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 4 - Astralis End Seven-Year Trophy Drought

Our Stake Esports partners Astralis have been crowned champions of Stake Ranked Episode 4, lifting their first LAN trophy since the BLAST Pro Series Global Final in December 2019 and ending a near seven-year silverware drought for the iconic Danish organisation. The Episode 4 LAN Finals ran from 1-4 October 2026 in Barcelona, where Astralis mounted one of the most remarkable lower bracket runs in Stake Ranked's short history - opening with a 1-2 defeat to Alliance before stringing together five consecutive series wins over FaZe, BIG, fnatic, Luminosity, and finally Nemiga in a 3-1 Grand Final to claim the $25,000 winner's cheque and the Episode 4 title. Victor "Staehr" Staehr anchored the comeback with a tournament-high 1.41 rating across the Grand Final series, posting a 1.92 rating on Mirage to break Nemiga open on their own map pick. Attention now turns to Stake Ranked Episode 5 from 27-30 October 2026, with live odds and brackets available on the Stake Ranked Finals betting market page once the field is confirmed. with earlier qualifier results still archived on the Stake Ranked EP3 Qualifiers page.

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.