The Major, scheduled for December 2024 in Shanghai, will be the second in the history of Counter-Strike 2. This event will be very significant for all of Chinese esports and especially for CS2 fans. In this article, we will share all the information about the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 that you need to know before it begins.

The upcoming major will be the first to be held in Asia. In this way, Valve wants to increase the popularity of CS2 in the region and demonstrate that the company is ready for new integrations to hold majors in different parts of the world. The Shanghai CS2 Major promises to be one of the biggest esports events in history.

When and Where the Next CS2 Major Will Take Place

The Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 is scheduled for November 30 to December 15. The host city for the tournament will be Shanghai, China. The Opening and Elimination stages will take place at the Convention Hall.

The CS2 Shanghai Major playoffs will be held at the Oriental Sports Center. The center features an indoor stadium with 18,000 seats. This is where the main stage of the upcoming Major will be located.

Format and Prize Pool of the Shanghai Major CS2

The next CS2 Major will follow the familiar format. Teams were invited to the closed qualifiers and RMR regional tournaments according to their position in the Valve rankings. The Major will feature the 24 best teams in the world, with the Opening and Elimination stages following the Swiss system. Meanwhile, the playoff stage will be organized in a classic Olympic system.

The total prize pool for the CS2 Major Shanghai will be $1,250,000, with the tournament winner receiving $500,000. The remaining prize money will be distributed among the participating teams according to their final standings in the championship.

Qualifiers for the CS2 Major

The Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 will be the first CS2 Major in history without open qualifiers for Europe and America. This innovation increases the importance of Valve's regional rankings and the grind for teams in all possible tournaments that determine their position in Valve's rankings. Now only teams that receive an invitation based on Valve's rankings will be able to compete for a spot at the Major.

Asia, on the other hand, will retain the open qualifier format, reflecting a more flexible approach to a region with fewer high-ranking teams. This allows new local teams to have a chance to break onto the international stage. In general, the distribution of the 24 teams among the three regions (14 from Europe, 7 from America, 3 from Asia) emphasizes the organizers' commitment to fair representation, creating a competitive environment for all participants.

• Open qual for Asia - 21 to 26 August.
• Closed qual for Europe - 21 to 23 August.
• Closed qual for the Americas - 26 to 28 August.
• Closed qual for Asia - 27 to 30 August.

• Asian RMR - 11 to 14 November (3 slots).
• American RMR - from 12 to 15 November (7 slots).
• European RMR A - from 17 to 20 November (7 slots).
• European RMR B - from 21 to 24 November (7 slots).

Next CS2 Majors to come in 2025

The first CS2 Major of 2025 will take place in the summer, organized by the tournament operator BLAST. The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 will be held in June in Austin, Texas, USA. The tournament matches will be hosted at the Moody Center arena. The prize pool for the Major will be $1.25 million. BLAST representatives noted that they expect to host over 50,000 fans and broadcast the event in 28 languages. It is reported that hosting the Major in Austin could bring around $40 million in investments to the city's economy.

According to journalist Richard Lewis, the main contender for hosting the second CS2 Major in 2025 is the tournament operator Starladder. However, he himself is somewhat skeptical of this information. In his opinion, it would be strange if an operator that hasn't hosted championships for a long time were to quickly receive the rights to a Major. The last LAN championship from Starladder, called StarSeries & i-League CS:GO Season 8, took place in the fall of 2019 in Belek, Turkey. In April, the tournament operator announced four events that will take place in 2025 and 2026.

Bonus

Perfect World, as one of the leading forces in the Chinese gaming market, has played a key role in spreading and adapting the game CS:GO for the Chinese audience. By forming a strategic partnership with Valve, they not only released the game in China but also developed a unique platform tailored to the features and requirements of the local market. In 2017, starting with a closed beta and then moving to an open one, Perfect World provided Chinese players with access to CS:GO with new features specifically designed for this region, such as personalized launch and identity verification processes.

As an organizer of major esports events, Perfect World has made a significant contribution to the development of competitive gaming in Asia. Since 2017, the company has successfully hosted tournaments with large prize pools and has been focused on promoting esports in the region. Thanks to well-organized regional qualifiers for CS:GO Majors and local events, Perfect World has created a foundation for the growth and development of new talents, strengthening the Asian esports scene. The upcoming Shanghai Major CS2 will be an important event for the company and the global esports community, paving the way for even more international tournaments in Asia.

Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 will take place from November 30 to December 15 in China. This Major will be the first to be held in Asia. Twenty-four teams will compete for a prize pool of $1,250,000. You can follow the schedule and results of the CS2 Major through the link.