Every Major produces one champion and one runner-up. After 24 of them, the pattern of who ends up on which side is far from random. Some teams treat the final as a home address, and others have visited four times and gone home empty-handed.
All tallies below come from the finals table on Wikipedia's Counter-Strike Majors page, counted by organization, and the combinations are my own.
The Three Dynasties
Only three organizations have won three or more Majors.
Astralis have four titles and have never lost a final. They beat four different runners-up: Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere, ENCE, and AVANGAR. Three of those wins came in a row, at London 2018, Katowice 2019, and Berlin 2019, which no other team has done.
Fnatic have three titles and one lost final. They won the first Major in 2013, and when they took Cologne 2015 they became the first team to win back-to-back Majors and the first to reach three in total. Their one defeat came to Ninjas in Pyjamas at Cologne 2014.
Vitality have three titles and no lost finals, winning at Paris 2023, Austin 2025, and Budapest 2025 against GamerLegion, The MongolZ, and FaZe. Wikipedia notes that Vitality did not keep the same roster core across all three wins, which separates them from Astralis.
The Heartbreakers
Three organizations share the record for most Major finals lost, with four each.
Ninjas in Pyjamas appeared in five of the first six finals and won only one of them, at Cologne 2014. Natus Vincere have reached six finals, winning two and losing four. FaZe Clan have reached five, winning one at Antwerp 2022 and losing at Boston 2018, Copenhagen 2024, Shanghai 2024, and Budapest 2025.
FaZe's record has a particular shape. In three of their four losses, the series went to a deciding map, against Cloud9, NAVI, and Spirit. The fourth, against Vitality at Budapest, was a 3-1 loss in the first Major final played as a best-of-five. They have come very close more often than almost anyone.
The One-Time Club
Most of the Major's story belongs to teams that arrive once. Ten organizations have won exactly one Major: Ninjas in Pyjamas, FaZe Clan, EnVyUs, Team LDLC, Luminosity Gaming, SK Gaming, Gambit Esports, Cloud9, Team Spirit, and Team Falcons.
On the losing side, twelve organizations have lost exactly one final. Nine of them have never won a Major: Team Liquid, Immortals, ENCE, AVANGAR, G2 Esports, Heroic, GamerLegion, The MongolZ, and FURIA. Together with the multi-time heartbreakers, that makes a long list of teams that stood in the last match and came up short.
Sweeps and Deciding Maps
The format matters too. Of the first 22 finals, all played as best-of-three, 12 ended 2-0 and 10 went to a deciding map. In other words, a final was slightly more likely to be a sweep than a thriller.
Since then, the final has been a best-of-five. Budapest 2025 finished 3-1 for Vitality, and Cologne 2026 ended 3-0 for Falcons over FURIA. Two finals are a small sample, but the longer format has not yet produced a five-map decider.
Reading the Numbers Fairly
A few cautions apply. These counts are by organization, so Virtus.pro and Outsiders appear as one entry even though the roster changed. Valve also treats Major spots as belonging to players, not organizations, and rosters shifted between wins for several teams. Wikipedia is the source for the table, and other sites might format the same history differently.
The records are also open. Each new Major adds one champion and one runner-up, and a single result can move a team from the one-time club into a dynasty, or add a fifth defeat to a heartbreaker's list.
Why the Pattern Matters
Majors reward both depth and timing. The dynasties show what it takes to stay on top across eras, with roster stability, deep preparation, and a lot of luck in knockout rounds. The heartbreakers show how thin the margin is when you keep reaching the last match. And the one-time winners show that anyone who qualifies has a real chance.
When the Singapore Major reaches its final in December, one of these tables will change.
Keep the Records Close
Knowing who has won, who has lost, and by how much makes each new final more interesting. The mini games on CS Guess test your knowledge of Counter-Strike, covering skins, cases, music kits, and the history behind this game, with free perks for playing well.
Head over to CS Guess and see how much of this game's history you know.
