With IEM Rio 2023 behind us, we’re finally able to take a look forward at what competitive CS:GO holds over the next few weeks. There’s plenty to play for and with the final CS:GO tournaments coming before CS2, these players are fighting to write their name in the history books forever.
Glory is on the line in the next few months. Credit: ESLCS on Twitter
Pre-Major Tournaments
Despite the Major being the big CS:GO tournament that most have their eyes on, there’s still plenty of Tier-2 Counter-Strike to enjoy in the meantime. The main ongoing one is the CCT series, which has its South Europe, West Europe, Central Europe, and South America Series ongoing between now and Paris.
Sure, you won’t see anyone like FaZe and NAVI in these types of tournaments, but there are still names that competitive CS:GO fans will recognize. B8, who made a splash at the Major RMR, are competing, as well as HEET, LDLC, and Cophenhagen Flames, so there’s still a great standard of CS:GO on display. With some big cash prizes on offer, fans of competitive CS:GO should give CCT a chance.
There’s also the ongoing Elisa Invitational Spring 2023, featuring a huge bulk of the game’s Tier-2 scene. With it spanning from now until early June, it’s perfect for CS:GO mega fans who want to catch as much gameplay as possible.
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023
Of course, most CS:GO fans are now fully focused on the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023. Understandably so – it’s the final CS:GO Major before CS2 takes over. It promises to be a massive occasion. As with all endings, there’ll be a bittersweet element to it all. With Cloud9, Virtus.pro, and Astralis all missing out, there are plenty of iconic teams which won’t get to be there.
Beginning with the Challenger’s Stage on May 8th, it guarantees to be a banger of a tournament. Many legendary players such as NiKo will see it as the last chance to cement their CS:GO legacy. With such high stakes, how could it not be entertaining?
It’s never fun waiting around for a few weeks for a big tournament to begin. However, the recent influx of players complaining about the tiring schedule makes focusing on their health and giving them the time to recover more necessary than ever.
IEM Dallas 2023
After the Paris Major, teams unfortunately won’t have a massive amount of time to rest and recuperate. They’ll be jumping straight into the grind ahead of IEM Dallas 2023. Last year’s Dallas event was won by Cloud9, who have the duration of the Major to practice and retain their title.
IEM Dallas 2023 kicks off at the end of May and will be a lower-key event than the Major. Make no mistake though – this is still an S-Tier event, with an enormous grand prize that will have players at the top of their game. If the eventual winner of the Paris Major ends up being a team qualified for Dallas, it also offers the chance for someone to craft a mini-era, right at the end of CS:GO.
When Will CS2 Take Over?
The exact date that CS2 will take over in competitive play is unknown. What we do know is that PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 is slated for March 2024, and is confirmed to be the first CS2 Major. It will need some test runs prior to that to make sure it goes off without a hitch.
CS2 promises to change competitive play forever. Credit: Counter-Strike 2
With the release of the game itself slated for a vague Summer 2023 date, we presume it will come into competitive use around the same time. That’s plenty of time to make sure the first CS2 Major goes as smoothly as possible. One thing is for sure – there’s never been a more exciting time to be a fan of competitive Counter-Strike, and the scene is only going to keep on growing over the next couple of years.
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