XinSai Esports cancelled XPL Luoyang 2026, which had been scheduled for October 29 to November 1 at the Luoyang Sports Center Gymnasium, the organizer announced on September 26. XSE attributed the decision to a venue scheduling conflict after a Henan ethnic-minority sports event was moved on short notice. The notice said the original October 16–20 dates for the 10th Traditional Sports Games of Ethnic Minorities of Henan Province had been postponed; XSE said it inspected alternative venues in Luoyang but found none that met its standards for a professional international LAN event. The explanation is the organizer’s account; the posts do not include a separate statement from the local sports authorities.[1]
The cancelled event had been presented as a global open-registration Counter-Strike 2 competition. Dust2.in reported on September 16 that registration had closed the previous day, with an $800 fee, a cap of 22 teams and six high-seeded teams set to bypass the play-in for the LAN playoffs. The 16 lower-seeded entrants were due to compete in an online play-in, with two advancing to an eight-team main event. Those terms made the refund commitment consequential for teams that had paid to enter.[3]
XSE said the cancellation would not affect registered teams’ Valve Regional Standings points and that entry fees would be refunded in full. In a follow-up post on September 27, the organizer said it would process full refunds within 15 working days and asked teams to resubmit payment receipts, payment details, team information and registration timestamps. The posts establish the announced refund policy and timeline, but do not confirm that payments have been returned.[1][2]
The cancellation applies to the Luoyang edition, not the entire XPL series: a separate XPL 2026 event in Guangzhou concluded in July, according to Guangzhou Daily New Flower City. XSE said it would continue coordinating with the Luoyang Sports Bureau on possible future XPL hosting, but its notice named no replacement date or venue. Refund completion and any new Luoyang schedule remain the next verifiable updates.[4][1]
