Hero Esports has officially announced the second edition of the Asian Champions League for Counter-Strike 2, set to take place in May 2026. The regional-tier tournament will feature a $150,000 prize pool and spotlight the growing competitive scene across Asia-Pacific (APAC).
The ACL 2026 will begin with open qualifiers from January to March for teams based in China, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. From there, 11 teams will advance to a closed qualifier hosted in China between April 29th and May 3rd, 2026.
Following the qualifiers, 16 teams will receive direct invitations to the LAN finals based on their rankings in the Asian Valve Regional Standings (VRS). The final event will be held from May 11th to 17th, bringing together some of the region’s top CS2 contenders for a week of high-stakes competition.
The ACL made its debut in May 2025, drawing strong participation from across the region. Chinese team TYLOO took the top spot, winning $100,000 and securing a place at the Esports World Cup.
The inaugural event featured a $300,000 prize pool, double the amount for next year’s edition, raising questions about whether the 2026 tournament will carry similar implications for EWC qualification — a detail Hero Esports has yet to confirm.
