ESL announces regional changes to ECL format for 2026

After the conclusion of Season 50, ESL has introduced some refinements to their ESL Challenger League format ahead of Season 51 that will take place next year.

While in Europe division saw an expansion from 32 to 48 teams, and NA reduced its team count from 24 to 16 to prevent forfeits, the key changes brought in Asia-Pacific has affected Oceania primarily.

The slots for Oceania has increased from 8 to 10 in Season 51 to accommodate ESEA League winners. However, the region will no longer connect into ESL Pro League Season 24, meaning there will be no Regional Finals this season. Instead, APAC teams will compete through ECL to earn VRS points.

ESL has also strengthened their integrity measures, increasing their one mandatory camera requirement to two. The two cameras will cover the player and their complete playing environment.