Ever since the first CS game launched in 2000, we were all fascinated by its shooter capabilities, its shop, and its potential for endless fun. Counter-Strike 1.6 was probably a game most played by people who grew up in the 1990s or 2000s, and it remained one of the reference points for shooter games. Years later, in 2012, Valve released the fourth game in the Counter-Strike series called "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive." Needless to say, its reception was a complete success!
This game is one of the most played and top-selling titles on Steam to this day. In 2013, as a sponsor, Valve gave us the first Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship. This meant you could now watch the top players in the world decimate each other with complex strategies and insane reaction times.
So, the CS:GO Tournaments inspired people worldwide to elevate their performance. It encouraged them to play against the biggest names in the rankings. Plus, the vast prizes of Major Championships made up for all the effort. They gave young people the ambition to become international gaming figures!
The Antwerp Major CS:GO event
Gamer ratings appear after every Major event. So, CS:GO squads have a chance to display their teamwork tactics while allowing each player to flaunt their skills! This is precisely how the FaZe Clan obtained domination over other teams at the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 event. As this year's S-Tier Championships conclude and more winners surface, we see a huge development in CS: GO teams all over the world.
For example, the FaZe Clan is the first international team ever to take the crown at a Major Global Offensive event. This team was composed of:
- Karrigan
- Ropz
- Twistzz
- Rain
- Broky
They all returned home with $500,000 and a win against the Natus Vincere team. Although the latter team was favored for the entire Championship, FaZe quickly rose in the quarters and posed a real threat to the NaVi team. Better luck next time, Natus Vincere! This Major Championship welcomed 24 teams at "Antwerps Sportpaleis" to compete offline over a prize pool of $1,000,000.
The Intel Extreme Masters XVII S-Tier Event
Although not a "Major" event, the Intel Extreme Masters is an S-Tier Tournament that will take place at Lanxess-Arena in Cologne, Germany. Aside from a fantastic prize pool of $1,000,000, this event will also offer a big "Circuit Points" reward! So far, there are only eight confirmed teams in this contest's players roster; the rest of the places will be decided in the upcoming events.
However, we know that FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere, G2 Esports, FURIA Esports, GODSENT, Imperial Esports, TYLOO, and Sprout will be there! The 24 teams are expected to enter the Lanxess arena from July 5 until the 17th, when new CS:GO champions will arise. Remember, the path to this IEM event was not easy for these players. However, it's nothing compared to the skill needed to win the BLAST Premier: World Final 2022!
S-Tier Event - Rio Major 2022
As you may know, Valve and ESL are collaborating to host the second Major Championship of 2022 in Rio de Janeiro. This CS:GO S-Tier tournament will launch its winners straight into the World Final Championship, like the Major in Antwerp.
The prize pool for this event in Rio is, as you can imagine, $1,000,000. In addition, the lucky few who will take the first few places will also receive a big Circuit Points reward. If you were still hoping to get tickets available, there are some bad news. As ESL declared on Twitter, all tickets were sold within an hour of becoming available for purchase.
BLAST Premier - World Final
The BLAST Premier: World Final 2022 event will be the conclusion we need and deserve for this year's CS: GO S-Tier Tournaments. Unlike the previous events, where 24 teams would fight for supremacy, this championship will develop with eight teams only. This World Final prize pool will join the most significant S-Tier events, with $1,000,000 divided amongst the strongest teams!
As for the game rules, they will be a bit different. There will only be two elimination stages:
- First, the teams will be split into two groups of four. All matches find their winners through a "best of three" rule. The three best teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.
- Secondly, the playoffs separate the teams into three categories: group winners are sent into the Semifinals, while the runners-up enter the Quarter Finals as "High Seeds." The units in the last places will also join the Quarter Finals, but as "Low Seeds."
To decide the winners, all matches will unfold with "best of three" games as rule in a single bracket elimination. Afterwards, the winners will go home with $500.000.
Counter-Strike legacy
Counter-Strike's contribution to many new fun games can't go unnoticed. Its core gameplay has remained virtually unchanged for 20 years, while the game has evolved to become the CS:GO we know and love. The first Counter-Strike tournament was hosted in 2001 at the Cyberathlete Professional League in Texas. Since then, the CS fever has only spread further.
These CS:GO S-Tier tournaments became extremely important for the gaming community. They're as exciting as the World Cup is to a soccer enjoyer! However, aside from its physical events, this game has also provided a plethora of content for internet gaming cultures all over the world.
The legacy of Counter-Strike will spread further through infectious content like memes, song parodies, imitations like the "Counter-Strike" maps in Roblox, merchandise, and so on!
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