BLAST’s Paris Major 2023 has been confirmed for CSGO, with the tournament organizer hosting the big event for the first time ever. It will take place on May 8 to 21, with qualifiers starting in February.
After speculation was rife around BLAST potentially getting their first Major, the news has been confirmed on September 11: the BLAST Paris Major 2023 is on. The event is set to be held on May 8 to 21 with qualifiers taking place from February through to April.
The event is expected to be a celebration of CS:GO as the title reached its tenth anniversary earlier in 2022.
“BLAST has always had an ambition and dream to be involved in a Major, an event that is rightly viewed as the pinnacle of esports and competitive gaming,” CEO Robbie Douek said.
“We’ve been watching and waiting for the right moment to deliver an unforgettable Major. The time is now.”
It comes after Dexerto reported the tournament organizer was planning on hosting the first CSGO Major of 2023 in France in May.
The time has come. In 2023… it all changes.https://t.co/mSIunFRzfU pic.twitter.com/p17jn7KI2L
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) September 11, 2022
There was a big push by the French government to get the Major to France, with President Emmanuel Macron even releasing a statement on the Paris Major: “From next year… in less than 10 months, our country will host an event that will celebrate [CS:GO’s] tenth anniversary.”
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Macron has previously endorsed getting esports titles into the Olympics for Paris 2024, as well as linking traditional sports and gaming through the global event.
“It is up to us to take advantage of it to make the link between the Olympiads of the two worlds by hosting the biggest sporting events in the world that year: a [CS:GO Major], League of Legends Worlds, and The International,” he told French outlet The Big Whale in May.
This was backed up by Douek who added in the September 11 release: “Paris is the world-class location to host the tournament and will precede another high profile international event in the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
“Next year marks 10 years of Majors and we are highly confident of marking this occasion by delivering the greatest Major to date for CS:GO fans to experience and enjoy.”
Before the BLAST Paris Major 2023, CS:GO’s brightest will be descending on Brazil for the IEM Rio Major 2022, taking place in November.