The first Valve-sponsored Major took place in Jönköping, Sweden, in late November 2013, with a $250,000 prize pool and 16 teams. Today the field is 32 teams and the prize pool is $1,250,000. The map around it has changed even more.
The counts below come from the Majors table on Wikipedia and are my own tally, so treat them as a careful reading, not an official statistic.
The European Era
Of the first 24 Majors, 18 were played in Europe. Another four were in North America: Columbus 2016, Atlanta 2017, Boston 2018, and Austin 2025. One was in South America, Rio 2022, and one was in Asia, Shanghai 2024.
Twelve countries have hosted so far: Sweden, Poland, Germany, Romania, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Brazil, France, Denmark, China, and Hungary. Some came back often. Cologne hosted Majors in 2014, 2015, 2016, and again in 2026.
The Milestones
A few events changed what a Major could be.
MLG Columbus 2016 was the first outside Europe, and in February of that year Valve permanently raised the prize pool from $250,000 to $1,000,000, while cutting the schedule from three Majors a year to two.
Boston 2018 was the first to span multiple cities, with early stages in Atlanta and the playoffs in Boston, and it expanded the field to 24 teams.
In 2020 there was no Major at all. The planned Rio event was cancelled because of the pandemic, and more than two years passed between Berlin in 2019 and Stockholm in 2021.
Rio 2022 was finally the first Major in Brazil, and Shanghai 2024 was the first organized by Perfect World. Its field played in two venues, and the event was voted Event of the Year at the 2024 HLTV Awards, according to Dot Esports.
Austin 2025 expanded the field to 32 teams. Budapest later that year introduced the best-of-five final, and Cologne 2026 made the third Swiss stage all best-of-three.
The Next Three
After Cologne, the schedule leaves Europe for a while.
Singapore, hosted by PGL from November 25 to December 13, 2026, will be the first Major in Southeast Asia. We covered the event itself in our preview, so the key point here is its place on the map.
Buenos Aires follows from May 31 to June 20, 2027, organized by FiReSPORTS. It is Argentina's first Major, only the second in South America after Rio 2022, and it would make Argentina the 14th host country, according to HLTV and Dust2.us. Liquipedia lists La Usina del Arte for the early stages and Movistar Arena for the playoffs, though earlier reports said venues were unconfirmed.
The organizer is a surprise choice. According to Dust2.us, the biggest tournament FiReSPORTS had run involved eight teams, and it famously hosted one event inside a subway. Esports News UK adds that the company had not run a top-tier event before this announcement. Now it will run 32 teams.
Shanghai returns from November 22 to December 12, 2027, with Perfect World hosting a second Major in the city. Some early reports said only China, but later coverage and Wikipedia's table list Shanghai as confirmed.
What Makes This Stretch Different
Here the pattern breaks. After Cologne, three Majors in a row will be played outside Europe: Singapore in Asia, Buenos Aires in South America, and Shanghai in Asia. By my count, the only earlier back-to-back pair outside Europe was Shanghai 2024 and Austin 2025.
Reports also point out that 2027 will be the first calendar year with no European Major, apart from 2020, when none was played at all. If the schedule holds, Europe's share of all Majors will drop from 18 of 24 to 18 of 27, or two thirds.
What It Means for Fans
For viewers in Europe, a Major in Singapore or Shanghai means matches at unusual hours, and the opposite is true for fans in Asia during a Cologne. For fans in Argentina and the region, a Major at home is a different kind of milestone. That is analysis, not a forecast, but the map is clearly widening.
Dates and venues are subject to change, so check the organizers before you plan a trip.
Keep the Map in Your Head
Knowing where the biggest events have been, and where they are going, adds context to every result. 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.
