The planned CS:GO Major in Stockholm will be able to take place, according to organiser PGL. However, the prerequisite is the work of the local authorities. The Dota 2 World Championship “The International” has already been relocated.
PGL, the organiser, wants to hold the first CS:GO Major event in two years in the Swedish capital Stockholm in autumn as planned. However, there is one condition. “The PGL CS:GO Major Playoffs will take place in Stockholm if local authorities can make the event accessible to players, staff and fans,” reads the official letter from PGL on Wednesday.
Important for the PGL is a large turnout of spectators at the major. “If only a small group of fans could attend, the event can be held somewhere else,” the Romanian Esport event organisation stresses, keeping its options open for further steps, as it did when the TI was postponed.
Two key dates are important for the PGL in relation to its plan: 23 August and 15 September. The first date refers to the entry into force of the Swedish government’s entry ban relaxation. If this relaxation is decided on 23 August, players and fans would be able to enter Sweden and attend the Major.
The final decision on the location of the Major tournament is to be made on 15 September at the latest. “We hope that the hall restrictions for events in Sweden will be lifted by that date and we can have a full house during the playoffs,” organiser PGL added.
🆕 The latest updates on the PGL CS:GO MAJOR
📝https://t.co/zwITwHFs2S pic.twitter.com/cPGm4eNmoL
— PGL (@pglesports) July 28, 2021
Should the changes not come into effect in Sweden, the event will be moved to another European venue, according to PGL. The organiser has not yet named any alternatives. It goes on to say from PGL: “Ticket sales for the Major will start on 16 September, regardless of where the event is held.”
The two million US dollar event is scheduled to take place from 23 October to 7 November. After the postponement and subsequent cancellation of the Major tournament in Rio de Janeiro, the PGL Major Stockholm would be the first event of this class in more than two years. To date, the last Major event to be won by Danish team Astralis was the StarLadder Berlin Major in August and September 2019.
Original post 14 July 2021
From 23 October to 11 November, the PGL Major is supposed to take place in Stockholm, but this plan looks more and more unrealistic. Yet many CS:GO fans are looking forward to the event, as it would be the first Valve-sponsored tournament since StarLadder Berlin, which took place in 2019.
PGL might move the CS:GO major from Stockholm if not provided reassurances that they will be able to operate the event.
Sweden has a long tradition of being the best and brightest in CS:GO, let's show up and #backaesporten! https://t.co/a0PBy9jSei
— Phoenix Blue (@PhoenixBlueGG) July 13, 2021
According to PGL CEO Silviu Stroie, it is quite possible that a new location will have to be found. In an interview with SportExpressen, one of Sweden’s largest newspapers, he seemed rather less confident than he did a few weeks ago.
The biggest problem with Stockholm is the status of Esports in Sweden. Since it is not officially recognised as a sport there, it can be difficult for players and organisations to get the visas they need. For this reason, the Dota 2 event The International 10 was postponed a few days ago.
