pool.
- WEU Open Qualifiers 1 - January 21-22
- EEU Open Qualifiers 1 - January 21-22
- SEA Open Qualifiers 1 - January 21-22
- Americas Open Qualifiers 1 - January 21-22
FISSURE Universe 8 Play-in
FISSURE Universe 8 is an online event being held in Europe between January 29-February 1st that pits eight teams against each other in a double elimination format with $250,000 stakes.
FISSURE Universe 8 Play-in
Group Stage (January 21 - January 28)
- Four GSL groups of four teams each
- All matches are Bo3
- Top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs
- Remaining teams are eliminated
Playoffs (January 27 - January 28)
- Single-elimination bracket
- All matches are Bo3
- Two teams qualify to the main tournament
Nigma Galaxy, Zero Tenacity, 1W Team, AVULUS, and L1GA Team have already been confirmed for the Play-in.
Regional Affairs
Local and regional fans have some treats on the menu this week.
South America
CCT Season 2: South America Series 2 will take place between January 21-31st. A total of 12 teams will compete online in a modified GSL format/Double Elimination bracket for a slice of the $20,000USD prize. Peru Rejects and Amaru Gaming are sure to pique interest.