ESL Pro League Brings Back Live Arena Finals, Revealing Katowice, Poland, as One of the Locations for 2026
Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Katowice: ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, announced that the ESL Pro League (EPL) Season 24 Finals are set to take place in the iconic Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland. On October 9-11, 2026, one of the most recognizable venues in esports will welcome fans from Poland and beyond to witness a battle between the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams. This will mark ESL’s commitment to returning EPL’s Playoffs to a live arena environment, delivering an unmatched tournament experience.
The 24th Season of ESL Pro League, the world’s biggest Counter-Strike League, will take place from September 24 to October 11, 2026, with teams competing for $1,000,000 in Total Winnings and the coveted trophy. Playoffs of the season will see the top teams go head-to-head in the Spodek Arena, known for hosting some of the most memorable moments in esports history.
EFG and the city of Katowice share a mutual understanding and intent to extend their partnership, starting with hosting ESL Pro League Season 24 at Katowice’s Spodek Arena.
“For years now, Katowice has been a symbol of global esports, and Spodek – its temple. The return of the ESL Pro League to a format with a live audience and the choice of our city as the host of the finals is a sign of trust and recognition for our long-standing cooperation with ESL FACEIT Group. The city of Katowice strengthens its position as the Counter-Strike history will be written here once again – with the best players and thousands of fans from around the world,” said Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice.
“For over a decade, ESL Pro League has been a cornerstone of competitive Counter-Strike, and we’ve been eager to bring it back in front of a big live audience, as esports is at its best when experienced live in-person,” said Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems – Counter-Strike, at ESL FACEIT Group. “Katowice has been the birthplace of dozens of champions, and Spodek Arena has witnessed countless iconic moments over the years – it’s where Counter-Strike truly took a massive leap. With its storied history and inimitable atmosphere, there’s no better place for our fans to enjoy the thrill of ESL Pro League live.”
The move to a live arena event in Katowice marks ESL Pro League’s return to an arena. Stay tuned for details surrounding the specific location and venue for the ESL Pro League Season 23 Playoffs, which will run on March 13-15, 2026.
The latest iteration with arena playoffs took place in Odense, Denmark, in 2019. Previous host city destinations with a live arena portion also include Montpellier, France, as well as Dallas, USA, and São Paulo, Brazil.
More details about ESL Pro League Season 24 and ticket information will be available at a later date. For more information, follow ESL CS on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
For more general information, check out eslfaceitgroup.com or follow ESL FACEIT Group on LinkedIn.
About ESL FACEIT Group
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) is the leading esports and video game entertainment company dedicated to creating worlds beyond gameplay where players and fans become community. EFG is built on a legacy of world-renowned brands including ESL, FACEIT, DreamHack and DreamHack Sports Games, providing innovative ecosystems for global communities of players, fans and creators around the games they love. Working alongside leading partners, brands and global IPs, EFG operates an unmatched portfolio of live events, digital platforms and developer tools that reach and engage millions of gamers worldwide. For more information visit www.eslfaceitgroup.com.
About ESL
ESL creates a world where everybody can be somebody. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer. The ESL portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, the Snapdragon Pro Series, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL is part of ESL FACEIT Group, the leading esports and video game entertainment company.
