PGL has announced that it will host the upcoming CS:GO Major in the Belgian city of Antwerp in May.
The event will take place from May 9-22, culminating with the playoffs in the Antwerps Sportpaleis, a multipurpose hall with a capacity of 18,000 people.
This will be the third CS:GO Major in PGL’s history, after the Romanian tournament organizer hosted a Major in the Polish city of Kraków in 2017 and one in the Swedish capital of Stockholm last year.
According to PGL, Belgium’s central location in Europe makes it an ideal choice for an event of this magnitude that aims to be a celebration of the game.
“We are glad to have the opportunity to bring back the fans and players together for another CS:GO Major,” PGL CEO Silviu Stroie said in a statement.
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“Belgium has an impressive Counter-Strike fanbase, and many legendary players were born in this country. We are ready to offer an incredible experience for the fans inside the arena and the passionate viewers at home.”
PGL Major Antwerp will have $1 million on the line – half of the prize money offered at the Stockholm Major. Because of the cancellation of Majors in 2020 amid the global health crisis, Valve bumped the prize pool for the 2021 event, which smashed CS:GO’s peak viewership record with over 2.7 million concurrent viewers during the grand final between NAVI and G2 Esports.
In the coming weeks, PGL will announce more details about the RMR events, which will determine the 24 teams attending the Major.
The Romanian tournament organizer will continue to monitor the evolution of the status of regulations and travel restrictions and will make any necessary adjustments to their plans “to ensure the safety of everyone involved in this tournament.”
A January 25 Dexerto report revealed that ESL is looking to host the second Major of 2022 in Rio de Janeiro. The event is scheduled to take place between October 31 and November 13.