What awaits us at PGL Major Antwerp 2022?

For many years, the most prestigious Counter-Strike competitions have been the CSGO Major tournaments. It was the majors that gathered the largest number of spectators among other tournaments. Every time, events of this level become a holiday for the fans of the game, who actively support their idols and place bets at the bookmaker ggbet.ru. Very soon we will have another major - PGL Major Antwerp 2022, which will be held from May 19 to May 22. A grandiose event is expected, eclipsing other events in its scale. Since Valorant breathes down the neck of the owners of Counter Strike esports teams, the future of the professional scene largely depends on the results of the upcoming tournament.

So what are we waiting for? Twenty-four teams from all over the world will compete for an impressive $1 million prize pool. The winners will also receive the Major Champion title. CS:GO hosts many large-scale and prestigious tournaments, but «the majors» still stand above the rest. For this reason, the champion title of this event is clearly more prestigious than all other championship titles. The 17th iteration of the prestigious Valve-sponsored event will be hosted by PGL, the same company that hosted the 2021 Major in Stockholm.

This time the Major will be held in the Belgian city of Antwerp. The event will bring together the best teams in the world, who will have to qualify through tournaments of the Regional Major Rating (RMR). No team is guaranteed a place in Antwerp, not even NAVI, the best team of 2021 and the reigning Major champion. Valve has brought some regions together by creating three RMR events that will determine the 24 teams participating in the Major: Europe, North & South America, and Asia Pacific. The number of seats allocated to each region was determined by how they performed at the previous Major. The RMR tournaments will be hosted by PGL at the company's studio in Bucharest from April 11-24.

PGL Major Antwerp will be divided into three stages: Challengers, Legends and Champions:

• Challengers Stage: May 9-12;
• Legends Stage: May 14-17;
• Champions Stage: May 19-22.

The first two stages will take place behind closed doors in a studio setting, while the last one will take place at the Antwerps Sportpaleis stadium with a capacity of 18,000 spectators. This will be the first ever CS:GO Major to be held in Belgium. According to PGL representatives, Belgium is located in the very center of Europe, which is very convenient for holding an international championship of this level. The company also said that spectators will be able to attend the playoffs, but PGL is «ready to adapt plans to ensure the safety of all participants».

Bart de Wever, Mayor of Antwerp, commented on the news of the upcoming event: «We are thrilled that Antwerp is hosting such a high-profile esports championship. The CS:GO Majors has millions of viewers and tens of thousands of fans will visit our city to watch the matches. In addition , this will be the first time this tournament has been hosted in Belgium or the Netherlands and will allow Antwerp to establish itself internationally as a important spot for esports, a hugely exciting and fast growing sector».