ESL has also announced their 2026 Winter Championship in Poland, which will feature a $1.25 million prize pool, with 24 of the top teams from the Valve Ranking System (VRS) competing on LAN. Notably, ESL has not named this tournament IEM Katowice, a departure from tradition. ESL’s Director of Game Ecosystems for Counter-Strike, Marc Winther, explained that “we usually only announce the exact city and venue until closer to the event, however in order to be compliant with the new requirements as set out by Valve, we’re releasing the country now which should be seen as the minimum requirement”.
For 2027, ESL plans to maintain its familiar schedule with seven major events. Meanwhile BLAST will host six tournaments in 2027, including Bounty and Open events. The first Bounty tournament is scheduled for January 12-24, overlapping with a PGL event (January 13-25), marking a rare schedule conflict for teams and fans.
Valve’s new guidelines, which require tournament organizers to announce their schedule 24 months in advance, have made scheduling more transparent but also more challenging. The increased number of tournaments has led to overlapping events. This marks a shift from previous years when organizers often coordinated to avoid such conflicts.

With other major players like StarLadder and PGL expanding their presence in the scene, scheduling clashes may become more common as the Counter-Strike ecosystem continues to grow.
The tournament schedule for 2027 is currently outlined as follows:
January
February - March
March - May
August - October
October - December
One of the most popular loyalty features on the platform is the KeyDrop Daily Case, which gives users the opportunity to obtain skins, gold, or account balance every day without making a direct purchase. But the system is controlled by particular XP levels, cooldown timers, and verification procedures; it's not just a "click and win" button.
This guide covers how the Daily Case system operates, why your case could be locked, and how to get the most out of your prizes as you advance through the KeyDrop levels.
Many users search for guides explaining how to use Rainbet before creating an account or depositing funds. Rainbet is an online crypto gambling and betting platform that may offer casino games, sportsbook betting, live casino features, and esports betting options depending on the user’s location and account access.
Like many online gambling platforms, Rainbet typically requires users to register an account, complete any required verification steps, and deposit supported funds before accessing betting or gaming features. However, platform availability can vary depending on local gambling laws, regional restrictions, and updates to the platform’s Terms and policies.
Users should also understand that gambling involves financial risk and outcomes are never guaranteed. Before using any online betting platform, it is important to review local regulations, read the latest platform Terms, and only participate with money that can afford to be lost.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Online gambling laws vary by country and may change over time. Users should check local regulations and Rainbet’s latest Terms before using the platform. Gambling involves financial risk. Users should only gamble with money they can afford to lose.