What to Expect at the CS:GO ELEAGUE Major

The first CS:GO ELEAGUE Major of the year takes place in Atlanta and Boston in the coming weeks, with teams from all around the globe coming together to pit skill against skill. There’s more than just money at stake this January, old rivalries will take the stage, new comers will be fighting for glory, and the old guard will be defending their titles. It’s all about to kick off, so here’s everything you need to know about Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s biggest eSports event.

Format Changes

ELEAGUE and Valve recently decided to update the format, bringing in the Offline Qualifier as now a part of the actual Major Championship. This change effectively increases the amount of teams that will be present at the Major Championships.

Included in this format change is an update to the names of the different stages. Offline qualifier is now The New Challengers, the group stage is now The New Legends, and the playoffs is The New Champions.

• The New Challengers stage of the event uses a 16 Team Swiss System Format where all matches are best-of-one, with the top eight teams progressing forward and the bottom eight being eliminated.
• The New Legends stage uses the same mechanics as the first stage, where the top eight teams progress and the bottom eight are eliminated.
• For The New Champions stage, a single-elimination bracket is used, with all matches being a best-of-three, even the finals.

Dates and Times

The New Challengers stage of the event will take place from January 12th to 15th and will be held at the ELEAGUE Arena in Atlanta, but will be closed to spectators. The New Legends will be held in the same location from January 19th to 22nd. The New Champions stage will be held at the Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts starting January 26th, with the Grand Final being held on January 28th. We’re in a for a busy few weeks!

Prize Pool

The prize pool for the ELEAGUE Major is a jaw-dropping $1,000,000 USD. The team that manages to fight their way to first place will walk away with $500,000, second place will receive $150,000, third and fourth place net a clean $70,000, fifth through eighth claim $35,000, and finally positions ninth through sixteenth walk away with $8,750.

The Returning Legends and the New Challengers

With the PGL Major Krakow concluding back in 2017, eight teams have secured their position as “The Current Legends” and will be making their explosive appearance at the ELEAGUE Major. There will also be what is known as the “Krakow’s Fallen”, these brave souls mightn’t have claimed victory at Krakow, but they fought valiantly and so have earned a place on the roster. Finally, there are eight teams known as “The Minors’ Champions”, these teams are entering the fray after securing victory at their respective Minors.

Atralis’ Path to Victory

After Astralis’ nail-biting performance at the PGL Major Krakow, and their heart-stopping, against-all-odds comeback at the ELEAGUE Major: Atlanta 2017, it’s no wonder they’re heading into Atlanta with fierce support from their fans.

Roster Changes

The good news is that Dev1ce returns to the Astralis ranks after a short spell off due to illness and is now working hard to return on top form. When it comes to other teams  FaZe Clan had kioShiMa and allu playing for them during Krakow, but the two have been replaced with GuardiaN and olofmeister, with allu now playing for OpTic Gaming.

Gambit Esports will have a new coach for Major 2018 after kane moved over to Natus Vincere. This was essentially a swap as Andi from Natus Vincere will be coaching Gambit at the January event. Further changes include Zeus being replaced with fitch, who used to play for Tengri. Zeus is now joining kane over at Natus.

With a lot on the line, titles to defend and old nemeses to crush, the sense of anticipation and excitement is amping up as we close in on the finals of the CS:GO ELEAGUE Championship Major. Be sure to check back with us as we cover all the highlights of the event!