REPORT: ESL Has Been Awarded the First CS:GO Major of 2019

According to a report by DBLTAP from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) insider Dekay, well known German esports tournament organizer ESL has been awarded the right to host the first CS:GO Major of 2019 by Valve with the reported major set to take place at the beginning of next year. 

The report states that the exact location and dates for the competition have not been confirmed as of yet, but according to multiple sources the 2019 ESL CS:GO Major is expected to begin in February and run until March. 

Katowice has named by multiple sources in the report as a possible landing spot for the 2019 ESL CS:GO Major, but the current reported timeline of the major would coincide with the annual IEM Katowice event hosted by the popular esports tournament organizer that is seen as one of the largest events in the professional scene for the first person shooter. 

ESL One Cologne 2016 was the last Valve-sponsored tournament that the organization has hosted with the 2019 event looking to be the sixth Valve-sponsored tournament that ESL has organized and hosted since the inception of Valve-sponsored tournaments in professional CS:GO. 

If the 2019 ESL Valve-sponsored tournament does begin in February, it would be a three-month decrease of time in between majors from the eight-month time period that transpired between the ELEAGUE Boston Major and the FACEIT London Major that is set to begin in September. 

With a $1,000,000 prize pool and full support Valve, the Valve-sponsored tournaments have become the most renowned events in all of professional CS:GO and will have a multitude of teams extremely motivated to claim the title of champions.

However, Cloud9 will be looking to defend their status as the current champion of the format in the scene, as the ELEAGUE Boston Champions will be motivated to secure two straight championships. 

(cover photo courtesy of ESL)