The first half of 2020 witnessed the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its rapid spread worldwide has disrupted and significantly impacted the lives of people in many countries. The Esports industry in general, and CS:GO in particular, is no exception as many tournaments have been affected to varying degrees: playing without an audience (IEM Katowice 2020), moving to online play (ESL Pro League Season 11, Flashpoint Season 1), or even changing the tournament schedule (Major ESL One: Rio).
Since March, all major CS:GO tournaments worldwide have had to adopt an online format based on regional divisions, and this has significantly impacted the performance of teams as they continuously face each other without the opportunity to compete against teams from other continents. Furthermore, online play is merely a temporary solution as many issues can arise such as ping, players’ equipment, coaching, and stream sniping…
At the beginning of June, the reputable news site hltv.org reported that ESL One Cologne – the most prestigious tournament of the year and also the first tournament to be held after a month-long summer break for players – is likely to be held in a studio in Europe without an audience. However, given the ongoing complex situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that only a few European countries have eased travel restrictions, ESL is leaning towards the possibility of online play like previous tournaments, according to many sources close to the parties involved.
If this turns out to be true, it would be a significant loss for the global CS:GO community as ESL One Cologne is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in CS:GO history, having been held six times. The image of a packed arena filled with fans and the enthusiastic cheers is always what people remember when talking about the Lanxess Arena – the “cathedral of CS:GO” and the venue for ESL One Cologne thus far. When contacted, Ulrich Schulze, ESL’s vice president of production, said: “Currently, we are considering our options, and online play is one of the alternatives.”
Moreover, many sources also confirm that the only Major this year, ESL One: Rio, is unlikely to be held as the COVID-19 situation in Brazil, where the tournament is set to take place, shows no signs of improvement. According to initial plans, ESL One: Rio was to be the first Major of the year and held in May, but it has been postponed to November, leaving only one Major to be held in 2020.
The pandemic wreaking havoc worldwide has also made tournament organizers more cautious, and so far, only a few tournaments have been confirmed to take place in the latter half of 2020, such as ESL Pro League Season 12, BLAST Premier Fall,… We hope that the pandemic will pass, and we will soon witness once again what makes CS:GO tournaments so captivating: packed arenas, enthusiastic cheers, and unforgettable highlight moments from players.