ESL Pro Tour and ESL Impact make the leap to Counter-Strike 2

ESL Pro Tour is making a strategic leap into the future of competitive gaming, adopting Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) as their premier battleground for the ongoing and upcoming event.

This tectonic transition is already reshaping major competitions like the ESL Challenger Jönköping Qualifiers and the ESL Impact League Season 4, both of which have seamlessly pivoted to CS2. This shift comes as the traditional practice opportunities in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) are becoming increasingly limited, compelling teams and players to chart a new course in CS2.

The road ahead is paved with CS2, with the Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023 and all ESL Counter-Strike events scheduled thereafter making the bold switch. This includes an array of national championships and the eagerly anticipated ESL Pro Tour competitions slated for 2024. This represents nothing short of a paradigm shift in the competitive gaming realm.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Thank you for everything. pic.twitter.com/vdjtyHbbcJ

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) September 27, 2023

 

Embracing the CS2 era, these tournaments are embracing the MR12 format, where ongoing competitions will feature a mix of MR15 and MR12 matches. In the event of tiebreakers hanging in the balance of round differences, a decider match will be expertly orchestrated to ensure a level playing field and preserve the integrity of the competition.

CS2 has officially landed on FACEIT, and while ongoing tournaments such as the ESL Pro League Season 18 and ESEA League Season 46 will continue their CS:GO journey until October, the rapid, widespread adoption of CS2 speaks volumes about the game’s profound impact and the gaming community’s unwavering enthusiasm to embrace it.

The Dawn of CS2

ESL’s decision to steer all competitions toward Counter-Strike 2 comes hot on the heels of the game’s recent release. Some professional players argue that the CS2 ecosystem might not be fully primed for esports competitions yet, but for fans who have been yearning for this transition, it’s a long-awaited dream come true.

The initial competitions affected by this transformation include the ESL Challenger Jonkoping Qualifiers, kicking off on October 3rd. Other competitions, such as the ESL Challenger League, ESL Impact, and regional championships, originally rooted in CS:GO, will seamlessly transition to CS2 mid-season.

To ensure a smooth shift from MR15 to MR12, ESL has wisely decided that tiebreakers dependent on round differences will be resolved through decider matches. IEM Sydney 2023 will be the maiden major event conducted exclusively on the new Valve title, firmly establishing ESL’s commitment to this transition for all future events.

This marks the dawn of a new era in Counter-Strike, with some events like BLAST opting to stick with CS:GO for their Showdown events beginning on October 4th. Valve’s decision to replace CS:GO with CS2 on Steam, rendering CS:GO unplayable through traditional means, necessitated a swift adaptation by tournament organizers.

For instance, the recent disruption during an ESL Pro League Season 18 playoffs match, which eventually resumed on CS2, exemplifies the pace at which the esports industry is adjusting to this shift. BLAST Premier Fall Showdown events will still feature CS:GO, while the Fall Finals and subsequent BLAST Premier events will boldly stride into the CS2 era.

Header: ESL