PGL to hold CS:GO Major 2022 in Antwerp this May
Bucharest-based PGL has announced via Twitter that it will be hosting the Counter: Strike: Global Offensive Major of 2022 with a US$1 million prize pool. This will be the third CSGO Major that will be hosted by the company.
The company is known to organize its first PGL Krakow in 2017 followed by the massively successful PGL Stockholm in 2021, said to be the most successful Major in CSGO history.
Supported by Belgian esports production company META, the CS:GO Major 2022 will be held in Antwerp, Belgium. The most prestigious tournament in Counter-Strike is expected to start on May 9 and conclude on May 22.
“We are glad to have the opportunity to bring back the fans and players together for another CS:GO Major,” said Silviu Stroie, the CEO of PGL, in its official press release.
What to expect from Antwerp
This would be the first time that a CSGO Major to be hosted in Belgium. The company considers the heavy fanbase that the region has for esports. The playoffs will be held in the Antwerps Sportpaleis, an 18,000 capacity arena that is only 30 minutes away from the Brussels airport.
“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,” Stroie explained.
“Belgium was our first option for the Major because it is situated in the heart of Europe. The location is accessible for everyone, and Sportpaleis is only 30 minutes away from the Brussels airport.”
The competition is set to be played offline with an in-house audience. The organizer has also revealed that fans will have the chance to purchase tickets for the PGL Antwerp Major that will take place from May 19 – May 22.
Naturally, PGL will also be holding the final RMR (regional major ranking) tournaments. The tournaments will decide who qualifies for the PGL Antwerp Major 2022. A report by HLTV.org revealed the RMRs will take place on LAN for 3 regions – North and South America, Europe and CIS, and Asia and Oceania.
Remarkable success of PGL Stockholm
Although reports said that fans had expected that 2022 major to be hosted by ESL in Brazil, apparently Valve decided yet again to let the Romanian organization host its most prestigious event. Most probably due to its success with PGL Stockholm.
However, as Valve aims to host two majors in 2022, it might be a bit too soon to let that expectation go.
PGL Stockholm itself, so far, remains the only Major with a prize pool of US$2 million as the organizer decides to revert the prize pool back to pre-PGL Stockholm. Marking the official return of CS:GO to LAN, the event is said to be the second Major after PGL Stockholm to be broadcasted in 4K.
The event shattered the viewership records of the previous StarLadder Berlin Major on the first day of the Legends Stage. There, the intense Grand Final between Natus Vincere and G2 became the most-watched CSGO Major ever with 2.75 Million concurrent viewers. This tough battle, in which the NaVi came out victorious without dropping a single map, surpassed the previous record by ELEAGUE Atlanta Major by more than 1.5 million.
Despite complaints of bad audio mixing and broadcasting mishaps, rumor has it that PGL Stockholm was also very successful in terms of Sticker sales.
