2022, which was filled with fantastic performances in the professional CS:GO scene, is behind us. 2022 was full of amazing competitions that gave us many unforgettable emotions. We saw how G2 Esports were able to triumph in their first S-tier tournament in five years after a confident victory over Team Liquid in the BLAST Grand Finals. In October, we saw the Outsiders win the IEM Rio Major with a $500,000 main prize. In addition to money, the team received a ticket to the IEM Katowice 2023 tournament along with a ticket to the BLAST World Final, where they were eliminated in the group stage. At the February Intel Extreme Masters Season XVI tournament in Katowice, the mighty FaZe Clan took home the top prize of $400,000 after defeating them in the final match.
What can CS:GO fans expect in 2023? Here are just a few of the events we are looking forward to watching and betting next year at Mostbet Bangladesh.
IEM Katowice 2023
In 2023, the IEM Katowice 2023 organized by ESL will take place in Katowice and run from 31 January to 13 February 2023. It includes a play-in stage that will run from January 31st to February 1st, with the main draw starting from February 2nd to February 12th, 2023. This is the first S-Tier tournament of the year with a $1,000,000 prize pool.
The winner will also automatically qualify for IEM Cologne 2023 starting in July. The best teams in the world are invited to the IEM group stage, and those who will get a unique chance to prove their strength and challenge these teams will perform at the first stage.
ESL Pro League (Season 17)
Once IEM Katowice is over, we won’t have to wait long for the next S-Tier tournament. Shortly thereafter, the 17th season of the EPL will begin and will be held in Malta from February 21 to April 2, 2023. The total prize pool is $835,000, and the tiumfartor will be eligible to participate in IEM Cologne 2023. It is expected that the 24 strongest teams will participate in the tournament, but at the time of writing, we only know about 15 of them. These teams include Heroic, G2, Team Liquid, FaZe Clan, NAVI, MOUZ, Furia, Team Vitality, Fnatic, Ninjas in Pajamas, ENCE, BIG, Astralis, Complexity, and Evil Geniuses. It should be an exciting few weeks as Team Vitality returns to defend their crown – defeating Team Liquid in the Season 16 Finals to earn $200,000 along with invitations to two of the biggest tournaments.
Paris Major 2023
The first CS:GO Major will take place in Paris from May 8 to May 23, 2023. The qualifiers for it will be held from February to April. The prize fund of the Paris Major is $1,250,000, which is $250,000 more than in previous major tournaments. This is not only the first Major organized in France, but also the first organized by BLAST itself.
This is a new milestone for the organizers of the event, as CEO Robbie Dweck noted in a September statement: “BLAST has always been ambitious and it is a dream to attend the Major, an event considered the pinnacle of CS:GO and competitive gaming. We were waiting for the right moment to make an unforgettable Major. The time has come.
On the eve of the second round of the presidential elections in France, French President Emmanuel Macron appeared before journalists in a Team Vitality sweatshirt modeled after the French flag. During the campaign, the incumbent French President emphasized that he wants to make France the center of computer games and bring CS:GO finals, as well as Dota 2 and League of Legends, to his country. If the major really takes place in Paris, one of the president’s requirements has been fulfilled. This is a historic moment for both BLAST and the French esports scene.
IEM Cologne 2023
This tournament is being prepared for most of the first half of the year. Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023 will take place at the LANXESS arena in Cologne from July 25 to August 6. It includes a play-in stage, which will run from 25 to 26 July. The tournament itself will begin on July 27. A $1M prize pool is being offered to 24 teams, with the winner receiving an invitation to IEM Katowice 2024. We don’t yet have any information on who will be participating in this S-Tier tournament, many participants will be determined as tournament winners early in the year.