CSGO: PGL Major Antwerp Revealed as First Major of 2022
Published: Feb 3, 2022 - Last Updated: Jul 22, 2023
If you’ve been waiting around for 2022’s CSGO calendar to kick off, we’re about to make your day. Between the 9th and the 22nd of May, the PGL Major Antwerp will take place, acting as the first CSGO Major in 2022. It’s a $1 million event that will be played by the world’s greatest CSGO teams, and it’s the first time in history that a CSGO Major has been held in Belgium. However, only the final stage – the New Champions Stage – will be open for spectators to attend.
The last PGL Major to take place was in October of 2021, held in Stockholm. It was a record-breaking event that boasted the biggest prize pool in CSGO history at $2 million. At that event, Natus Vincere walked away with a $1 million share – but who will claim the top prize at the PGL Major Antwerp?
The Most Major Tournament
In the dynamic and diverse world of CSGO tournaments, there are few events more exhilarating than a Major. They’re proving grounds for the greatest CSGO players in the world, and there’s a huge amount of money up for grabs. It’s where the top-tier, most elite CSGO teams face-off against one another, and where many bettors make money wagering on CSGO odds.
In May, the PGL Major Belgium will follow the traditional (but relatively new) CSGO Major format. There are three stages to be played by the twenty-four teams involved:
- New Challengers Stage (9th – 12th May)
- New Legends Stage (14th – 17th May)
- New Champions Stage (19th – 22nd May)
For the teams, there’s also a split, with competitors falling under one of three categories: Contenders, Challengers, and Legends. While the tournament may seem somewhat confusing to a newcomer, it’s actually designed to be as fair and stable as possible. For the first two stages, a Swiss System format is employed, with a Buchholz system being used to seed matches in later rounds. These are frameworks and mechanics designed to encourage complete fairness among contenders.
In the final stage, the New Champions Stage, a tense, single-elimination bracket will be held to determine the ultimate victor. At the PGL Major Antwerp, the grand prize is a massive $500,000, 1800 Pro Tour points, 4000 BLAST Premier Points, and qualification for the BLAST Premier World Final.
The Early Expectations
This is set to be an exciting tournament for all those involved. In a statement released recently, Silviu Stroie, the CEO of PGL, said:
We are glad to have the opportunity to bring back the fans and players together for another CSGO Major. 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.
For fans that cannot attend the in-arena event, the PGL Antwerp Major will be the second Major to be broadcast in 4K. If you’re going to be watching from home, it’s well worth getting involved with a little CSGO betting as the play unfolds. After all, it shouldn’t just be the teams potentially making a little money from the PGL Major Belgium event.
Currently, regional qualifers are taking place, and we don’t know the exact roster of teams competing at the PGL Major event in May. While there are several teams that will definitely be in attendence, it’s hard to predict which of the ‘underdog teams’ will make it up through the ranks. Of course, industry icons such as Natus Vincere, G2 Esports, Gambit, and Heroic will certainly make an appearance.
There’s a little time to wait until the PGL Major Antwerp kicks off – let’s watch this space.
