Tournament organiser FISSURE has announced the cancellation of three Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) events, including FISSURE Playground 3 in Shenzhen, China.
The organiser attributed the primary cancellation to an “unrealistic” logistical overlap with IEM Rio 2026. FISSURE Playground 3 was scheduled for April 20–26, while IEM Rio is set to conclude on April 19. Given that travel time from South America to China exceeds 36 hours and involves significant time-zone shifts, FISSURE determined that competing teams would be unable to participate at a professional level.
In addition to the Shenzhen event, FISSURE has scrapped its July events for both 2026 and 2027. The company cited lessons learned from its first “Playground” event in 2025, noting that tournaments held during the official player break do not deliver the “level of competition and spectacle” required for a Tier-1 broadcast.
While FISSURE’s official statement focuses on the physical impossibility of the April travel window, the move also highlights the strict new regulatory environment for CS2. In late 2025, PGL CEO Silviu Stroie publicly claimed that multiple FISSURE events would be stripped of their Tier-1 status for failing to meet Valve’s 10-month notification deadline for tournament details, a requirement for events to be officially ranked and integrated into the global competitive circuit.
By removing these events, FISSURE is recalibrating its long-term roadmap to avoid “dead zones” in the calendar. The organiser emphasized that all other previously announced tournaments will proceed as planned, including a confirmed LAN in Shenzhen in September.
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