ESL has confirmed that the next Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ESL One Rio will the first ever Major tournament in South America and will have a prize pool of $1 million.
The tournament, which will take place in May 2020, will play host to a passionate Brazilian crowd, when the Champions Stage is played out in front of the crowd at the Jeunesse Arena. The four Minors will take place simultaneously from April 26 to May 3, and the Challenger and Legends Stages will be played backstage.
“We are extremely excited and proud to host the next Major in Brazil,” Ulrich Schulze, senior vice president product at ESL, tells HLTV. “Our aim is to bring pure esports moments to the most passionate fans around the world and reward them by creating a unique experience on all levels.
“With teams from all over the world having a chance to qualify and making their way to the final, we expect the matches to be incredible and the crowd to be the loudest we have ever seen.”
The players, the fans, the game… We’re bringing the @CSGO Major for the first time to a special place where passion leads the dream. Introducing #ESLOne Rio 2020!
Tickets will go live tomorrow, Thursday 12th at 12:00 PM BRT
💛💚 https://t.co/x1AlxA1CiG pic.twitter.com/BgWx9BiVHk
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) December 11, 2019
ESL One Rio is also part of the ESL Pro Tour, the mechanic behind the Road to Katowice and the Road to Cologne, the qualification process for the Masters Championships.
Rumours of a South American Major had been circulating for a while, with a report from Jarek ‘DeKay’ Lewis’ all but confirming the existence last month.
Tickets for the Champions Stage will go live tomorrow, Thursday, December 12 at 12 PM BRT (7AM PT/10AM ET/3PM GMT). You can purchase them here.
