CS2 and VALORANT join i74 esports line-up

Insomnia Gaming Festival has announced Counter-Strike 2 and VALORANT as part of its esports tournament line-up for the upcoming Insomnia 74 (i74) event.

The first-person shooter titles are the first of six esports tournaments taking place at the UK-based gaming and esports festival.

Both VALORANT and CS2 tournaments will feature 16 teams competing for a share of a £3,000 prize pool. The event organiser reveals that sign-ups and the ruleset will be revealed at a later date.

For CS2, Insomnia hasn’t revealed whether the tournament is eligible for Valve Regional Standings (VRS) status. If the tournament adheres to Valve’s Tournament Operation Requirements, teams competing can earn points that contribute to their position in the global standings.

VALORANT and Counter-Strike are no strangers to the Insomnia Gaming Festival. In 2024, two tournaments took place with £5,000 prize pools on offer. Insomnia 72 also featured a female VALORANT tournament, with seven teams competing for £9,775 in prize money.

The announcement of the two tournaments marks a return of esports to the festival, following Insomnia’s relaunch in May 2025. Its return sparked mixed reactions from the UK esports and gaming community following controversies related to its previous owner. However, in the following months, it seemingly turned its reputation around, working alongside organisations such as Modern Wolf, AV provider Protec and High Viz Media.

According to Insomnia Gaming Festival’s website, four more esports events will be announced before the event takes place.

From April 30th to May 3rd, 2026, at the Staffordshire County Showground, Insomnia 74 will include a dedicated gaming exhibition in addition to a Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN for gamers to enjoy their favourite titles and compete in esports tournaments.

To boost the event’s infrastructure, Insomnia has joined forces with fellow UK-based event organiser EPIC.LAN to act as its networking provider.

Esports has played a pivotal role at previous Insomnia Gaming Festivals. With new organisers at the helm, it will be interesting to see whether the tournaments run smoothly and how the community reacts.