CS2 Premier Season 3 end date and Season 4 start date

If you are searching this on January 5, 2026, here is the honest status: Valve has not publicly confirmed an exact end date for Premier Season 3 or an exact start date for Season 4 yet. What we can do is lock in what Valve has done before, then use the most reliable signals to set expectations so you do not get caught with an inactive rating when the season flips.

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Table of Contents

The quick answer

Season 3 end date: Not officially announced as of January 5, 2026.

Season 4 start date: Not officially announced as of January 5, 2026. Multiple community reports and dataminer based rumors suggest an early January window, but treat that as unconfirmed until Valve posts it in game or on official channels.

What happens to Elo in Premier: Historically, Valve has done a short Premier downtime during the season change, then your CS Rating gets recalibrated and you must win 10 Premier matches to show your new rating for the new season. Your prior season performance influences where you land, but you still need the wins to make the rating visible again.

What we know for sure from Valve’s past season switches

Valve’s Season 1 to Season 2 change is the best blueprint we have, because they explained the process clearly.

During the season transition, Valve did a one day Premier downtime and stated your CS Rating would be recalibrated for the new season based on the prior season performance.

At the start of the new season, Valve required players to re establish CS Rating visibility by winning 10 matches.

So, if Season 4 follows the same structure, expect three phases:

Season 3 ends at a specific cutoff time
Premier may be temporarily locked
Season 4 begins, and you need 10 wins to show your new CSR

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Season 3 timeline so far

Valve announced Premier Season 3 began on July 16, 2025, along with the Season 3 medal grind details.

To be eligible for the Season 3 Premier medal, Valve stated you need an account in good standing, 25 Premier wins, and an active CSR at the end of the season.

That last part is the trap: active CSR at season end. If your rating is hidden due to inactivity when the cutoff hits, you risk missing the medal even if you have the wins, depending on how Valve enforces it that season. Community reminders around Season 2 highlighted the same idea: keep your rating visible at the cutoff.

Season Two of Premier ends on July 14th.

To receive your Premier Season Two Medal, you must have 25 Season Two Premier wins and a visible CSR when the Season concludes.
— CS2 (@CounterStrike) July 1, 2025

When does Season 3 end and Season 4 start

As of January 5, 2026, there is no official Valve date posted publicly that definitively says “Season 3 ends on X” and “Season 4 begins on Y.”

What exists right now is informed expectation:
Some reports point to “not before the first week of January” due to Valve’s typical holiday slowdown, then a likely bigger update window after that.

Some dataminer driven rumor coverage suggests a Season 4 start around January 7 to 8, 2026, but again, treat this as unconfirmed until Valve posts it.

And we have a historical anchor: the Season 1 to Season 2 seasonal switch landed in late January 2025, showing Valve is comfortable flipping seasons later in the month too.

Practical expectation window

If you want the safest planning window without guessing a single day, assume Season 3 could end any time from early January through late January 2026, with Season 4 beginning immediately after a short downtime. That is consistent with the rumor cycle plus Valve’s past timing patterns.

What happens to Elo in CS2 Premier when a new season starts

Here is how it has worked when Valve explicitly described the process:

Premier downtime may happen during the season change, and your rating gets recalibrated for the new season based on your previous season performance.

Your visible CSR does not simply carry over as is. At the start of the new season, you must win 10 Premier matches to re establish your CS Rating for that season.

What this means in real terms:
Your Season 3 number is not your Season 4 number
You will have an early Season 4 grind where you play while uncalibrated or without a visible rating
Those first matches matter more than people think, because your recalibration and early matchmaking confidence are being built at the same time

A simple checklist so your rating and medal are safe

Make sure you already have 25 Premier wins this season if you care about the medal eligibility.
Play at least one Premier match every so often so your CSR stays visible around the season cutoff
The moment Season 4 begins, aim to finish your 10 wins quickly so you get your CSR back and can start climbing with a visible number.