The announcement of Counter-Strike 2 (opens in new tab) earlier this week marked the start of a complete new period for what is probably probably the most storied shooter in videogame historical past. It is going to additionally mark the tip of an period, as Valve introduced immediately that the upcoming Paris Main 2023 would be the final Main Championship occasion ever performed on that model of the sport.
The Majors are mostly-annual CS:GO championship occasions, held in locales all over the world and with huge cash prizes up for grabs. The earlier championship occasion, the Rio Major 2022 (opens in new tab), had a $1.25 million prize pool, and the Paris Main will provide the identical. Like the sport itself, the Majors stay massively widespread regardless of its age: It has been working since 2013 and nonetheless sells out main arenas, and is broadcast all over the world in a number of languages.
However having lastly determined that it is time to transfer on from CS:GO, Valve is losing no time in transferring issues alongside. “The Paris Main would be the ultimate CS:GO Main,” it tweeted immediately. “The next Main will probably be in March 2024 and the primary in Counter-Strike 2.”
That is a full 12 months from now, which by rights must be sufficient time to squash bugs and sand down the tough edges of the incoming sequel. And if not, nicely, that may be enjoyable too, no less than from the angle of a spectator who has nothing invested and is not competing for an enormous truckload of cash.
The Paris Main would be the ultimate CS:GO Main. The next Main will probably be in March 2024 and the primary in Counter-Strike 2.March 24, 2023
Counter-Strike 2 is barely in closed beta at this level, and Valve is being fairly selective (opens in new tab) about who will get in. However even at this early stage, there’s an expectation that it’s going to not simply keep it up CS:GO’s legacy, however surpass it: As streamer Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek suggested when CS2 was introduced, “Quit Valorant, it’s done. It’s fucking over (opens in new tab).” It is in all probability not fairly over for Valorant and its thousands and thousands of gamers, however Counter-Strike 2 is certain to have a serious affect on the aggressive shooter scene.
The Paris Major 2023 (opens in new tab)—the final CS:GO Main ever—takes place on the Accor Enviornment from Might 8 and runs to Might 21.
