The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in Europe and the Americas, has forced numerous CS:GO tournaments to transition to online formats or even be postponed, such as the Major ESL One Rio. However, organizing bodies have quickly adapted and made appropriate adjustments to ensure tournaments can still take place for fans during this time. Below are the major CS:GO tournaments expected to occur in the next two months.
1. ESL One: Road to Rio
– Dates: April 22 to May 17 (Depending on regions)
– Format: Online regional
– Total Prize Pool: $255,000
ESL One: Road to Rio is the replacement tournament for the Major ESL One Rio, which has been postponed to November and serves as a “qualifier” for the only Major in 2020. Part of the RMR (Regional Major Ranking) system, teams will compete in an online format and be divided into six regions: Europe, North America, CIS, South America, Oceania, and Asia. A total of 56 teams worldwide will participate, competing for ranking points in the Major ESL One Rio qualifier and a prize pool of $255,000 supported by Valve.
The list of participating teams includes those ranked in the top 14 from the previous Major (StarLadder Berlin Major), teams that have qualified through this year’s Minor qualifiers, and some invited teams based on their performance in the Minor Closed Qualifier. The final slots will be determined through tiebreaker matches and announced soon.
Detailed match times and prize pools for each region:
Europe: April 22 to May 17 – $105,000
North America: April 22 to May 10 – $70,000
CIS: April 30 to May 17 – $50,000
South America: April 22 to April 26 – $10,000
Asia: May 6 to May 10 – $10,000
Oceania: May 6 to May 10 – $10,000
Readers can find the list of participating teams HERE.
2. DreamHack Masters Spring 2020
– Dates: May 19 – June 14
– Format: Online regional
– Total Prize Pool: $300,000
At the beginning of April, DreamHack announced that their first Masters-level tournament of the year would transition to an online format and be renamed DreamHack Masters Spring. The tournament will take place from May 19 to June 14 and will feature 32 teams divided into four regions: Europe, North America, Asia, and Oceania.
The total prize pool for the tournament will be $300,000, an increase of $50,000 from the initial estimate. This tournament is also part of the ESL Pro Tour system and is the final event before ESL One Cologne, the second Master Championship of the year. 24 out of 32 participating teams have been announced, with the remaining 8 names to be determined through invites and qualifiers in the near future.
In the Europe and North America regions, teams will be divided into groups of four competing in a round-robin format. The top team from each group will secure a spot in the upper bracket of the playoffs, while the second and third-placed teams will compete in the lower bracket. For the Asia and Oceania regions, teams will compete in a double-elimination format. The grand finals for all four regions will be best-of-five, with the winning team starting with a one-map advantage.
3. BLAST Premier Spring Showdown and Final
– Dates: May 31 – June 7 (Showdown) and June 15 – June 21 (Final)
– Format: Online regional
– Total Prize Pool: $1,075,000
As part of BLAST’s tournament system for 2020, BLAST Premier Spring Showdown and Final were initially scheduled for June, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers decided to shift to an online format and split into two regions: EU and Americas. The total prize pool for the Showdown will be $325,000, while for the Final, it will be $750,000.
The Showdown will feature 20 teams (up from the initially planned 10) divided into 4 groups with 2 groups for each region. In the Europe region, the top 2 teams from each group will advance directly to the Final, while the remaining 8 teams will compete in best-of-three matches to select 2 more teams to move on to the Final. In the Americas region, the top 4 teams from each group will engage in additional best-of-three matches to determine 2 teams from each group that will proceed to the Final.
Based on their performance in the BLAST Premier Spring Series, Na`vi, FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, OG, Liquid, and Complexity will qualify directly for the Final; meanwhile, Astralis, NIP, Team Vitality, MiBR, 100 Thieves, and Evil Geniuses will need to compete in the Showdown.
In addition to the hefty prize pool, the champions from the Americas region and the two teams reaching the European regional final will earn spots in the BLAST Premier Global Final.
These upcoming tournaments will surely be a crucial entertainment source for CS:GO fans during this time of staying at home and social distancing. Stay tuned for the freshest and hottest CS:GO news in our upcoming updates!