StarLadder has announced the six teams receiving invitations to Stake Ranked Episode 4, with Luminosity and FaZe among the invited sides. The event will feature eight teams in Barcelona, Spain, and its stated total prize pool is US$ 100 thousand.
The remaining two places in the main event will be decided through a closed qualifier in Europe. That qualifier is scheduled for September 3 through 6, while an Open Qualifier on August 29 and 30 will provide four teams for the closed stage.
Stake Ranked Episode 4 is planned for October 1 through 4. The tournament is part of StarLadder’s Stake Ranked circuit for 2026, which is set to have six editions during the year.
The invitation announcement identifies Luminosity and FaZe but does not name the other four invited teams in the supplied report. All six invitations were issued through VRS, according to the event information.
The closed qualifier will begin after the Open Qualifier has supplied four participants. Twelve teams have already been invited directly to the closed qualifier, creating the route through which the final main-event places will be awarded.
Both the qualifier and the main tournament use double-elimination competition. Matches are scheduled as best-of-three series, except for the grand final of the main event, which will be played as a best-of-five.
Qualification route and tournament format
The qualification schedule begins with the Open Qualifier on August 29 and 30. Four teams will advance from that stage into the European closed qualifier, where they will join the twelve invited teams. The closed qualifier then runs from September 3 through 6 and determines the two teams completing the eight-team field in Barcelona.
StarLadder has set the closed qualifier as a double-elimination bracket with best-of-three matches. The same double-elimination structure is planned for Stake Ranked Episode 4 itself. The tournament changes its series length only for the final, where the title match is listed as a best-of-five.
This format means the six VRS invitees, including Luminosity and FaZe, enter directly into the main event. The two qualifier teams will have reached Barcelona through the European qualification process rather than through the invitation allocation.
- Main-event invitations: six teams were invited through VRS, with Luminosity and FaZe specifically identified among them.
- Open Qualifier: scheduled for August 29 and 30, with four teams advancing to the closed qualifier.
- Closed qualifier: scheduled in Europe from September 3 through 6, with twelve invited teams and two main-event places available.
- Main event: scheduled in Barcelona from October 1 through 4, using double elimination and best-of-three matches before a best-of-five grand final.
The event’s stated financial structure includes a US$ 100 thousand total prize pool. The champion is set to receive US$ 25 thousand, in addition to VRS points described in the report as important.
Those VRS points are scheduled to be awarded less than a month before the cutoff for the PGL Singapore Major. The report does not provide a point amount or a breakdown for the other placements, so only the stated champion award and the importance of the VRS points are documented.
Stake Ranked Episode 4 is also not the final event in the circuit calendar. StarLadder has two further Stake Ranked tournaments scheduled after the Barcelona competition, one in late October and another in November.
Barcelona event sits within StarLadder’s 2026 circuit
Stake Ranked Episode 4 belongs to a StarLadder circuit carrying the same name. The organizer plans six Stake Ranked editions across 2026, placing the Barcelona tournament within a wider sequence of events rather than as a standalone competition.
After the October 1 through 4 event, the next listed tournament dates are October 27 through 30. Another Stake Ranked event is then scheduled for November 17 through 20. The supplied information does not identify the locations, participants, prize pools, or formats for those later editions.
For Episode 4, Barcelona is the confirmed host city and Spain is the confirmed host country. The event’s competitive consequence stated in the report is the availability of important VRS points shortly before the PGL Singapore Major cutoff, while the direct cash award identified for the winner is US$ 25 thousand.
| Documented subject | Documented fact |
|---|---|
| Invited teams | Six teams received VRS invitations; Luminosity and FaZe are named among them. |
| Open Qualifier | It runs on August 29 and 30 and sends four teams to the closed qualifier. |
| Closed qualifier | It takes place in Europe from September 3 through 6, with twelve invited teams and two main-event places. |
| Stake Ranked Episode 4 | It is scheduled in Barcelona, Spain, from October 1 through 4. |
| Match format | The closed qualifier and main event use double elimination and best-of-three matches; the grand final is best-of-five. |
Luminosity and FaZe are confirmed among the six VRS invitees for Stake Ranked Episode 4, while two further teams will emerge from the European qualification route. The eight-team tournament is scheduled to take place in Barcelona from October 1 through 4.
The event offers its champion US$ 25 thousand and important VRS points less than a month before the PGL Singapore Major cutoff. It is followed on the 2026 Stake Ranked calendar by events scheduled for October 27 through 30 and November 17 through 20.
Comments