The Source 2 update turns CS:GO upside down. Now Valve is also changing the Esport scene for the successor Counter-Strike 2.
Counter-Strike 2 is the talk of the town due to the new features and the hype surrounding the limited test beta. But not only the game gets big changes from Valve, also the Esport scene is on the verge of an upheaval.
The last CS:GO Major
BLAST is hosting the next CS:GO Major on 8 May in Paris. Another Major tournament was originally still planned for the autumn. The announcement of Counter-Strike 2 and its release in the summer now thwarts these plans.
Valve announced on Twitter that the last CS:GO Major will take place in Paris and that the tournament planned for autumn will be cancelled.
The Paris Major will be the final CS:GO Major.
The following Major will be in March 2024 and the first in Counter-Strike 2.
– CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 24, 2023
This means that the race for the last crown in CS:GO will be decided in just under a month, when the last team can secure the Global Offensive title. With the announced release of Counter-Strike 2 for summer 2023, the new chapter in the history of Counter-Strike will begin.
One year of patience for the next major
While many are looking forward to a Major in Counter-Strike 2, the loss of the tournament in autumn is still a bitter blow for the community. After all, the next Major after Paris will not take place until March 2024, according to Valve. So there will be almost a complete year without a Counter-Strike World Championship.
Not exactly ideal for the esport scene, but with the release of Counter-Strike 2 in summer 2023, this gives the developers time to balance the Source 2 port. Especially given the bugs found in the game so far, this is probably a good idea.
The additional time will also give the pros the opportunity to integrate the new features into their gameplay in a sensible way. The absence of majors doesn’t mean that other organisers like ESL or BLAST won’t continue to hold their tournaments.
