Overview of CS Major Championships

The CS Major Championships, sponsored by Valve, are premier tournaments with a minimum prize pool of $1,000,000 (previously $250,000). The first Major was announced at DreamHack Winter 2013. Unlike previous versions of Counter-Strike, Valve provides significant support and sponsorship for these events, elevating them to the pinnacle of competitive CS.

Tournament Structure and Stages

The structure of the Major Championships has evolved over time, with notable changes introduced at the ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018. The tournament now features 24 teams and is divided into three stages:

1. The New Challengers Stage (formerly the Offline Qualifier)

• This stage features teams that have fallen from the previous Major and champions from regional Minor tournaments.
• Eight spots are available for teams to advance to the next stage.

2. The New Legends Stage (formerly the Group Stage)

• The New Challengers join the Current Legends to compete for eight spots in the New Champions Stage.
• Teams that succeed here are recognized as the New Legends.

3. The New Champions Stage (formerly the Playoffs)

• The top eight teams from the New Legends Stage compete for the Major Championship title.
• The winner of this stage is crowned the Major Champion.

Teams and Qualification

Teams qualify for different stages of the Major based on their performance in previous events and regional Minor championships:

• Top Eight Teams from Previous Major: Automatically qualify for the New Legends Stage.
• Top Eight Teams from the New Challengers Stage: Promoted to Challengers and compete in the New Legends Stage.
• Regional Minor Champions: Top two teams from each regional Minor championship and two third-place teams qualify for the New Challengers Stage.

In-Game Items

In-game items such as souvenir packages and stickers are an integral part of Major events. These items are collectible and often gain significant value:

1. Souvenir Packages:

• Introduced at DreamHack Winter 2013, these packages contain special souvenir weapons and can be obtained by watching the tournament with a linked Steam account.
• Souvenir packages include stickers representing the teams and players involved in the match from which the package was dropped.

2. Team and Player Stickers:

• Introduced at EMS One Katowice 2014, these stickers come in standard, foil, and holographic versions.
• Player autograph stickers were added at ESL One: Cologne 2015, allowing fans to collect signatures of their favorite players.
• Special gold player autographs were introduced at PGL Kraków 2017.

3. Viewer Pass and Missions:

• Starting with IEM Katowice 2019, Valve introduced the Viewer Pass, which provides access to event-related missions and rewards such as souvenir packages, event coins, and team graffiti.
• Souvenir packages and rewards can also be obtained by completing missions and upgrading the event coin.