announcing eml challenger circuit 2026

The T2 EU Circuit in Europe & MENA is coming back this year and has evolved into the new EML Challenger Circuit!

The EML Challenger Circuit will be dedicated to all aspiring professional players and teams in Europe and MENA region as their dedicated path to pro and will include all official tournaments organized by Ubisoft and partnered third parties. 

By competing in EML Challenger Circuit Tournaments, teams will earn their place in the spotlight and earn circuit points: at the end of the competitive season the best teams will receive direct qualification to the circuit playoffs and a change to earn a spot in the advanced stages of the Challenger Finals 2027 (formerly known as Challenger Series), positioning them as front runners for Regional League promotion.   

During the year, circuit points will not just accumulate across our three intense primary tournaments R6 Central Combine, R6 South Breach and R6 North Rainbow Rumble, but can also be earned through partnered secondary tournaments across Europe and MENA.

Once again, more opportunities, more competition, more Siege!

2026 eml challenger circuit overview

• 3 Tournaments - each with a 20,000€ prize pool, starting March 18^th
• End of the season Playoffs - 15,000 € prize pool
• Total Circuit Prize Pool: 75,000€
• Best teams get access to advanced stages of Challenger Finals 2027
• Earn Circuit Points through licensed partner tournaments
• Saudi eLeague teams are now allowed to play & earn circuits points NEW!

discord

Check the official EML Challenger Circuit EU discord for all details, updates and points distribution info!

eml challenger circuit official tournaments

Each primary tournament allows teams to play for a prize pool of 20,000€ per event while also earning the biggest points in the Challenger Circuit.
Win one of these for your best chance of getting that all important spot in Challenger Circuit Playoffs and maybe even heading onto the Challenger Finals 2027!

The first tournament to start this year will be R6 North Rainbow Rumble on March 18^th

Check out the full year timeline:

The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) will host a dedicated tournament later in the competitive year open to all EU and MENA teams to decide the final advanced qualification spot for Challenger Finals 2027. More details will be soon communicated.

r6 north rainbow rumble

Back before you know it Rainbow Rumble Kicks off the new 2026 EML Challenger Circuit as the first primary tournament.

The tournament will take place between March 18th and May 3rd with a €20,000 cash prize and a revamped qualification method mirrored across all Primary Tournaments for a consistent experience.

Join us for more surprise guests, player focused highlights, juicy plays and those all-important circuit points.

tournament format

Rainbow Rumble 2026 takes place across 3 phases:

phase 1: qualifiers

There will be three open qualifiers, connected by a point system with each qualifier awarding points. After all qualifiers have been completed the final standings will be determined by the total points from a team's two best qualifier results. If all three qualifiers have been played the lowest result will not be taken into account.

All qualifiers will be open to players from the EU & MENA region.

qualifiers

• EML Open Qualifier 1: March 18/19th (Sign up)

• EML Open Qualifier 2: March 25/26th (Sign up)

• EML Open Qualifier 3: April 1/2nd (Sign up)

• The top 12 teams based on points will progress to Phase 2

phase 2: group stage

After the qualifiers are complete, the Rumble will be officially underway with a classic group format.

12 Teams will be split into 2 groups of 6 to compete in a round robin format.

The top 2 teams from each group will progress to the Phase 3 Playoffs.

• April 11th: Group Stage Playday 1

• April 11th: Group Stage Playday 2

• April 18th: Group Stage Playday 3

• April 19th: Group Stage Playday 4

• April 25th: Group Stage Playday 5

• April 26th: Group Stage Playday 6

phase 3: playoffs

In the final phase of the tournament, 4 teams will now compete in a double elimination bracket to challenge for Rainbow Rumble Championship Title! All games are Best of 3 with a Best of 5 Grand Final.

• May 1st: Playoffs Day 1

• May 2nd: Playoffs Day 2

• May 3rd: Playoffs Day 3

broadcast

Rainbow Rumble will be broadcasting all the games from the group and playoffs phases from Twitch.tv/Rainbow6 and http://Twitch.tv/Rainbow6Bravo.

Community streams will be encouraged and promoted for the qualifier stages.

In addition, we will also support Watch Parties and alternative language community streams of all phases. Applications for this will open at a later date. Watch our social channels for more details.

To find out more, head to our R6 North Challengermode space and join our R6 North Discord.

eml challenger circuit partner tournaments

On top of our official competitions, Partner Tournaments run by third party tournament organizers will be fully integrated into the Challenger Circuit ecosystem with each tournament earning your Challenger Circuit points, giving players more consistent and varied opportunities to compete. These events will contribute to the broader qualification journey, aligning grassroots and third-party competitions with the official path towards our Regional Leagues.

Want to be a partner for a points-eligible secondary tournament?

• Partnered secondary tournaments will receive additional support from Ubisoft
• Must abide by secondary circuit tournament rules
• Circuit tournaments must take place between March - October 2026
• Must be on PC
• Not all tournaments will be eligible, and Ubisoft will review each tournament to ensure it is the right fit for the circuit.

To apply to become a circuit tournament, organizers can choose the custom license option via the link below and request it under "Relevant Information": https://r6esports.com/tournament-license

Today we are happy to announce the first two partner tournaments that will be part of the circuit in 2026: Gamescom LAN and Gamers Assembly!

gamescom lan 2026

At gamescom lan 2026, the love & passion for gaming come together! For 3 amazing days, the spotlight is on gaming, with everything from tournaments and casual gaming hours to trading card games and the Fighting Games Area, creators, community, brands, and so much more. Join our Rainbow Six tournament, bring your PC, and play on-site!

Use the ticket code "R6" to be seated next to the R6 community.

• Dates : 20- 22. March 2026
• Location : Koelnmesse, Deutz-Mülheimer-Str. 111, Messepl. 1 Halle 2.1 / Tor H, 50679 Köln
• Prizepool : 3,000€
  https://lan.gamescom.global/en

gamers assembly 2026

The Gamers Assembly, France's largest LAN party, brings together thousands of gamers in Poitiers every year. For the past 10 years, it has hosted Rainbow Six competitions in Poitiers. Sign up with your team to get one of the 40 slots available!

• Dates : 4-5 April 2026
• Location : Parc des Expositions, Poitiers, France
• Prizepool : 5,400€

https://ga2026.gamers-assembly.net/billetterie

sign up now!

Ready to rise through the ranks? Prove your skills and earn your spot in the EML Challenger Circuit.

🔗 Register now for R6 North Rainbow Rumble here!

Check for more info around Rainbow Six Esports here: http://www.rainbow6.com/esports and follow us on https://x.com/R6esportsEU
Stay tuned for more announcements concerning the EML Challenger Circuit!