MLG to Host First American CSGO Major
In the booming world of CSGO, Dreamhack and ESL have been the go-to hosts for major Valve sponsored events. However, MLG has now been given the opportunity to host the first ever American CSGO major.
Valve’s Trust in MLG
Being a Valve sponsored event, this major comes with funding, a $250,000 prize pool, sticker sales, and the participation of the best teams and talent in competitive CSGO. The fact that Valve has entrusted MLG to host this world-class event is a sign of their confidence in the organization. MLG previously hosted the winter X-games CSGO tournament, which received high praise for its top-notch production quality.
Excitement from MLG’s Executive Vice President
In a press release, MLG’s Executive Vice President, Adam Apicella, expressed his excitement about hosting this major event. He stated, “For our first CS:GO event we brought the competition to the Aspen X Games. We wanted to bring the game back to North American fans in a big way, and hosting a Major in front of thousands of spectators at Nationwide Arena is an exciting way to do that.”
Event Details and Team Lineups
The major will take place from March 29th to April 3rd. The group stages and quarterfinals will be held at MLG Arena, and then the event will move to Nationwide Arena, home to Columbus’ NHL team, the Blue Jackets. A total of 16 teams from around the world will be invited to attend.
When it comes to American teams, Cloud 9’s performance has been inconsistent in the past 6 months. While they were once seen as contenders against the best teams, they have struggled to make it out of the groups in the last two majors. Now, Team Liquid’s new and improved lineup with Hiko is challenging Cloud 9 for the title of best North American team.
On the European side, teams like Team EnVyUs, TSM, Fnatic, NiP, VP, G2, and Navi are all performing strongly. EnVyUs has recently won the last major and looks better than ever. TSM is currently in good form, Fnatic is ready to make another run to the top, NiP is playing well, and teams like VP, G2, and Navi are always capable of surprises. With MLG hosting the major and these teams competing, the American turf is set for an exciting show.