It is one of the biggest events on the global esports calendar. The first edition of the Major of counter strike global offensivea famous first-person shooter video game developed by Valve, has been organized since May 8 in Paris, but the final phase takes place at the Accor Arena in Bercy this Thursday with the best teams in the world.
• What is Counter-Strike?
counterattack It is one of the monuments of video games. The first-person shooter (FPS), developed by Valve, was released in 2000 and its success has never been denied with the release of new versions with revamped graphics. the last one is called counter strike global offensiveabbreviated as CS:GO. Again this year, the franchise published by Valve has 1.4 million simultaneous players, a record.
The rules of this team game are simple: two teams of five players compete in various arenas, one tasked with attacking a designated area and the other defending it. At the end of the first 15 rounds, the roles are swapped and an additional 6 rounds are planned in case of a tie.
• What is the “Major” that takes place in Bercy?
It’s a bit like the Holy Grail for gamers. CS:GO, the largest world championship that takes place over 15 days and pits up to 32 teams. The Major remains the only event recognized by publisher Valve. If the first two qualifying rounds (from May 8, then from May 13 to 16) took place at the Parc Floral in Paris, the last stage will be played at the Accor Arena until Sunday. In the end, a grand final will decide between the remaining teams and the winners will share a prize of $500,000.
In Bercy, therefore, we expect 12,000 people every day in the stands to cheer on the players. The Paris room had already hosted the World Cup of another ultra-popular game in 2019, League of Legends, but also last year’s Trackmania Cup.
• What are France’s chances?
A French team, Vitality, will participate in the final phase. Founded in 2013, this structure is the largest in the country and consists of several teams that play various games (League of Legends, FIFA, Valorant…). Sure CS:GO, the French team is one of the favourites, thanks to its status as number one in the world. Vitality will begin their quarterfinal against British challenger Into The Breach on Thursday at 7pm
Ahead of this final phase, Vitality arrives with a lot of confidence having won all three of their matches to qualify.
• Why is this event so important?
Beyond the competitive aspect, this Major also has a political aspect. It was Emmanuel Macron who announced his organization in Paris last September, during ZEvent, a charity marathon for video game streamers.
The Head of State then confirmed his ambition to support the eSports sector, in particular by facilitating the organization of physical events in stadiums, cinemas or concerts. “2023 and 2024, France will be there,” he added when announcing the organization of the Trackmania Games in Paris in 2024.
Several ministers are also expected in Bercy for this event that should fuel the very dynamic video game sector in France.
this older CS:GO It will also be the last, at least in its title: Counter-Strike 2 is expected this summer and Valve has already announced that the next competitions will be held on this new version.
Source: BFM TV
