By Sagar V. Mankar “A New Era” in the Counter-Strike (CS2) Competitive Landscape
On the finale day of PGL Copenhagen Major 2024, event organizer PGL has unveiled plans to host an impressive lineup of 11 Tier 1 Counter-Strike 2 tournaments in 2025 and 2026.
This bold initiative is the direct result of Valve’s recent changes to the CS2 licensing rules, which will be in effect from 2025.
The updated licensing rules have effectively ended the era of exclusive leagues and team-organizer partnerships, directly impacting the long-standing dominance of organizers like BLAST and ESL.
New Valve Rule (published in Aug 2023)
- Tournament organizers cannot have “unique business relationships or other conflicts of interest” with teams participating in their tournaments.
- Invitations to tournaments must use Valve’s ranking system or have open qualifiers.
- Back to an “Open ecosystem” where ability is the main determinant of team success, rather than business relationships.
- Valve gave tournament organizers until 2025 to honor existing long-term commitments before the new rules take effect.
- The semi-franchised models used by ESL Pro League and BLAST Premier would need to be overhauled under these new rules in their current formats.
This shift has opened the door for PGL to step in as a formidable competitor, promising a level playing field where the best teams can truly shine.
Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the PGL events:
PGL 2025 Tournament Schedule:
- Tournament 1: February 10-24
- Tournament 2: March 31 – April 14
- Tournament 3: May 3-19
- Tournament 4: September 29 – October 13
- Tournament 5: October 18 – November 3
PGL 2026 Tournament Schedule:
- Tournament 6: February 16 – March 2
- Tournament 7: March 23 – April 6
- Tournament 8: May 2-18
- Tournament 9: August 3-17
- Tournament 10: September 28 – October 12
- Tournament 11: October 19 – November 2
PGL Copenhagen Major Success
In a statement, PGL has declared itself as the last independent tournament organizer in the CS2 esports scene, operating without government investment or venture capital backing.
PGL’s credentials in organizing top-tier events are already well-established, as evidenced by the resounding success of the PGL Copenhagen Major – the first-ever Counter-Strike 2 Major tournament.
This historic event witnessed NAVI’s triumph over FaZe Clan in the Grand Finals, securing not only the coveted CS2 Major championship but also invitations to the prestigious Esports World Cup 2024 and the BLAST World Finals 2024.
Also, the grand final between NAVI and FaZe Clan garnered over 1.8 million peak viewers, making it the third most-watched Counter-Strike event of all time after another PGL event PGL Major Stockholm 2021 and PGL Major Antwerp 2022, according to Esports Charts.
These viewership records showcase PGL’s expertise in crafting unforgettable esports experiences as all top 3 events are now PGL Events.