TSM VP of Esports Dominic Kallas has updated fans about the organization’s plans to re-enter CS:GO in 2023.
In October 2022, TSM revealed that they would return to CS:GO with a European team sometime in 2023, more than six years after withdrawing from the game following a dispute with their North American squad.
In a subsequent interview, Kallas told Dexerto that TSM were looking at “HLTV top 30 talent” for the team and that the return to CS:GO was part of the organization’s expansion plan as it looked to increase its presence in Europe.
But those comments came before the public implosion of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, with which TSM had agreed to a ten-year naming rights deal worth $210 million. The partnership has since been suspended, but TSM have refused to say if the company’s expansion plans are still on track or if they have been put on hold because of the deal’s collapse.
TSM provides CSGO update
In a message posted to TSM’s official Discord, Kallas all but confirmed that the organization is keeping a close eye on the CS:GO space. He did not provide a timeline for TSM to re-enter the game, but he said that it won’t happen in time for the BLAST.tv Paris Major because of the short window before the qualifiers for that event.
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“Due to the BLAST open qualifiers being super early, there was no way to qualify for the BLAST Major,” he wrote. “There will be roster shuffles between IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, where there will be opportunities for TSM to make their move”.
IEM Katowice is the next big event on the CS:GO calendar, with 24 teams in attendance and a $1 million prize pool. The tournament will take place between January 31 and February 12. IEM Cologne is scheduled for July 25-26 and will also feature 24 teams and a $1 million prize purse.
TSM competed in CS:GO in 2015 and 2016, enjoying sustained success during their first year in the game, when their team, based in Denmark, won a series of international tournaments. In December 2015, TSM parted ways with the players, who went on to join Astralis.