Esports Tournaments September 2026: The Complete Calendar
Beth Davies
September 2026 is a League of Legends month first and an everything-else month second. LEC, CBLOL and the LPL Regional Finals all hand out Worlds 2026 qualification spots within a three-week stretch, Valorant Champions kicks off in Shanghai, and Dota 2 gets two of its biggest events of the year back to back with PGL Wallachia Season 9 and BLAST Slam VIII. CS2 fills in every gap in between with a genuinely packed qualifier circuit feeding into PGL Masters Bucharest. Here's the full schedule.
The Headline Events This Month
Five tournaments stand above the rest of the September 2026 esports calendar, either for what's at stake or for the scale of the event itself.
Valorant Champions 2026 (24 September to 18 October, Shanghai)
The biggest event on this month's calendar by prize pool. Sixteen teams, four from each region, play GSL-style groups into a double-elimination bracket for a $2.25 million purse, with $1,000,000 going to the champion. EDward Gaming compete on home soil as defending champions, Paper Rex are chasing a first world title after two near-misses, and NRG will try to defend the crown they won in 2025.
PGL Wallachia Season 9 (17 to 27 September, Bucharest)
Dota 2's flagship autumn event returns to Bucharest with 16 teams, a two-stage group-to-playoff format, and a $1,000,000 prize pool split $300,000 to first and $175,000 to second. Wallachia has built a reputation as one of the most competitive stops on the Dota calendar outside The International, and Season 9 lands right in the middle of a stacked September.
BLAST Slam VIII (29 September to 11 October, Malta)
Dota 2's second major event of the month starts the day after Wallachia wraps. Sixteen teams play through group stages, seeding matches and a Last Chance bracket before playoffs at BLAST Arena Studios, for a $750,000 prize pool topped by a $200,000 first prize. Back-to-back Dota majors in the same fortnight is a rare stretch, and it gives bettors and operators a genuinely continuous run of high-stakes Dota data to work with.
LEC, CBLOL and LPL: Three Regions, Three Roads to Worlds
League of Legends dominates the middle of the month on stakes alone. LEC 2026 Summer Playoffs (from 5 September) sends its top three finishers to Worlds 2026 through a six-team double-elimination bracket. CBLOL 2026 Split 2 Playoffs (also from 5 September) crowns a Worlds qualifier in São Paulo through its own six-team double-elimination bracket. And the LPL 2026 Regional Finals (17 September) settle China's remaining Worlds slots among the teams who didn't qualify directly out of the LPL playoffs. Three different regions, three different formats, all converging on the same prize.
FISSURE Playground #5 (8 to 13 September, Shenzhen)
CS2's biggest September stop outside the Bucharest qualifier circuit. Sixteen teams, largely seeded from the August VRS Global rankings with one qualifier spot, compete for a $450,000 prize pool in Shenzhen, China.
Full September 2026 Esports Tournament Schedule
League of Legends
| Tournament | Tier | Dates | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| LES 2026 Final Four | C | 1 Sep | - |
| Road Of Legends 2026 Summer Playoffs | C | 1 Sep | - |
| LEC 2026 Summer Playoffs | A | From 5 Sep | - |
| CBLOL 2026 Split 2 Playoffs | A | 5 Sep – 10 Oct | - |
| VCS 2026 Finals Stage 1 | D | 11 Sep | - |
| LPL 2026 Regional Finals | A | 17 Sep | - |
| VCS 2026 Finals Stage 2 | D | 24 Sep | - |
Dota 2
| Tournament | Tier | Dates | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLAST Slam IX Closed Qualifiers (SEA, EU, China) | C | 12–20 Sep | - |
| PGL Wallachia Season 9 | A | 17–27 Sep | $1,000,000 |
| BLAST Slam VIII | A | 29 Sep – 11 Oct | $750,000 |
Valorant
| Tournament | Tier | Dates | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valorant Champions 2026 | S | 24 Sep – 18 Oct | $2,250,000 |
Counter-Strike 2
| Tournament | Tier | Dates | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCT Europe 2026 Series #8 | C | 2–14 Sep | - |
| Intel Extreme Masters Beijing: Qualifiers | C/D | 2–4 Sep | - |
| PGL Masters Bucharest: Open Qualifiers #1 | D | 3–4 Sep | - |
| Stake Ranked Episode 4: Closed Qualifier | C | 3–6 Sep | - |
| FiReCONTER 2026: Season 4 | D | 3–6 Sep | - |
| PGL Masters Bucharest: Open Qualifiers #2 | D | 5–6 Sep | - |
| Exort Fiesta Series 2: Closed Qualifier | D | 5–10 Sep | - |
| CCT Europe 2026 Contenders #9 | D | 5–13 Sep | - |
| CCT Europe 2026 Challengers #6 | D | 5–13 Sep | - |
| ESL Challenger League S52: Europe Cup #6 | C | 6–8 Sep | - |
| NODWIN Clutch Series #12 Play-In | D | 7–13 Sep | - |
| 1win Private Club #1: Closed Qualifier | C | 7–10 Sep | - |
| FISSURE Playground #5 | A | 8–13 Sep | $450,000 |
| PGL Masters Bucharest: Regional Qualifiers (East Asia, West Asia, Oceania) | D | 9–10 Sep | - |
| CCT Europe 2026 Series #9 Play-In | D | 9–14 Sep | - |
| Thunderpick World Championship: Closed Qualifier | B | 9–13 Sep | - |
| PGL Masters Bucharest: SA/NA/EU Qualifiers | C | 9–13 Sep | - |
| Roman Imperium Cup VIII | C | 10–13 Sep | - |
| Exort Fiesta Series 2 | D | 11–23 Sep | - |
| CCT South America 2026 Challengers #3 | D | 12–20 Sep | - |
| European Pro League Series 10 | C | 12–30 Sep | - |
| PGL Masters Bucharest: Asian Qualifier | D | 13 Sep | - |
| Stake Ranked Episode 5: Open Qualifier | D | 14–15 Sep | - |
| NODWIN Clutch Series #12 | D | 15–28 Sep | - |
| CCT Europe 2026 Series #9 | C | 15–27 Sep | - |
| Logitech G Connect 2026 | C | 17–23 Sep | - |
| StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 | A | 17–20 Sep | $500,000 |
| Stake Pulse Beat II | C | 21–26 Sep | - |
| ESL Challenger League S52: Asia/Oceania/SA/NA Cups #2 | C/D | 22–29 Sep | - |
| ESEA Season 58: European Finals | D | 22–27 Sep | - |
| ESL Challenger League S52: Europe Cup #7 | C | 22–24 Sep | - |
| CCT South America 2026 Series #6 | C | 22 Sep – 4 Oct | - |
| CCT Europe 2026 Series #10 Play-In | D | 22–27 Sep | - |
| CyberClash Season 1 | D | 23 Sep – 4 Oct | - |
| Leon.bet Masters Season 1 | C | 24–27 Sep | - |
| Stake Ranked Episode 5: Closed Qualifier | C | 24–27 Sep | - |
| 1win Private Club #1 | B | 25–28 Sep | - |
| iBUYPOWER Masters fl0m's Mythical LAN 2026 | C | 25–27 Sep | - |
What Makes September 2026 Different
Most months hand one region its Worlds qualification moment. September 2026 hands three regions theirs within the same fortnight, while Dota 2 runs two majors back to back and Valorant opens its own world championship. For operators and bettors, that means an unusually dense run of high-stakes, high-volume matches with very little downtime between them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest esports event in September 2026?
Valorant Champions 2026 carries the largest prize pool of the month at $2.25 million, running from 24 September in Shanghai. PGL Wallachia Season 9 and BLAST Slam VIII are the two biggest Dota 2 events, at $1,000,000 and $750,000 respectively.
Which Worlds 2026 qualifiers happen in September?
LEC 2026 Summer Playoffs, CBLOL 2026 Split 2 Playoffs and the LPL 2026 Regional Finals all decide League of Legends Worlds 2026 qualification spots during September, alongside ongoing VCS Finals stages.
Is there a CS2 major in September 2026?
Not directly, but the month runs almost the entire PGL Masters Bucharest qualifier circuit across every region, alongside FISSURE Playground #5 and StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026, both of which carry genuine prize pools and VRS Global ranking points.
Follow the Action with PandaScore
September's schedule spans League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant and Counter-Strike 2, often several at once. PandaScore covers odds and data across all of these titles throughout the month, whether you're an operator building markets around Worlds qualification or a platform tracking the CS2 qualifier grind toward Bucharest.
For odds, data or coverage enquiries, get in touch with our team.
