ESL and BLAST dominate 2025 Counter-Strike esports calendar; first Major in June

The two biggest esports tournament organizers in the Counter-Strike esports space have given us a glimpse into what the 2025 calendar looks like. There’s no surprises to see the two of them make up the majority of the esports calendar space. Here’s what ESL and BLAST have announced for their events in 2025.

BLAST has announced five events for 2025 while ESL will run eight tournaments. Two of these eight tournaments are extremely long ones with each running close to twenty days. The first such event is in February while the second one is in September. These are most likely the ESL Pro League events that feature a large number of teams and multiple groups. 

The end of the year will see significant changes in the esports landscape. Valve had earlier announced that tournament organizers should end their business relationships with participating teams. This was to ensure competitive integrity for their tournaments. It also means the 2025 events will feature more open qualifiers and use Valve rankings for these tournaments. 

The first Major of the year will take place in June with the second Major coming in at the end of the year in December. The BLAST.tv Paris Major was the final Counter-Strike Global Offensive Major and it took place in 2023. As Valve prepared the community for a transition into CS2, there was no other Major in 2024. The PGL Copenhagen Major is the first Major of Counter-Strike 2 and will take place in March in 2024. 

The first Major taking place in June means that both Majors will now mark the end of the season. The Majors will usually be followed by an extended player break, allowing players and fans a break from the competitive circuit. One of the concerns with the esports schedules in Counter-Strike was the incessant need to play events throughout the year. These Major-induced breaks will be a welcome relief for all concerned. 

Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest Counter-Strike news and updates.