It was already intimated, but now it is official. The first CS:GO Major of the season, originally planned for May 11th to 24th, in Rio de Janeiro is postponed. The reason for this is the Corona Pandemic.
The new date runs from November 2nd to November 15th and thus falls within the time window of the second CS:GO Major. This will be cancelled and combined with the Rio Major.
Only one Major for CS:GO
For the Counter-Strike scene this means that there will be only one Major this year. As compensation Valve will increase the prize money for Rio by the full amount of the second Major. So in November the teams will fight for two million US dollars. At the same time, however, this means that the teams that have already qualified will not be able to afford to make too large transfers in order to keep their place until November.
The May 2020 @CSGO Major in Rio has been rescheduled to November 19-22 due to the COVID-19 situation. The event will remain at Jeunesse Arena and the prize money will be added to the November Major, upping it to $2,000,000https://t.co/WXxJGdSkbK
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 23, 2020
The ESL struggled with the decision for a long time, said the Senior Vice President of Product, Ulrich Schulze, in the official statement. But in the end the decision was made in the interest of the health and safety of all.
Tickets still valid
For fans who have already booked tickets, there is at least one consolation: the tickets will remain valid. Even if you prefer to cancel the tickets, this is possible via the Eventbrite platform.
The Jeunesse Arena will also be the venue for the playoffs in November and the ESL hopes to be able to give the Brazilian fans a great event in November despite all the odds.
After the IEM Katowice already took place in front of empty ranks, it will probably take a while until Counter-Strike fans fill the arenas again.
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