During its 11-year lifespan, CSGO has been home to some of the biggest and most exciting tournaments in the history of esports with countless CSGO tournaments.
Now that it’s been replaced by CS2, we’re here to take a look down memory lane and recap some of the biggest CSGO tournaments from every year.
CSGO Tournaments – Year by Year
With competitive CSGO tournaments kicking off as early as 2013, we’re taking a look at each year of CSGO tournaments, highlighting the best event from each year. Perhaps this insight could assist your CS2 betting.
2013
Here’s a look at top CSGO tournaments from 2013:
| CSGO Tournaments 2023 | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| Copenhagen Games 2013 | $42,314 |
| ESEA Invite Season 13 Global Finals | $36,000 |
| RaidCall EMS One Spring 2013 Finals | $35,000 |
| DreamHack ummer 2013 | $30,901 |
| RaidCall EMS One Summer 2013 Finals | $35,000 |
| ESEA Invite Season 14Global Finals | $37,500 |
| DreamHack Bucharest 2013 | $15,000 |
| DreamHack Winter 2013 | $250,000 |
| ESWC 2013 | $25,000 |
| SLTV StarSeries VII Finals | $15,000 |
Our Pick – DreamHack Winter 2013
DreamHack Winter 2013 was the first of 19 CS:GO Majors and marked the beginning of the greatest competitive esports circuit in history.
Fnatic won the event on home soil, beating their countrymen NIP in the final and starting one of the longest and most fruitful rivalries in Counter-Strike history.
- Location: Jonkoping, Sweden
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $250,000
- Winner: Fnatic
- MVP: Jesper “JW” Wecksell
- Viewership: 145,000 (peak concurrent)
2014
| 2013 CSGO Tournament | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| ESEA Invite Season 15 Global Finals | $37,500 |
| Copenhagen Games 2014 | $35,919 |
| SLTV StarSeries IX Finals | $30,000 |
| DreamHack Summer 2014 | $30,000 |
| ESEA Invite Season 16 Global Finals | $47,500 |
| Gfinity 3 | $45,000 |
| ESWC 2014 | $50,000 |
| Fragbite Masters Season 3 Finals | $40,507 |
| EMS One Katowice 2014 | $250,000 |
| ESL One Cologne 2014 | $250,000 |
Our Pick – EMS One Katowice 2014
Both EMS One Katowice 2014 and ESL One Cologne 2014 were deserving of a spot on this list, but a choice had to be made and the story surrounding the Katowice event was slightly more compelling in comparison.
The likeable Poles of Virtus.pro, one of the top best CSGO team ever, claimed the Major title in front of their home crowd, besting NIP in the final and greatly contributing to the popularisation of CS:GO in their region – one of the best CSGO tournaments.
- Location: Katowice, Poland
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $250,000
- Winner: Virtus.pro
- MVP: Jaroslaw “pashaBiceps” Jarzabkowski
- Viewership: 250,000 (peak concurrent)
2015
| 2015 CSGO Tournament | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| ESL One Katowice 2015 | $250,000 |
| ESL One Cologne 2015 | $250,000 |
| DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 | $250,000 |
| ESEA Invite Season 18 Global Finals | $144,000 |
| Gfinity 2015 Summer Masters 1 | $80,000 |
| ESL ESEA Pro League Season 1 Finals | $250,000 |
| ESL ESEA Dubai Invitational 2015 | $250,000 |
| Gfinity 2015 Champion of Champions | $100,000 |
| World Championship 2015 | $100,000 |
| FACEIT League 2015 Stage 3 Finals | $250,000 |
| ESL ESEA Pro League Season 2 Finals | $250,000 |
Our Pick – EMS One Katowice 2015
The first Major of 2015 saw the ending of the Swedish trilogy, as fnatic defeated NIP in an unbelievable Grand Final, with the best player in the world Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer picking up the MVP medal.
This was also fnatic’s third Major victory, which was a record that stood for over four years, until the legendary Astralis squad came along.
Now every year, we cover the tournament in our IEM Katowice Betting Guide.
- Location: Katowice, Poland
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $250,000
- Winner: Fnatic
- MVP: Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer
- Viewership: 1,000,000 (peak concurrent)
2016
| 2016 CSGO Tournament | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| MLG Columbus 2016 | $1,000,000 |
| ESL One Cologne 2016 | $1,000,000 |
| ECS Season 2 Finals | $660,000 |
| ELEAGUE Season 2 | $1,100,000 |
| IEM Oakland 2016 | $300,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 4 Finals | $600,000 |
| EPICENTER: Moscow | $490,000 |
| ESL One New York | $250,000 |
| Si i-League StarSeries Season 2 Finals | $300,000 |
| ELEAGUE Season 1 | $1,400,000 |
| ECS Season 1 Finals | $765,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals | $512,000 |
| DH Masters Malmo 2016 | $250,000 |
| IEM Katowice 2016 | $250,000 |
Our Pick – MLG Columbus 2016
MLG Columbus 2016 was the first Major event outside Europe and saw a massive increase in prize money to a whopping one million dollars – making it one of the best CSGO tournaments.
The Brazilians of Luminosity Gaming made a name for themselves in this event, shocking established opponents in the playoffs and winning the title in exuberant fashion, including several unforgettable highlights.
- Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $1,000,000
- Winner: Luminosity Gaming
- MVP: Marcelo “coldzera” David
- Viewership: 1,600,000 (peak concurrent)
2017
| 2017 CSGO Tournaments | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| ELEAGUE Major 2017 | $1,000,000 |
| PGL Major: Kraków 2017 | $1,000,000 |
| ECS Season 4 Finals | $660,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 6 Finals | $750,000 |
| BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen | $250,000 |
| IEM Oakland 2017 | $300,000 |
| EPICENTER 2017 | $490,000 |
| ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2017 | $1,000,000 |
| ESL One New York 2017 | $250,000 |
| ESG Tour Mykonos 2017 | $250,000 |
| DreamHack Masters Malmo | $250,000 |
| ESL One Cologne | $250,000 |
| ECS Season 3 Finals | $660,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 5 Finals | $750,000 |
| IEM Sydney 2017 | $200,000 |
| Si i-League StarSeries Season 3 Finals | $300,000 |
| IEM Katowice | $250,000 |
| DH Masters Las Vegas 2017 | $450,000 |
| WESG 2016 World Finals | $1,500,000 |
Our Pick – ELEAGUE Major 2017
Legends were born in Atlanta, as Astralis beat Virtus.pro in the Grand Final and claimed their maiden Major title, before becoming the most dominant force in Counter-Strike history.
With that win, Markus ”Kjaerbye” Kjaerbye, who claimed the MVP medal for the event, became the youngest player ever to lift the Major trophy at just 18 years old.
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $1,000,000
- Winner: Astralis
- MVP: Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjaerbye
- Viewership: 1,300,000 (peak concurrent)
2018
| 2018 CSGO Tournaments | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018 | $1,000,000 |
| FACEIT Major: London 2018 | $1,000,000 |
| BLAST Pro Series Lisbon 2018 | $250,000 |
| ESL Pro League Seaso 8 Finals | $750,000 |
| IEM Chicago 2018 | $250,000 |
| BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen | $250,000 |
| EPICENTER 2018 | $295,000 |
| StarSeries i-League Season 6 | $300,000 |
| ESL One New York 2018 | $250,000 |
| BLAST Pro Series Istanbul | $250,000 |
| ZOTAC Cup Masters 2018 Grand Finals | $300,000 |
| IEM Shanghai 2018 | $250,000 |
| DreamHack Masters Stockholm 2018 | $250,000 |
| ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2018 | $1,000,000 |
| ESL One Cologne | $300,000 |
| CS:GO Asia Chamionships | $300,000 |
| ECS Season 5 Finals | $660,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 7 Finals | $750,000 |
| V4 Future Sports Festival 2018 | $600,000 |
| WESG 2017 World Finals | $1,500,000 |
| IEM Katowice 2018 | $500,000 |
Our Pick – ELEAGUE Major 2018
The ELEAGUE Major 2018 Grand Final is widely considered as the greatest Major Grand Final in history of CS:GO, with Cloud9 upsetting FaZe with a last minute comeback and lifting the trophy in front of their home crowd in Boston.
Moreover, the event also marks North America’s first and only CS:GO Major victory, with now popular streamer Tarik “tarik” Celik picking up the MVP medal.
- Location: Atlanta & Boston, USA
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $1,000,000
- Winner: Cloud9
- MVP: Tarik “tarik” Celik
- Viewership: 1,300,000 (peak concurrent)
2019
| 2019 CSGO Tournaments | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| IEM Katowice Major 2019 | $1,000,000 |
| StarLadder Major: Berlin 2019 | $1,000,000 |
| Champions Cup Finals | $300,000 |
| EPICENTER 2019 | $500,000 |
| cs_summit 5 | $150,000 |
| BLAST Pro Series Global Final 2019 | $500,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 10 Finals | $600,000 |
| ECS Season 8 Finals | $500,000 |
| CS:GO Asia Championships 2019 | $500,000 |
| IEM Beijing 2019 | $250,000 |
| StarSeries i-League Season 8 | $500,000 |
| DreamHack Masters Malmo | $250,000 |
| ESL One New York 2019 | $200,000 |
| V4 Future Sports Festival 2019 | $330,000 |
| BLAST Pro Series Moscow 2019 | $250,000 |
| IEM Chicago 2019 | $250,000 |
| BLAST Pro Series LA | $250,000 |
| ESL One Cologne 2019 | $300,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 9 Finals | $600,000 |
| ECS Seaso 7 Finals | $500,000 |
| DH Masters Dallas | $250,000 |
| IEM Sydney 2019 | $250,000 |
| WESG 2018 World Finals | $890,000 |
| iBUYPOWER Masters 2019 | $200,000 |
Our Pick – IEM Katowice Major 2019
The IEM Katowice Major 2019 is probably most known for the surprise run to the Grand Final by ENCE, an up-and-coming Finnish roster with Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen at the helm.
Additionally, Astralis claimed their third Major trophy, shortly after the passing of Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen’s father, whom he dedicated the win to. Such storylines make it one of the best CSGO tournaments.
In 2019, we also saw the popularization of BLAST tournaments and BLAST Premier Betting.
- Location: Katowice, Poland
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $1,000,000
- Winner: Astralis
- MVP: Emil “Magisk” Reif
- Viewership: 1,200,000 (peak concurrent)
2020
| 2020 CSGO Tournaments | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| Flow FiReLEAGUE 2020 Global Finals | $70,000 |
| IEM Katowice 2020 | $500,000 |
| ICE Challenge 2020 | $250,000 |
| DreamHack Open Leipzig 2020 | $100,000 |
| IEM Global Challenge 2020 | $500,000 |
| BLAST Premier Fall 2020 Finals | $425,000 |
| Flashpoint 2 | $1,000,000 |
| BLAST Premier Fall 2020 Showdown | $150,000 |
| IEM Beijing-Haidian 2020 Europe | $150,000 |
| IEM New York 2020 Europe | $140,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 12 Europe | $450,000 |
| ESL One Cologne 2020 Europe | $325,000 |
| Perfect World Asia League Summer 2020 | $100,000 |
| cs_summit 6 Europe | $125,000 |
| BLAST Premier Spring Europe Finals | $500,000 |
| DH Masters Spring 2020 Europe | $160,000 |
| Flashpoint 1 | $1,000,000 |
Our Pick – IEM Katowice 2020
Being the last big LAN event before Counter-Strike went online, it was an easy choice for our least, despite not standing out in any particular way.
Having said that, the CS:GO GOAT Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev claimed the MVP medal and won his first ESL Championship level trophy, further cementing his legacy as the esports betting site favourite of Natus Vincere were crowned champions.
- Location: Katowice, Poland
- Event Prestige: S-Tier International LAN
- Prize Pool: $500,000
- Winner: NAVI
- MVP: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Viewership: 1,000,000 (peak concurrent)
2021
| 2021 CSGO Tournaments | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| PGL Major Stockholm 2021 | $2,000,000 |
| BLAST Premier World Final 2021 | $1,000,000 |
| IEM Winter 2021 | $250,000 |
| BLAST Premier Fall Final 2021 | $425,000 |
| V4 Future Sports Festival 2021 | $330,000 |
| Elisa Invitational Fall 2021 | $100,000 |
| IEM Fall 2021 Europe | $105,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 14 | $750,000 |
| IEM Cologne 2021 | $1,000,000 |
| IEM Summer 2021 | $250,000 |
| DH Masters Spring 2021 | $250,000 |
| Funspark ULTI 2020 Europe Final | $250,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 13 | $750,000 |
| IEM Katowice 2021 | $1,000,000 |
| BLAST Premier Spring Groups | $150,000 |
| cs_summit 7 | $200,000 |
| BLAST Premier Global Final 2020 | $1,000,000 |
Our Pick – PGL Major Stockholm 2021
PGL Major Stockholm 2021 was probably the most awaited Major of all time, with the tournament breaking all previous viewership records. Due to there not being a Major since 2019, the prize pool was increased to an enormous amount of two million dollars – one of the best CSGO tournaments.
Gameplay wise, s1mple claimed his long-awaited maiden Major trophy, after dominating the competition and NAVI not losing a single map in the whole tournament.
It was at this time, that rumours about the future of CSGO and CS2 tournaments began to circulate.
- Location: Stockholm, Sweden
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $2,000,000
- Winner: NAVI
- MVP: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Viewership: 2,700,000 (peak concurrent)
2022
| 2022 CSGO Tournaments | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| PGL Major Antwerp 2022 | $1,000,000 |
| IEM Rio Major 2022 | $1,250,000 |
| BLAST Premier World Final 2022 | $1,000,000 |
| IESF World Championship 2022 | $100,000 |
| BLAST Premier Fall Final 2022 | $425,000 |
| Flow FiReLEAGUE 2022 Global Finals | $150,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 16 | $823,000 |
| Fragadelphia 17 | $100,000 |
| BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2022 | $177,500 |
| IEM Cologne 2022 | $1,000,000 |
| Roobet Cup 2022 | $250,000 |
| BLAST Premier Spring Final 2022 | $425,000 |
| Global Esports Tour Dubai 2022 | $250,000 |
| Pinnacle Cup Championship 2022 | $250,000 |
| IEM Dallas 2022 | $250,000 |
| IEM Katowice 2022 | $1,000,000 |
Our Pick – IEM Cologne 2022
The IEM Cologne 2022 Grand Final is among the best S-Tier Grand Finals in history of CS:GO, with FaZe outlasting NAVI over a treacherous five maps of excellent Counter-Strike gameplay.
The tournament also saw several surprise performances and unexpected playoff runs from the likes of Astralis, Liquid, and Movistar Riders – surprises always make the best esports tournaments.
- Location: Cologne, Germany
- Event Prestige: S-Tier International LAN
- Prize Pool: $1,000,000
- Winner: FaZe
- MVP: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Viewership: 1,200,000 (peak concurrent)
2023
| 2023 CSGO Tournaments | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| BLAST Paris Major 2023 | $1,250,000 |
| BLAST Premier World Final | $1,000,000 |
| BetBoom Dacha 2023 | $300,000 |
| CCT Online Finals 5 | $200,000 |
| Elisa Masters Espoo 2023 | $200,000 |
| BLAST Premier Fall Final 2023 | $425,000 |
| CS Asia Championships 2023 | $500,000 |
| Thunderpick World Championship | $500,000 |
| Roobet Cup | $250,000 |
| IEM Sydney 2023 | $250,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 18 | $850,000 |
| IESF World Championship 2023 | $100,000 |
| Gamers8 2023 | $1,000,000 |
| IEM Cologne 2023 | $1,000,000 |
| BLAST Premier Spring Final 2023 | $425,000 |
| IEM Dallas 2023 | $250,000 |
| IEM Rio 2023 | $250,000 |
| ESL Pro League Season 17 | $850,000 |
| IEM Katowice 2023 | $1,000,000 |
Our Pick – BLAST.tv Paris Major
The last CS:GO Major blessed the viewers with one of the most unexpected Major playoff brackets in history of the game, with teams like Into the Breach, Apeks, Monte, and GamerLegion making the top eight.
With the community concerned with if CSGO was dying, this tournament proved them wrong.
Additionally, Vitality winning the title meant that Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Dan “apEX” Madesclaire lifted the trophy on home soil, and dupreeh claimed his record-breaking fifth Major title.
Ending the life of competitive CSGO with a bang, it’s one of the best CSGO tournaments.
- Location: Paris, France
- Event Prestige: Major
- Prize Pool: $1,250,000
- Winner: Vitality
- MVP: Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
- Viewership: 1,500,000 (peak concurrent)
CSGO Tournaments FAQs
What is the biggest CS:GO tournament?
The biggest CS:GO tournament was the PGL Stockholm Major, which boasted a prize pool of USD 2,000,000. It achieved the highest ever number of viewers for such an event.
How many CSGO Majors were there in 2023?
In 2023, there was only one CS:GO Major, the BLAST Paris Major.
