Image: Valve
It’s a new era for Counter-Strike esports, and Valve is wasting no time moving on from CS:GO.
Valve announced that CS:GO is getting a visual overhaul with the arrival of Counter-Strike 2 last week, and predictably, that’s going to impact CS:GO esports quite a bit. The company revealed earlier today that CS:GO’s upcoming Paris Major 2023 will be the final Major Championship event featuring this version of the game.
Valve tweeted out the announcement in its trademark casual fashion, saying definitively that, “The Paris Major will be the final CS:GO Major.” The following Counter-Strike Major will kick off in March next year, and it will be the first to feature Counter-Strike 2. This year’s Paris Major is a follow up to last year’s Rio Major, which featured a $1.25 million prize pool - the same as this year. These annual CS:GO esports championships have been held since 2013 and thanks to the game’s competitive popularity, continue to enjoy big prize pools, lots of viewers and an international broadcast.
The 2024 Major should be on another level production-wise, considering the hype behind Counter-Strike 2 - even if the game is only available in closed beta for now. While the game has a planned launch set for Summer 2023, it should still have enough time before the 2024 Major to iron out any major issues that might still exist in the game. This is no small update, after all. Counter-Strike 2 is introducing a few subtle gameplay changes such as grenades affecting smoke, which will undoubtedly affect its esports scene.
The Paris Major 2023 will kick off on May 8 at the Accor Arena, and end on May 21. Seeing as it’s the final CS:GO Major, it now doubles as a last hurrah to the old game before most players hop onto Counter-Strike 2.
