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The Most Watched CS:GO Tournaments of All Time
Esports enthusiasts have witnessed the grandiosity of Counter-Strike:Global Offensive tournaments throughout its history, where millions of viewers converge to experience the pinnacle of competitive gaming. In this article, we analyzed robust data from a specialized database to unveil the most watched CS:GO tournaments of all time, scrutinizing pivotal metrics in order to create our list.
Methodology and metrics used to define this list
Our analysis involved taking a closer look at data from Escharts, focusing on two critical metrics - Peak Viewers and Total Hours Watched. We meticulously compiled the rankings, ensuring a comprehensive overview of the top tournaments in each metric and calculating an average over both. This dual-metric approach provides a nuanced understanding of the tournaments that captivated audiences and made our list.
Most Watched CS:GO Tournaments - the Definitive List
#11. PGL Major Kraków 2017
Peak Viewers: 961,413 // Hours Watched: 38,259,755
PGL Major: Kraków 2017, the eleventh CS:GO Major, held in Kraków, Poland, from July 16 to 23, 2017, marked PGL's debut as organizers. With a $1,000,000 prize pool, the tournament featured sixteen teams, including returning Legends and new qualifiers. In a surprising twist, Gambit Esports triumphed over Immortals in the grand finals, making them the first Asian team to claim the title.
#10. IEM Katowice 2022
Peak Viewers: 1,122,015 // Hours Watched: 29,936,138
FaZe Clan emerged victorious at IEM Katowice 2022, claiming the championship with a 3-0 win over G2 in a thrilling Grand Final. The tournament, featuring 24 teams and a $1 million prize pool, saw FaZe overcoming challenges, including the use of a stand-in, jks. The highlight of the event was a marathon match on Mirage, lasting over two hours and ending with FaZe securing a 31-27 victory.
#9. StarLadder Major Berlin 2019
Peak Viewers: 836,306 // Hours Watched: 44,951,724
The StarLadder Major: Berlin 2019, the fifteenth CS:GO Major Championship, took place in Berlin, Germany, from August 23 to September 8, 2019. With a US$1,000,000 prize pool, it marked the eighth consecutive Major with this amount and the first Major hosted by Ukrainian-based organization StarLadder, in collaboration with Chinese partner ImbaTV. Astralis made history by becoming the first team to secure four Majors and the only team to win three consecutively. Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz of Astralis joined Marcelo "coldzera" David as the only players with two Major MVPs.
#8. IEM Cologne 2022
Peak Viewers: 1,249,426 // Hours Watched: 25,831,189
In their sixth edition, IEM Cologne featured nearly two weeks of intense matches at the iconic LANXESS Arena. The Grand Final between FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere went through five thrilling maps, with FaZe Clan winning 3-2. This victory marked FaZe Clan as the first team to win IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne in a single year. Additionally, it was their third win in the Intel® Grand Slam race, leaving them one victory away from the $1,000,000 cash prize.
#7. IEM Katowice Major 2019
Peak Viewers: 1,205,103 // Hours Watched: 52,419,214
The Intel Extreme Masters Katowice Major 2019, the fourteenth CS:GO Major Championship, took place in Katowice, Poland, from February 13 to March 3, 2019. With a US$1,000,000 prize pool, it marked the seventh consecutive Major with this prize. Astralis dominated the tournament, defeating ENCE in the grand finals to secure their third Major title, tying with Fnatic for the most Major titles, and becoming the third team to win consecutive Majors.
#6. FACEIT Major London 2018
Peak Viewers: 1,084,946 // Hours Watched: 61,030,688
The FACEIT Major: London 2018, the thirteenth CS:GO Major and FACEIT's inaugural event, hosted twenty-four teams in London with a $1,000,000 prize pool. Fnatic missed the playoffs for the first time ever, ending Freddy "KRiMZ" Johansson's streak as one of the only players at every Major. The Grand Finals saw Astralis sweeping Natus Vincere in two maps, securing their second Major title and tying for the second-most Major titles in CS:GO history.
#5. ELEAGUE Major 2018
Peak Viewers: 1,329,096 // Hours Watched: 49,309,039
The ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018, the twelfth CS:GO Major organized by ELEAGUE, spanned January 12 to 28, 2018, featuring 24 teams. Notably, Astralis's core missed the playoffs for the first time. In the grand finals, Cloud9 secured an historic victory against FaZe Clan, becoming the first North American team to win a Major and the fourth time in CS:GO history that a North American team won a premier international event.
#4. BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023
Peak Viewers: 1,528,724 // Hours Watched: 58,891,767
The BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, the final CS:GO Major, was held in Paris from May 8 to 21, 2023. Hosted by BLAST, the event featured twenty-four teams, and Team Vitality emerged as champions, defeating GamerLegion 2–0 in the grand final. Virtus.pro, the defending champions, missed qualification. The tournament marked the end of CS:GO Majors, transitioning to Counter-Strike 2, with the first Major for the new game scheduled for March 2024.
#3. IEM Rio Major 2022
Peak Viewers: 1,428,993 // Hours Watched: 69,517,244
The Intel Extreme Masters Rio Major 2022, the eighteenth CS:GO Major Championship, took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from October 31 to November 13, 2022. Originally scheduled for May 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Major had a US$2,000,000 prize pool, making it the largest in CS:GO Major history. After being canceled in 2020, it was rescheduled and hosted by ESL, marking Brazil's first Major. Outsiders emerged as the champions, defeating Heroic 2–0 in the Grand Final.
#2. PGL Major Antwerp 2022
Peak Viewers: 2,113,610 // Hours Watched: 68,098,937
The PGL Major Antwerp 2022, the seventeenth CS:GO Major, took place in Antwerp, Belgium, from May 9 to 22, 2022. Hosted by PGL, it featured twenty-four teams competing for a US$1,000,000 prize pool. FaZe Clan made history as the first international team to win a Major, defeating Natus Vincere in the Grand Finals. The tournament format included a map pool of Dust II, Mirage, Inferno, Nuke, Ancient, Overpass, and Vertigo.
#1. PGL Major Stockholm 2021
Peak Viewers: 2,748,434 // Hours Watched: 71,266,120
The PGL Major Stockholm 2021, the sixteenth CS:GO Major, occurred in Stockholm, Sweden, from October 26 to November 7, 2021. Hosted by PGL, it featured twenty-four teams competing for a US$2,000,000 prize pool. Natus Vincere emerged victorious without losing a single map. The event marked the return of Majors after the COVID-19 pandemic. The format introduced Ancient to the map pool, replacing Train.
Conclusion on the most watched CS:GO tournaments list
As we celebrate the milestones of these CS:GO tournaments, the audience anticipates the next chapter in the world of esports. The Majors continue to captivate fans, making CS:GO a perennial powerhouse in the realm of competitive gaming.
These tournaments have not just entertained but contributed to the rich legacy of CS:GO esports. Each tournament is a chapter in the evolving narrative of competitive gaming.
Feature image credits: IEM
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