Skyesports has announced it has cancelled its Skyesports Masters 2025 Counter-Strike 2 tournament, along with Tier 1 events planned to take place in 2026.
The Indian esports tournament organiser says the cancellation comes after a change of direction “towards strengthening the Tier 2 and grassroots ecosystem.”
In a social media post, Skyesports revealed that it will no longer host any Tier 1 CS2 events, with its Masters event being the third tournament scrapped this year.
September’s Skyesports Championship and November’s World Tour events were cancelled after the tournament organiser unveiled a revised roadmap ‘to ensure long-term sustainability.’
“Going forward, our focus will shift towards strengthening the Tier 2 and grassroots ecosystem, creating more accessible opportunities for emerging teams and establishing a more sustainable pathway to the Tier 1 ecosystem,” read a statement.
“As part of this renewed direction, we will invest in Tier 2 Counter-Strike 2 tournaments, beginning with the Chennai Esports Global Championship.”
Since expanding into Tier 1 Counter-Strike tournament operations, Skyesports has struggled to establish its footing within the ecosystem. Its Skyesports Championship 2024 event was plagued with technical issues, resulting in BetBoom Team withdrawing from the tournament.
Outside of Counter-Strike, the tournament organiser is known for operating several Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) tournaments, offering aspiring players a path to professional play.
What Next For Skyesports?
With a focus on Tier 2 tournaments, the Chennai Esports Global Championship is the first tournament that Skyesports will operate following the cancellation of its Tier 1 plans.
Backed by the Tamil Nadu Government, the event will see six teams attend the LAN finals to compete for a share of a $50,000 (~£37,281) prize pool.
The six teams competing will be determined by three regional qualifiers taking place across Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. The top two teams from each qualifier will secure a place at the LAN finals, taking place from November 7th to 9th, 2025.
