Winning a Major means you’ve made history (joined the legends), and earned a place in Counter-Strike’s legacy. These events bring together the world’s top teams to battle for prestige — prize money, and a place in esports history. CS2 Majors are the highest https://castawaycase.com/metizport-benched-jackinho-while-pursuing-stanislaw-for-an-upcoming-lan/ level of competitive play in the Counter-Strike universe — hosted by Valve. Historically, stickers from certain Majors have appreciated dramatically in value — Katowice 2014 Holo stickers, for example, are among the most valuable items in CS2. Stickers can be applied to weapon skins, traded on the Steam Community Market, or held as investments. During each Major, Valve releases in-game sticker capsules containing team logos and player autograph stickers.
The Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) community has clear preferences for map picks in pro and casual play. It’s the highest placement for a Turkish Counter-Strike roster ever at a tournament of such a level. Not only did they win map 1, but they also held a 6-2 lead on Mirage. The pro community returns for a busy CS2 calendar 2024 after a short break. This stage adds eight CS2 teams with mid-level regional standings. Out of 16 participants, only eight can advance further after a series of Swiss System matches.
In the upcoming closed qualifier, a determination will be made regarding the participants. Nine participants will secure their places in the first stage through the ESL Challenger events. A shorter tournament is not indicated by this relatively small number of participants. Invitations are granted to four teams due to their high standings on the Valve Global leaderboard. Direct invitations to the final brackets are awarded to four additional teams, which also follow a double-elimination format—somewhat atypical and affording the teams another chance.
- The prize pool hits the level of the official Valve-sponsored Majors.
- With Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQs) running from October and invites announced on October 8, the stage is being set following the recent BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 (June 3-22).
- After overcoming The MongolZ with a score of 2-1 (Team Vitality would claim their second Major trophy and subsequently achieve their third by beating FaZe Clan 3-1 at the Budapest Major), marking the inaugural best-of-five grand final in Major history.
- Not only did they win map 1 — but they also held a 6-2 lead on Mirage.
- This relatively small number of participants doesn’t mean a short tournament.
Spring 2025 BLAST Open
There’s more to a CS2 Major than just by watching. The remaining teams qualified to the major via regional qualifiers with slots distributed between the three major regions (Europe, the Americas, and Asia), then split into smaller sub-regions. The final VRS update determining invites was on 6 October 2025, with invites officially being sent on 8 October 2025. Each stage of the tournament was held in front of live audiences — with the first three stages being held at MTK Sportpark and the playoffs held at the MVM Dome. We have dedicated articles for the upcoming CS2 events with various information (including lists of participants), storylines, and results.
All CS:GO & CS2 Major winners over the years
Four participants come from the Valve Global Standings, and four teams will advance from the regional and closed qualifiers. After the double-elimination group brackets — the top six participants advance to the single-elimination Playoffs. Yes, it’s another CS2 esports event in Serbia’s capital city. In addition to the standard set of Valve Global Standings teams — four participants are from regional qualifiers.
Results from Previous CS2 Majors and Premier Tournaments
This shift aims to standardize community events with Majors — as Valve believes a separate qualification process is unnecessary and disruptive. Instead (all 32 teams will be invited directly based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) following the Austin Major), with invites announced on October 8. With Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQs) running from October and invites announced on October 8, the stage is being set following the recent BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 , June 3-22,.
Notable Organizers to Keep an Eye On
- The playoff brackets are solidified during those mid-stage days and showcase numerous matches worthy of rewatching.
- Nonetheless, several of these matches are particularly significant due to the teams’ skill levels and the excitement they generate within the community.
- The next CS2 Major is the IEM Cologne Major 2026, marking the first Major to be held in the Cathedral of Counter-Strike for a decade.
- For Major Championship invites, however, the essential information fans must know is how many teams from each region earn spots in specific stages.
- CS2 tournaments of this level are the most exciting esports events of the yearly schedule.
They don’t say it’s impossible to hold it outside prime time. Here’s the full list of teams qualified for both Elimination and Opening Stages. Stage 3 featured eight teams qualified from Stage 2 and eight teams directly invited based on their Valve Regional Standing competing in a Swiss-system bracket. Stage 2 featured eight teams qualified from Stage 1 and eight teams directly invited based on their Valve Regional Standing competing in a Swiss-system bracket. Stage 1 featured sixteen teams qualified from the Major Regional Qualifiers competing in a Swiss-system bracket.
Where to watch the CS2 Major?
The PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024, which is identified as the first Counter-Strike 2 Major, was scheduled from March 17–31 at the Royal Arena. Taking place in Paris from May 8 to May 21, 2023, the BLAST Paris Major 2023 featured a prize pool of $1,250,000 USD. The IEM Rio Major 2022 was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from October 31 to November 13, 2022, serving as a substitute for the previously cancelled ESL One Rio 2020 Major.
The tournament was held at the Moody Center (on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin), and was the first Major to feature 32 teams, involving directly-invited teams and teams from regional qualifiers. It was held in Austin — Texas, United States, from June 3 to June 22, 2025, and it was the second Major hosted by BLAST, after Paris 2023. Will Team Vitality complete their three-peat and officially become the Greatest Counter-Strike roster in history? The level of competition only increases as we move into the next stages. From Case Battles to premium CS2 cases openings, you can bring that Major-level adrenaline straight into your inventory.
Stage 2 featured eight directly invited teams based on their Valve Regional Standings as well as eight teams qualified from Stage 1, competing in a Swiss-system bracket. The distribution of Stage 1 invites remained the same as in Budapest. Additionally — each Stage 3 match was held in front of live audiences at the Palladium. It was held in Cologne, Germany from June 2 to June 21, 2026, with the playoffs held at the Lanxess Arena, while each Stage 3 match was held in front of live audiences at the Palladium. The Columbus Minor system involved four regional qualifiers and two “last chance” qualifiers (and results in invites going to one team from the Americas), two Asian teams, one CIS team, one European team, and three last chance qualifier spots. Team Vitality would win their second Major trophy after defeating The MongolZ 2-1, and their third after defeating FaZe Clan 3-1 at the Budapest Major, in the first Major grand final to be held as a best-of-five.