ESL has announced the full schedule and structural changes for the ESL Impact 2025 season, promising exciting updates for fans and teams. The announcement includes key timelines, regional slot allocations and an improved incentive program to support women's Counter-Strike 2.

Seasonal Incentive Program and Total Prizes

ESL will invest 700,000 USD annually to boost the creativity and performance of participating teams. This investment includes:

100,000 USD bonus for the 8 best teams at the Season Finals.

$125,000 for a short video series for the top 6 teams.

$125,000 for a long video series for the top 6 teams.

The goal of this initiative is to improve storytelling and engagement, helping organizations better connect with their fans.

2025 Award Allocation

The total prize pool of 300,000 USD will be divided into two seasons, each season receiving 150,000 USD:

Season finale: 123,000 USD

Rank 1: 50,000 USD

2nd place: 25,000 USD

Rank 3-4: 13,000 USD

Rank 5-6: 7,000 USD

Rank 7-8: 4,000 USD

Online tournament:

Europe: 11,000 USD

North America: 8,000 USD

South America: 8,000 USD

Important timelines of ESL Impact 2025

Season 7:

Open qualifier: January 31 – February 6, 2025

ESL Impact League Season 7: February 26 – April 13, 2025

Global Finals (Dallas): May 23 - 25, 2025

Season 8:

Open qualifier: August 15 – 24, 2025

ESL Impact League Season 8: September 10 – October 26, 2025

Global Final (Stockholm): November 28 - 30, 2025

Rate allocation by region

Based on new guidelines from Valve, regional quotas have been adjusted to ensure all regions have fair representation:

Europe: 4 slots

North America: 2 slots

South America: 2 slots

Adjust format

From season 8, teams will be invited based on Valve Regional Rankings (VRS) combined with Open Qualifiers, ensuring fairness while maintaining global representation.

In season 7, teams still have the opportunity to re-join from season 6, marking a transition period.

What will come next?

The ESL Impact Global Finals in Dallas (Season 7) and Stockholm (Season 8) will bring together the world's top CS2 women's teams competing for a total prize pool of 150,000 USD per season.

As the 2025 tournament system gradually takes shape, ESL Impact continues to affirm its commitment to nurturing talent and elevating women's Counter-Strike to the highest level. Fans can expect intense competition and exciting content throughout the year.