Home News Winner of ESL CSGO Premiership to advance to Mountain Dew League

Winner of ESL CSGO Premiership to advance to Mountain Dew League

ESL has announced that the winners of the UK & Ireland CSGO Premiership will progress to the Mountain Dew League (MDL) – one tier below the ESL Pro League.
Starting with ESEA Season 26, winners of ESL UK’s Prem and also the ESL Mistrzostwa Polski (Poland’s national league) will reach the MDL.
If the team that wins the Prem has already secured a spot in the MDL, then the second-placed team will get the promotion instead.
“This unique partnership provides a clear pathway for CSGO players to progress from amateur ranks to compete on the world stage linking the national leagues to the Pro League through MDL,” ESL said in a statement.
 

“ESL and ESEA have a staunch belief that anyone wishing to play at the top level in esports should be supported, and offered a clear path to make their dream a reality.”
Ulrich Schulze, ESL

 
Then, from Season 27, ESL’s French, Spanish and German leagues will also provide qualification spots to the MDL.
The already-established ESEA League will continue to run alongside this new initiative.
ESL is set to move its European National Championships to be part of ESEA’s system, creating promotion spots up to MDL, the only league that feeds directly into the Pro League.
The news comes after ESL UK announced a similar path to pro in League of Legends last year. The ESL UK & Ireland LoL Premiership winners progress to the EU Challenger Series Qualifiers, for example.
The currently confirmed CSGO promotion slots are as follows:
ESEA Season 26

  • Mountain Dew League will expand from 24 to 27 teams
  • 2 from ESL Major Series
  • 1 from ESL UK (Premiership)
  • 1 from ESL Poland (Mistrzostwa Polski)
  • 4 slots from ESEA Main division

Additionally, VirtusPro will compete in MDL Season 26 after relegation from the Pro League.
ESEA Season 27

  • 1 from ESL Germany (Meisterschaft)
  • 1 from ESL France (Championnat National)
  • 1 from ESL Spain (Masters)
  • 4 from ESEA Main division

“The continued growth of the esports industry relies on the fostering of new talent,” commented Ulrich Schulze, VP of pro gaming at ESL.
“ESL and ESEA have a staunch belief that anyone wishing to play at the top level in esports should be supported, and offered a clear path to make their dream a reality.
“Today’s announcement does just that by uniting ESEA’s leading anticheat, local servers for Europe with ESL’s passionate fan base.”

Sentinels launch ace anime collab with Haikyuu!!
EA Sports have fixed one of the most annoying issues for EA FC 26
Overwatch 2 Persona crossover
Valorant Act 5 schedule
Faker makes surprise appearance in Stray Kids K-pop music video

From breaking news and in-depth match analysis to exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content, we bring you the stories that shape the esports scene.

40k+

Monthly Visitors

100%

User Satisfaction

10+

Years experience