CS:GO - PGL Major Stockholm Preview

PGL Major Stockholm is the most anticipated CS:GO event of the last 2 years. It’s actually quite shocking that we’ve had 2 years of CS:GO without a single Major, given that the standard was 2 of them per year. The ongoing pandemic has certainly ruined a lot of opportunities but this time, PGL is determined to offer fans what they want.

PGL Major Stockholm Details

As the name suggests, PGL Major Stockholm is scheduled to take place in Stockholm, Sweden, between October 26^th – November 7^th. The event is more condensed than a usual Major and has just one break-day.

The PGL Major features 24 of the world’s best teams and has a prize pool of $2 million, which is a large amount for CS:GO.

Competitive Format

The competitive format of the tournament is the one that’s usually used for CS:GO Majors.

The New Challengers Stage takes place between October 26^th – 29^th and is played in the 16 Team Swiss System Format. Every match is Bo1, apart from elimination and qualification matches (Bo3). The top 8 teams advance to The New Legends Stage, which takes place between October 30^th – November 2^nd. This second stage uses the same format. The top 8 teams advance to the Playoffs, also known as The New Champions Stage. This final part of the PGL Major will be played between November 4^th – 7^th and will use the Single-Elimination format. Every match is Bo3.

So practically, the tournament will be composed of three 4-day competitions, with a 1-day break between the 2^nd and 3^rd.

Participants

The 24 teams that will participate in the PGL Stockholm Major are the following:

Legends

Ninjas in Pyjamas
Team Vitality
G2 Esports
FURIA Esports
Team Liquid
Evil Geniuses
Natus Vincere
Gambit Esports

Challengers

Astralis
ENCE
BIG
Movistar Riders
Heroic
MOUZ
paiN Gaming
Team Spirit

Contenders

Copenhagen Flames
FaZe Clan
GODSENT
pro
Entropiq
Sharks Esports
TYLOO
Renegades

The New Challengers Stage Favorites

The New Challengers Stage of PGL Major Stockholm will feature the Contenders and the Challengers. The teams that are most likely to advance are the following:

Astralis
Heroic
MOUZ
FaZe Clan
pro
Copenhagen Flames
ENCE
Team Spirit

All of these competitors are significantly stronger than the other 8. The only one that’s uncertain here is Copenhagen Flames. This team will have its first match against Astralis and will most likely start with a defeat. However, its most recent results clearly indicate that the Danes have the necessary qualities to secure a top 8 spot.

Among the underdogs, the teams that are most likely to produce an upset are GODSENT and BIG. The first is led by TACO, who is an absolute legend in Brazilian Counter-Strike, while the second one has proved in recent months that it has a high ceiling. BIG defeated strong opponents like Heroic, G2, and even Natus Vincere. The only problem for this team is consistency. Against most strong opponents, BIG generally loses. But you never know when they show up in excellent form and just smash everyone.

Photo credit: IEM|Bart-Oerbekke

CS:GO – PGL Major Stockholm Preview