ESL FACEIT Contributes $22 Million to Counter-Strike’s 25-26 Esports Ecosystem

ESL FACEIT has announced a massive contribution to the world’s premier Counter-Strike 2 circuit through 2025 and 2026. A press release confirmed that a whopping $22 million will be contributed to ‘multiple professional ESL CS2 tournaments’ spanning the two years, with an equal portion of $11 million supporting each competitive calendar.

It’s a stacked schedule that kicks off in January 2025 with IEM Katowice, one of the most renowned tournaments in the world of esports.

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Eager Investment

ESL FACEIT is one of the biggest and most valuable esports organisations in the world. The company’s origins can be traced back to 2000, and in 2022 a merger brought together the two components – ESL and FACEIT. This merger occurred during an acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group, which proved to be a roaring success.

In a recent press release disclosing the news about this multi-million-dollar contribution, ESL FACEIT’s Marc Winther said:

The EPT for Counter-Strike 2 is the definition of EFG’s commitment to fostering a fruitful competitive environment and continually nourishing Counter-Strike’s heritage, as we’ve done since 2000.

With a circuit that spans multiple continents and integrates diverse levels of competition, we are excited to further fuel opportunities for world-class teams and passionate fans alike.

It has been a stunning year for Counter-Strike esports. In the summer, the most-watched IEM Cologne event in history took place with a peak viewer count of more than one million users. We saw the 100th IEM event held in Dallas in the spring, and across 2024, more than 140 million hours of Counter-Strike content were consumed.

CS2 also had a spotlight moment in Brazil as IEM Rio 2024 unfolded. Per a data-backed report from Esports Charts, IEM Rio 2024 was a roaring success thanks to multi-streams and watch parties hosted by popular streamers.

The 2025 calendar is dense. Here’s what fans can look forward to next year in the Counter-Strike space:

• IEM Katowice (Jan – Feb)
• ESL Pro League S21 (Feb – Mar)
• IEM Spring 2025 (Apr)
• IEM Dallas 2025 (May)
• IEM Cologne (Jul – Aug)
• ESL Pro League S22 (Sep – Oct)
• IEM Chengdu 2025 (Nov)

It’s a positive time to become a Counter-Strike 2 esports fan. What tournament are you most looking forward to? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.

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For more Insider Gaming esports, check out the news about the non-professional team that qualified for the BLAST R6 Montreal Major