Esports events calendar 2026: Every major esports tournament

Whilst esports is often referred to as a singular entity, it is a vast industry comprised of several games, teams, companies and tournament organisers.

Every month, some of the biggest competitive titles are celebrated with the world’s best players competing in front of fans across studios, arenas and, in some cases, stadiums, to be crowned champion. However, due to the enormity of the ecosystem, it can be quite difficult to keep track of esports events.

To help showcase and navigate the 2026 esports calendar, Esports Insider has created a month-by-month list of major events taking place throughout the year. This ranges from significant regional showdowns to mainstream World Championships across games such as League of Legends, VALORANT, CS2, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and many more.

This list will be updated periodically as more major esports events and dates are announced. First published: 16/01/26.

The 2026 calendar commences with arguably one of the most popular esports tournaments of the year, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s M7 World Championship. January also marks the start for League of Legends and VALORANT’s 2026 season, with Riot Games’ tier-one regional leagues commencing.

Despite the year just underway, Apex Legends will also crown its world champion, with the ALGS Championship taking place in Japan.

February 2026 is undoubtedly headlined by the Six Invitational, as the world’s best Rainbow Six Siege X teams head to Paris to claim one of esports’ most iconic trophies. In terms of international competitions, VALORANT, CS2, Dota 2 and Rocket League will also host notable LAN events that will take place across the Americas and Europe.

March 2026 sees the UK and Japan take centre stage, with both countries holding notable esports events for multiple titles. Starting with Japan, the country will be hosting three FGC events across Street Fighter 6 and Virtua Fighter 5.

Meanwhile, Dota 2’s ESL One tournament series will head to Birmingham, UK, alongside the Call of Duty League 2026: Stage 2 Major. Other notable events in March include League of Legends’ first international event, First Stand.

In April 2026, League of Legends’ esports ecosystem continues with the start of the Regular Season following First Stand. Meanwhile, Age of Empires II’s biggest esports event, Red Bull Wololo, heads to London to crown the world champion.

Four CS2 events will also occur in April 2026, including IEM Rio and PGL Bucharest. Finally, Fortnite will host its first Major of the 2026 season.

Following Fortnite’s first Major, the game’s first international LAN event, the FNCS Major 1 Summit 2026, will take place in May. The FGC will once again be showcased at Evo Japan 2026, whilst Rocket League heads to France for the RLCS Paris Major.

June 2026 will kick off with one of esports’ most prestigious events, a CS2 Major. This year, the first Major of the year will be held by ESL, upgrading its IEM Cologne event to Major status as a result.

Not to be out-matched, June will also feature major international tournaments for League of Legends and VALORANT, which will be hosting its MSI 2026 and Masters London 2026, respectively. Moreover, Evo’s biggest FGC event in the US will occur in June 2026, alongside the PUBG Nations Cup and Call of Duty League’s fourth Major.

July 2026 signifies the start of the Esports World Cup, a multi-title esports competition that features a wide array of games. In the US, a Call of Duty world champion will also be crowned this month via the Call of Duty League Championship 2026.

Alongside the continuation of the Esports World Cup, Dota 2 will host its biggest event of the year in China, the International 2026. Other esports events that have already been scheduled include the Overwatch World Cup in the US, as well as Marvel Rivals’ first international esports event of the year, the Mid Season Finals.

Whilst little has been announced for September 2026 so far, the month is undoubtedly headlined by two massive competitions. Both Rocket League and VALORANT fans will witness the crowning of new world champions at the RLCS 2026 World Championship and VALORANT Champions 2026.

Scheduled to take place in October 2026, the League of Legends World Championship is not only the crowning moment of the MOBA title’s esports scene, but it is often seen as the pinnacle of esports from a mainstream perspective. Whilst not as popular in the Western World, the record-breaking King Pro League Grand Finals for Honor of Kings is also expected to occur in October.

November 2026 spells the end of Marvel Rivals, Fortnite and PUBG Mobile’s esports season, with each title hosting events to crown world champions. Counter-Strike 2’s second, and final, Major of the year will also take place in Singapore, organised by PGL.

To round off the year, the only significant event that has been announced for December is the PUBG Global Championship 2026. However, expect more events to be added in the near future.