Counter-Strike has been the most popular competitive shooter for well over a decade, spawning an esports scene that features several legendary tournaments each calendar year. Even after the switch to Counter-Strike 2, the scene remains as popular as ever thanks to its plethora of tournaments, including the illustrious Majors.
Here are the best Counter-Strike tournaments to look forward to in 2025.
Best Counter-Strike 2 Tournaments in 2025
IEM Katowice
The Intel Extreme Masters series of tournaments have been a staple of Counter-Strike esports for years. Katowice has been the setting for several excellent events for more than a decade, and 2025 will be no different. Winning Katowice also gets a team one step closer to winning the Intel Grand Slam and its separate $1 million prize.
- Dates: January 29, 2025 – February 9, 2025
- Number of Teams Attending: 24
- Prize Pool: $1,000,000 (estimated, based on previous iterations)
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
BLAST has been a regular feature in the Counter-Strike tournament schedule since 2017, and earned the honor of hosting the last CS:GO Major before the switch to CS2. In 2025, BLAST is switching its tournament format, with seasons that culminate in a Rivals tournament that crowns the top team in the world.
- Dates: April 28, 2025 – May 4, 2025
- Number of Teams Attending: 8
- Prize Pool: TBD
The BLAST.tv Austin Major
The Majors are the most prestigious events in the Counter-Strike circuit, and in 2025 the Major returns to North America for the first time since 2018. BLAST will organize just its second Major ever in Austin, Texas, which will also be the last Major to utilize the Regional Major Rankings events to determine qualification.
- Dates: June 9, 2025 – June 22, 2025
- Number of Teams Attending: 24
- Prize Pool: $1,250,000
The CS2 Winter Major
The second of the two Majors scheduled for 2025 is still a long ways away. StarLadder will reportedly host the Major for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, in Budapest, Hungary, though that information has not yet been confirmed by Valve. This will be the biggest Major yet, with the format expected to grow to include 32 teams.
- Dates: December 1, 2025 – December 14, 2025 (reported)
- Number of Teams Attending: 32
- Prize Pool: $1,250,000
These are just the biggest events of the year. The beauty of the Counter-Strike ecosystem lies in how large the scene is as a whole, with hundreds of events each year ranging from top-tier international tournaments to local LANs.
Which event are you planning to attend? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
Stay tuned to Insider Gaming for the latest esports news
Comments