We’re halfway through the year, and fans are already on the edge of their seats waiting for the next big CS: GO competition.
With 2021 being marked by fantastic performances and shocking upsets, both team and tournaments standings are being heavily debated, with nobody sure what will come next.
Taking a look at some of the biggest standouts in this realm, we explore which parts of CS: GO eSports viewers shouldn’t miss, and who is likely to find a place on the podium.
The Year’s Biggest Tournaments
With CS: GO being one of the most established names in eSports, it’s only natural that the biggest established tournaments will continue their success into 2021.
That said, there are a handful of events that find themselves above the rest in terms of competitive standards and total prize pools.
The largest of these is undoubtedly the PGL Major Stockholm as detailed at liquipedia.net, which exists as a part of the ESL Pro Tour.
Running from the 23rd of October to the 7th of November, PGL Major Stockholm boasts some of the biggest total prize pools in Counter-Strike history, with 2 million USD on the line.
Adopting a three-stage format, the winners of this major can expect to take home 1800 points and net themselves a qualification for the BLAST Premier Final tournament.
“311A6471” (CC BY 2.0) by SteelSeries
Outside of this major, other must-watch tournaments and leagues include BLAST Premier, IEM Katowice, and the CS: GO Major Championship Fall.
Each of these offer prize pools of a million dollars, and each consist of the most competitive teams in the world. To follow along more closely with these tournaments and their news as the dates arrive, users can check win.gg for all the most recent updates.
Teams to Watch
In terms of teams, inarguably the most promising team to watch in the latter half of 2021 is NaVi. A portmanteau of Natus Vincere, NaVi is widely regarded as one of the best teams in history.
Recently coming off of their victory at IEM Cologne 2021 as recorded at intelextrememasters.com, NaVi is currently ranked number one in the world with 965 points, boasting a 68% win rate over the last year.
Not to be outdone, Gambit eSports is also performing extremely well in 2021, with 895 points. With an even higher win rate over the last year than NaVi, at 84%, Gambit hasn’t quite been able to find their wins where they count most. With powerful players like Hobbit and sh1ro, there’s no counting Gambit out yet.
The last of the big three teams of 2021 has to be G2 eSports, with 661 world ranking points. Again considered a strong contender capable of beating any other team on a good day.
G2 is home to fan-favorite player NiKo, who is often thought of as one of the game’s best. Dragged down by a 56% win rate over the last year, G2 has a lot to prove, and they don’t have much longer to make their mark.
“Todos los ojos en Xikii” (CC BY 2.0) by artubr
If you’re new to CS: GO eSports, or have been out of the know for a while, there’s rarely been a better time to jump in.
With some of the biggest leagues soon coming to a head, expectations are high after a slow 2020, and the potential for major disruption is only growing more profound. Performance this year is likely to set the tone for this new decade, so enthusiasts shouldn’t miss out.
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