As all CSGO fans around the world can confirm, it’s been far, FAR too long since the last CSGO Major Tournament. In August of 2019, we were treated to the StarLadder Berlin Major, but since then, COVID-19 has kept us from having another Major event. Sure, we’ve had other tournaments come and go, but the excitement of a full-fledged Major is something we’ve all missed. Now, to address that absence, PGL is hosting the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 event, a no-holds-barred, exhilarating bout, featuring a record-breaking CSGO prize pool.
From the 26th of October to the 7th of November, the finest CSGO players in the world will compete for their share of $2 million. It’s the biggest Major Tournament prize pool in history, but there are more than just a few epic milestones being hit through this event. Firstly, it’ll be the first live event held at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm for more than fifteen months. Furthermore, it’s only the third CSGO Major to be held in Sweden, which has only just given the green light for such events to be held.
Make no mistake, the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 event is set to be nothing short of incredible.
PGL Major Stockholm 2021: Format and Schedule
For this event, the play has been broken up into three stages: Challengers, Legends, and Champions. These three stages consist of different tiers of teams facing off against one another – at first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking this format is quite confusing. It works like this:
- Challengers Stage (26th – 29th October)
- 16 teams competing in a Swiss System format
- Standard matches are Bo1, with all Elimination and Advancement matches being Bo3
- The top EIGHT teams proceed to the Legends stage
- The bottom eight teams are eliminated from the PGL Major Stockholm 2021
- Legends Stage (30th – 2nd November)
- 16 teams competing in a Swiss System format
- Like the Challengers Stage, standard matches are Bo1, with all Elimination and Advancement matches being Bo3
- Again, the top EIGHT teams proceed to the Champions Stage
- The bottom eight teams are eliminated from the PGL Major Stockholm 2021
- Champions Stage (4th – 7th November)
- Single-Elimination format bracket
- All matches adopt a Bo3 format
- Culminates in the Grand Final fixture on the 7th of November
Here’s a graphic, provided by PGL Esports, that highlights the exact dates of each stage:
Although there are a few days left until the tournament commences, online bookmakers have started getting markets in order. Right now, you have the ability to track through some of the PGL Major CSGO odds out there and start placing timely CSGO bets. There are already plenty of markets to choose from, and platforms like Betway Esports have started sizing up some PGL Major Stockholm betting promotions.
PGL Major Stockholm 2021: Teams
As you can imagine, a tournament of this level features nothing but the finest CSGO talent in the world. However, as we’ve already mentioned, there are a few ‘tiers’ of teams being featured in this Major, some more prolific than others. For example, eight of the best CSGO teams in the world have been pre-selected to jump ahead into the Legends Stage. Then, a little lower down, a further 12 teams have qualified to enter through the Challengers Stage.
Here’s the breakdown of the Legends-tier teams:
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- FURIA Esports
- Natus Vincere
- Team Vitality
- Team Liquid
- Gambit Esports
- G2 Esports
- Evil Geniuses
There are high hopes for every team on that list, but the cream of the crop at this stage is Natus Vincere, aka Na’Vi. This Russian side is the odds-on favorite to win the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 event, bringing home the lion’s share of the $2 million prize. It’s no big secret that Na’Vi is an absolute force in the CSGO environment, and in recent months, the team has experienced a mindblowing string of successes through competitive CSGO.
In 2021 alone, Na’Vi has claimed first place at IEM Cologne, the Intel Grand Slam, the ESL Pro League, and the BLAST Premier Fall Groups series. If anyone is going to beat Na’Vi, they’ll need remarkable skill on the field. The teams least likely to pull off that grand victory at the Challengers-tier teams, as follows:
- Team Spirit
- Astralis
- paiN Gaming
- ENCE
- BIG
- Movistar Riders
- Heroic
- MOUZ
- Sharks Esports
- TYLOO
- Renegades
- Entropiq
- GODSENT
- Virtus.pro
- Copenhagen Flames
- FaZe Clan
There’s a great mix there, but ultimately, it’s a roster of underdog teams in this competition. Can any of them pull off the impossible, effectively defying the expected CSGO betting odds? We’ll have to wait and see. Let’s be honest, this Major brings out opportunities for more than just the players, and the PGL Major betting potential is going to be massive.
PGL Major Stockholm 2021: Predictions
As we’ve already mentioned, Natus Vincere has the odds-on favoritism of the bookies pushing it ever onwards. It’s by far and wide the team with the most expectations behind it, and there’s a very, very high chance that it could win the grand prize at the end of this event. Firstly, we have to look at the overall strength of the team, driven chiefly by the world-class veteran, s1mple. There’s a massively powerful foundation in this team, and upcoming superstars b1t and Perfecto offer further dominating forces to the roster.
Although, b1t and Perfecto are relative newcomers – the sudden appearance in front of a 14,000-strong crowd of screaming fans could mess with their minds.
With that in mind, there’s still plenty of power driving Ninjas in Pyjamas, Gambit, Heroic, and Astralis. Each team is hugely capable right now, and they could give Na’Vi a run for its money. If you’re interested in throwing down a PGL Major Stockholm 2021 outsider bet, then put a little wager on FaZe Clan or Vitality to win the event. Right now, there are more PGL Major predictions circulating out there than you can shake a stick at, but almost all of them are leaning in this direction.
Ultimately, the PGL Major betting is hotter than ever before this year, and sparks are set to fly around the Avicii Arena as these teams go head-to-head.
PGL Major Stockholm 2021: Ways to Bet
If you’re looking to partake in a little PGL Major betting, you can get started right now. There are several markets available for each of the opening fixtures, as well as outrights for the entire tournament itself. There are countless esports betting sites out there preparing to accept your wagers, and the odds are looking better than ever; it’s just a question of which platform you’ll pick.
When you’re about to start placing bets on the PGL Major CSGO odds, remember to play the field a little. This tip is infinitely more important if you’re a new esports bettor, as many of these platforms are just waiting to offer you welcome bonuses and promotional offers. Once you’ve picked the platforms you’ll bet with, take advantage of the most well-informed PGL Major predictions, like the ones found in this guide.
Finally, once play has commenced, we recommend watching the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 event live, as much as possible. There will be countless opportunities for in-play, live, and dynamic betting, and if you’re involved in the streams, you’ll have a much better chance of winning them.
We wish you the best of luck with your PGL Major Stockholm 2021 wagers!
