The Future Of Counter-Strike: How CS2 Is Already Being Shaped

The future looks bright for Counter-Strike.

The impact of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on the flourishing US esports industry of today cannot be overstated. It is one of the earliest and largest esports titles, evolving from grassroots tournaments held in basements to filling up arenas worldwide.

The game features gameplay full of action, strategy, and teamplay – providing a highly competitive experience for gamers and fans.

An Unrivalled Popularity

Due to its competitive nature and immense popularity, CS:GO lends itself perfectly to gambling. It is the game that arguably paved the way for esports online gambling. Over the past decade, CS:GO went from controversial skin gambling to a mature esports title available in regulated American gambling sites with the possibility to bet tens of thousands of dollars in one go. Live streaming and high-quality studio productions of large tournaments being broadcasted also played a vital role in the success of CS:GO both as an esport and a product for betting.

While some uncertainty remains around the integrity of professional matches in CS:GO, it’s mostly subjected to lower-tier CS:GO matches where cases of alleged match-fixing surface every now and then.

This is a problem that is largely mitigated in betting sites by only allowing lower stakes when betting, a practice that is used for all types of sports where match fixing can occur. On higher levels of CS:GO, that uncertainty has been entirely removed due to the high integrity of the esport, with esports professionals earning large amounts of money from salaries and sponsorship deals.

An Uncertain Future?

Despite the game’s immense success, the status, and future of CS:GO have been questioned in the past few years. The game was released in 2012 and due to its age the game is less popular than it was, and the competitive scene is not as attractive as it was back in 2016-2019.

Since then, the game and CS:GO as an esports title has declined. But with the announcement of Counter-Strike 2, the scene is once again invigorated. It is likely that the franchise will climb to the top of the charts, along with huge prize pools for CS2 esports tournaments. Bringing the old fans with it, as well as bringing in new ones, and together CS2 is likely to enjoy large viewership numbers and plenty of betting action at online gambling websites.

The Esports Scene of CS2 Is Already Being Built

Out of all upcoming PC games, the hype around Counter-Strike 2 is unrivalled. As of writing, limited testing is ongoing for CS2 and the first professional show match was played at the end of March, featuring players like kRYSTAL, devilwalk, and neo. The release date is still to be announced, however, Valve has confirmed that they are targeting summer 2023.

The works for the first professional tournaments are already underway, though. The first Counter-Strike 2 Major, PGL CS2 Major, is scheduled for March 17 to March 31 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Denmark along with the rest of Scandinavia has a long history with the franchise, it’s also close to other prominent countries that have close ties to the game and esports, such as Poland, Germany, and France.

Meanwhile, fans from all over the world can watch their favorite teams compete at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen. The first CS2 major will feature 24 teams and a massive prize pool of $1,250,000. We can imagine the build-up during the course of one year leading up to the PGL CS2 Major.

The thrilling tournament as the best teams in the world battle to become the first Major champions in the game’s history. The stage is set for a spectacular event, and we will likely witness minor tournaments and cups along the way to spring next year. By the time the matches start, the teams and players should be well-known in terms of capability and chances of winning, which will allow sportsbooks to offer odds on the tournament.

About Professional Gamers League

Professional Gamers League (PGL) is one of the premiere organizers in esports. To date, they have hosted tournaments and leagues featuring close to $200 million in prize money.

They started organizing tournaments in 1997 and over the years they have hosted tournaments and leagues for everything from Command & Conquer: Red Alert to Dota 2 and CS:GO. It is only fitting that such a legendary organization manage the first-ever Counter-Strike 2 Major.