On July 7, 2026, it was announced that ESL had updated its Counter-Strike 2 tournament regulations. The main message is simple: what players say to each other during an official match is no longer considered "internal team business.
Therefore, intra-team communication is now directly covered by the code of conduct, which includes warnings, fines, and other sanctions for violations. Players are now prohibited from insulting, hateful speech, and any discrimination during matches. Punishments will range from warnings and fines to even harsher measures.
At the same time, ESL has also tightened the rules for teams withdrawing from a tournament. If an organization withdraws after accepting an invite or between stages of the competition, they risk losing both the prize money for the current event and even a VRS invite to the next tournament of the same level.
In addition, the withdrawing team is required to cover all expenses, including flights for a new participant, additional expenses for the organizers, and so on. ESL may mitigate some of the sanctions if there is a valid reason, but the withdrawal will still be payable.
