The GSL Team League is back!

The 2026 GSTL will feature five teams made up of some of the best StarCraft II players from Korea and around the world, all competing for the GSTL championship.

The tournament begins on August 18, followed by an online round-robin Main Stage and Playoffs, before concluding with an offline Grand Finals at FreecUp Studio in Seoul on September 27.

With team strategy, player lineups, rivalries, and Ace Matches, GSTL will bring back the unique excitement that only team competition can deliver.

Participating Teams

BASILISK
Serral / Reynor / trigger / RotterdaM08

Shopify Rebellion
ByuN / Scarlett / Harstem / Lambo

T1 | ONSYDE
Maru / Zoun / SHIN / herO

Hwaseung
Cure / sOs / Rogue

NO GG
Classic / Clem / Percival / Solar


Main Stage Format

The Main Stage will be played as a five-team round robin, with every team facing each other once.

Two team matches will be played on each match day, and each team match can consist of up to three rounds.

Round 1 — Proleague Format / Bo5

Both teams must submit their lineups before the match begins.

* The same player may not appear more than once in Sets 1–3.
* From Set 4 onward, a player who appeared in Sets 1–3 may play one additional time.
* Once the outcome of the round has been decided, the remaining sets will not be played.

Round 2 — Winner's League Format / First to 3 Wins

Each team submits its starting player before the round begins.

* The team that loses each game selects its next player.
* The winning player remains and continues to the next game.
* The first team to reach three wins takes the round.

Round 3 — Super Ace Match / Bo1

If the Round Score is tied 1–1 after Rounds 1 and 2, a final Super Ace Match will be played.

A single deciding game will determine the overall winner of the team match.

Main Stage Schedule

August 18

20:00 KST / 13:00 CEST / 07:00 EDT / 04:00 PDT
Hwaseung vs T1 | ONSYDE

23:00 KST / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EDT / 07:00 PDT
Shopify Rebellion vs NO GG

August 25

20:00 KST / 13:00 CEST / 07:00 EDT / 04:00 PDT
BASILISK vs NO GG

23:00 KST / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EDT / 07:00 PDT
Hwaseung vs Shopify Rebellion

August 29

20:00 KST / 13:00 CEST / 07:00 EDT / 04:00 PDT
Shopify Rebellion vs T1 | ONSYDE

23:00 KST / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EDT / 07:00 PDT
Hwaseung vs BASILISK

September 1

20:00 KST / 13:00 CEST / 07:00 EDT / 04:00 PDT
Hwaseung vs NO GG

23:00 KST / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EDT / 07:00 PDT
BASILISK vs T1 | ONSYDE

September 8

20:00 KST / 13:00 CEST / 07:00 EDT / 04:00 PDT
Shopify Rebellion vs BASILISK

23:00 KST / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EDT / 07:00 PDT
NO GG vs T1 | ONSYDE

Main Stage Ranking Rules

Once all Main Stage matches have been completed, the five teams will be ranked based on their results.

The standings will be determined in the following order:

1. Team Match Wins
2. Round Differential
3. Set Differential
4. Head-to-Head Result between tied teams

The final Main Stage standings will determine where each team enters the Playoffs, with higher-ranked teams receiving a stronger starting position.

Playoff Format

Following the Main Stage, the tournament will continue with a step-ladder Playoff format based on the final standings.

Wildcard — September 15
4th Place vs 5th Place

Winner advances ↓

Semi-Playoff — September 19
3rd Place vs Wildcard Winner

Winner advances ↓

Playoff — September 20
2nd Place vs Semi-Playoff Winner

Winner advances ↓

Grand Finals — September 27
1st Place vs Playoff Winner

The 1st-place team from the Main Stage will advance directly to the Grand Finals.

The 2nd-place team will enter at the Playoff stage, while the 3rd-place team will enter at the Semi-Playoff stage.

Playoff Match Format

From the Wildcard through the Playoff, a separate Playoff match format will be used.

Round 1 — Proleague Format / Bo7

Both teams must submit their lineups before the match begins.

* The same player may not appear more than once in Sets 1–3.
* The same player may not appear more than once in Sets 4–6.
* However, a player who appeared in Sets 1–3 may appear one additional time during Sets 4–6.
* Set 7 will be played as an Ace Match.
* The Ace Match player will be selected before Set 7 begins, with no restriction based on previous appearances.

Round 2 — Winner's League Format / Bo7

Round 2 will use the Winner's League format, with each team submitting its starting player before the round begins.

* The team that loses each game selects its next player.
* The winning player remains and continues to the next game.
* Each team may re-use one player who has previously lost, allowing that player to compete one additional time.

With elimination on the line in every Playoff match, lineup decisions and player order will become even more important strategic elements.

Offline Grand Finals

The 2026 GSTL Grand Finals will be held offline at FreakUp Studio in Seoul on September 27.

The team that finishes 1st in the Main Stage and earns a direct spot in the Grand Finals will face the team that survives the Playoffs for the 2026 GSTL championship.

Korean and global broadcast talent will also be on site for the Grand Finals.

Ticket sales are scheduled to open in mid-September. Additional information, including ticket purchase details, will be announced separately.

English Broadcast

The English broadcast for the GSTL Main Stage and Playoffs will be provided by CranKy Ducklings.

Watch live on SOOP:
https://www.sooplive.com/station/crankyducks

Additional broadcasts will also be available through participating players and approved co-streamers throughout the tournament.

2026 GSTL

Five teams.
Some of the best StarCraft II players from Korea and around the world.
A team league format combining Proleague, Winner's League, and Ace Matches.
An online round-robin stage and Playoffs leading to an offline Grand Finals in Seoul.

The 2026 GSTL begins on August 18.

We hope you'll join us as the GSL Team League returns and five teams battle to become the 2026 GSTL champions!

Grand Finals — September 27 at FreecUp Studio