It appears PGL will be exploring potential solutions to save the October CS:GO Major alongside NiP. The event could potentially – much like Valve’s Dota 2 event TI10 – move elsewhere, something NiP and the Mayor of Stockholm are keen to avoid.
CS:GO looking to avoid what happened to The International 10
After the tenth edition of The International was moved from Stockholm to Bucharest, rumblings that the PGL Major Stockholm for CS:GO would also fall through has gotten louder and louder.
This article from expressen.se also found the tournament organizers in dire straits regarding the potential of this major to happen as quite low. The Swedish government refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of esports and failed to admit it into the Swedish Sports Federation. In the case of Dota 2, this meant players would not have been able to secure visas, hence forcing the change of location.
The Ninjas in Pyjamas have now stepped in as the gargantuan Swedish organization to unite the Minister of Culture and Democracy, Amanda Lind, with PGL and the Swedish Esports division. Conjoining to make a step in the right direction, the three parties aim to bring the Swedish government as well as the Swedish Sports Federation into a legitimate conversation surrounding the acceptance of the PGL major to continue in Stockholm.
City's Mayor keen to not let the event go elsewhere
Anna Jerlmyr, the Mayor of Stockholm, remains committed to avoiding “the same mistake it did a couple weeks ago when the International moved abroad”. The vaccinations in the country have also been nearing a large 70% rate, showing even more signs that the city is prepared for a full scale esports event.
The country has produced some of the finest esports athletes the world has ever seen, and Stockholm remains one of the Meccas of Counter-Strike. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer formerly led the titans of fnatic, Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund led the stoic Ninjas in Pyjamas, and many pieces of Swedish talent have continued to flood the gates of the CS:GO world. The event of the year could be on the hands of the Swedish government, and it would be a travesty for the spirit of the game and longevity of the esport if for any reason this Stockholm Major does not take place in Sweden.
Esports.gg will continue to monitor the situation developing in Stockholm and the PGL offices.