Reports have surfaced that Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will be the location of 2020’s first CS:GO Major, with ESL set to host the event. This confirms earlier leaks made by community members and pro players alike.
The report from Jarek “DeKay” Lewis shows that ESL, the hosts of some of the world’s largest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive events, will once again be returning to helm the Major. The last Major they hosted at IEM Katowice was one of the competitive highlights of last year in terms of CS:GO events, and has been held up by the community as the gold standard in event hosting.
The event will reportedly take place in May, called the “ESL One Rio Major,” marking a return for the brand to Major status. The last ESL One to hold that distinction was ESL One Cologne in 2016. The event will mark their second Major in the past year, but they had a three year hiatus from hosting them previously as they were awarded to other organizers.
DeKay’s report confirms earlier leaks, most notably from S1mple, who mentioned the Major, taking place in Brazil on his stream earlier this month. This kickstarted the rumor engine, though the DBLTAP report also mentions that this location had been considered as early as ESL One: New York earlier this year.
ESL has hosted several events in Brazil in the past, including the ESL Pro League season four final and an ESL One event in Belo Horizonte.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
- Read More: S1mple leaks location of next CSGO Major
The CS:GO Major system remains one of the more unique major competitions in esports and one of the few in Major esports titles that remains an open format. Many other esports, such as Overwatch, Call of Duty, and League of Legends, have all switched to a franchise-based system.
Majors remain the most prestigious on CS:GO’s calendar simply because Valve are involved directly, and teams have the chance to offer stickers for sale in-client, which remains a lucrative opportunity for organizations. Astralis will enter this Major cycle with three back-to-back titles, despite challengers to the throne in Team Liquid and others.
Brazil also plays host to popular CS:GO players, such as FalleN, Taco, and other members of MiBR, who will undoubtedly help drive ticket sales to the event.
