Valve has declared that the upcoming BLAST.tv Paris Major, scheduled for May 8-21, will be the last Major for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with the subsequent Major set for March 2024 in the newly announced Counter-Strike 2.
The revelation comes on the heels of the highly anticipated announcement of Counter-Strike 2 and the beginning of its limited testing phase. The game is slated for a summer release, shortly before the now-canceled second Major of 2023, originally planned for November.
The shift to a March 2024 Major is a departure from the past two years, with 2022’s PGL Major Antwerp and the upcoming BLAST.tv Paris Major both taking place in May. Valve has not explained the reasoning for the schedule change or its potential connection to this year’s adjusted summer tournament break, which was moved to June 12-July 9, about a month earlier than in previous years. The Counter-Strike Professional Players’ Association (CSPPA) stated it would discuss the official tournament breaks with Valve to “better align with the CS:GO Majors.”
The cancellation of the second Major in 2023 has received mixed reactions. While some applaud Valve for allowing the competitive scene time to adjust to the new game, Complexity General Manager Graham “messioso” Pitt expressed his hope on Twitter that the first Major in 2024 will feature a “significant boost to revenue opportunities to make up for the Major taken away from 2023.” He added that the change is a significant setback for teams that rely on the revenue from attending these events in their yearly budgets.
Majors generate considerable revenue for participating teams through sticker sales. Valve distributed over $70 million to teams and players from digital item sales during PGL Major Stockholm and PGL Major Antwerp.
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