After just one full season in operation, new Esports company Eleague will host the first Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship of 2017. Majors are the biggest events on the CS:GO competitive circuit; they are sponsored by Valve and, as of last year, feature a prize purse of $1,000,000. You can check out the launch trailer above.
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Eleaguewill pit the top eight teams from the previous Major (the “Legends”) against eight teams picked from a LAN qualifier tournament (the “Challengers”). Based on the results of ESL One: Cologne 2016, the eight confirmed Legends teams are Godsent, Team Liquid, SK Gaming, Virtus.pro, Astralis, FlipSid3 Tactics, Gambit Gaming and Natus Vincere.
The sixteen teams will then compete in group stage matches, before eight finalists meet in a single-elimination group stage during the concluding two days of the tournament, which will run from 22-29 January 2017.
Competitive CS:GO fans can check out Eleague’s Twitch channel for live coverage, or – if you’re really keen – buy tickets to watch the event live from their website. You’ll need to get yourself to Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Eleaguewas founded only last year, and yet it is already hosting the tenth Major in the history of competitive CS:GO. It is only the third such tournament to offer a prize purse of a million dollars. Part of the reason is its substantial backing;Eleaguewas formed in partnership between WME | IMG and Turner, a major American cable broadcaster. In an exciting statement of Turner’s commitment to eSports, and a first for CS:GO Majors, the grand final of theEleagueMajor will be televised live on TBS alongside its Twitch stream.
“Less than one year sinceEleague’sdebut, we’re thrilled to host the next CS:GO Major Championship and we will utilize all of our collective resources to help further elevate this prestigious event,” said Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports.
You can learn more about the Eleague Major 2017 over at Liquipedia. Will you be watching?