Ubisoft and BLAST have unveiled the Rainbow Six Esports competitive calendar for 2026, headlined by the formal integration of the Esport World Cup into the official circuit as a mid-season event. For the first time in R6, the EWC champion will earn a direct invitation to the Six Invitational, elevating the August competition from an external showcase to a core pillar of the season.
The 2026 calendar marks a shift toward continuous, year-long competition, connecting every tier from the Challenger Series through the Six Invitational. The structure eliminates the experimental elements of 2025—including the one-off RE:L0:AD event and regional finals—in favor of a streamlined approach where SI Points drive qualification at every level.
EWC Becomes Official Mid-Season Event in 2026 R6 Calendar
The Esports World Cup’s elevation represents the most significant structural change. While R6 teams have competed at EWC in previous years, the tournament operated outside the official circuit without formal ties to Six Invitational qualification.
Beginning in 2026, EWC will anchor the competitive calendar in August, positioned between two regional stage windows. The winning team will become the first squad of the season to lock in their SI 2026 spot, adding championship-level stakes to the summer competition. Unlike other events, SI Points at EWC will be limited rather than distributed across all placements, with the direct invite serving as the primary prize.
Rainbow Six Siege to use Year-Long Calendar Structure in 2026
The 2026 roadmap establishes consistent competition across all 12 months through seven major beats. The Challenger Series opens the year in February-March with a unified Tier 2 window, providing promotion opportunities for open qualifier teams and relegated Tier 1 squads.
Season Kickoff debuts in April as a new global event for Tier 1 teams, offering early SI Points, qualification slots for the May Major, and prize money. Ubisoft positions the event as a high-stakes opener where strong performances can define a team’s trajectory for the entire season.
The R6 May Major returns to the calendar
Six Majors in May and November bookend the regional competition windows, serving as the largest SI Points milestones on the calendar. The May Major returns after being replaced in 2025 by RE:L0:AD, a one-week event in Rio that did not function as a traditional global Major.
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Regional Stages in June-July and September-October form the backbone of the competitive year, with every placement in league standings now earning SI Points. Regional finals—the separate LAN playoffs that followed each stage in 2025—have been eliminated. Teams will qualify for Majors and accumulate SI Points directly through their regional league performance.
How does the 2026 calendar differ from previous seasons
The 2026 structure represents a departure from both the 2025 experimental approach and the 2024 three-Major system. In 2025, RE:L0:AD served as a May kickoff event rather than a traditional Major, with regional leagues structured around two stages that included separate Stage Finals playoffs.
The 2026 model consolidates these approaches: two Majors, integrated EWC competition, continuous regional play without extra finals stages, and a unified SI Points table that begins with Challenger Series and runs through the November Major.
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Unlike previous years where regional championships and Major victories provided distinct qualification routes, the 2026 system emphasizes consistent performance across the full calendar. The removal of regional finals eliminates bracket reset opportunities where lower-seeded teams could make late runs to international events, placing greater weight on week-to-week consistency in league play.
Additional details about the 2026 season, including specific format breakdowns and prize pool distributions, will be revealed at the Six Invitational 2026 at Paris.
Published: Dec 17, 2025 03:16 pm