Seven years after the last American Major, Counter-Strike is coming back to the USA. The BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, taking place from June 3 to June 22, will be the first CS2 world championship hosted in North America — and it’s shaping up to be a historic one. With a $1,250,000 prize pool and 32 of the world’s best teams, the stage is set for a potential landmark in the game’s history.
Much has changed since ELEAGUE Boston 2018, the last time a Major was held on American soil. That event remains iconic thanks to Cloud9’s unforgettable comeback. But the scene has shifted, and new heroes are stepping into the spotlight.
How do you know a team is from North America?
They call a tech pause after losing both pistols.
Numbers, Hype, and the Bigger Picture
Peak viewership has long been a benchmark of a Major’s success — and the expectations for Austin are sky-high. Just one week before the Major, IEM Dallas 2025 attracted nearly 915,000 peak viewers, a strong signal of interest in CS2 within the region. But the competition is fierce. Previous Majors like PGL Stockholm 2021 and Antwerp 2022 set the bar incredibly high. To break the all-time record of 2.7 million viewers, Austin must offer more than just matches — it needs drama, upsets, and a legendary grand final.
With an updated structure of 32 teams and a fully offline format, the organizers are aiming for full immersion — emotional, competitive, and visual. Austin may be an unconventional choice of location, but that uniqueness might be its greatest strength.
A Dream Season: Who Will Cement Their Legacy and Who Will Collapse
Vitality enter the tournament as the clear favorites. The team has won six top-tier events in a row, including IEM Dallas 2025 and ESL Pro League S21, without dropping a single grand final. They’ve been unstoppable, boasting 30 consecutive wins and no losses since January 24, 2025. With the ESL Grand Slam Season 5 already in the bag, they look like Major champions by default. But such dominance can sometimes become a trap.
NAVI, on the other hand, have had an inconsistent year. While not underperforming drastically, they’ve consistently failed to reach the final stages — a worrying sign.
FaZe are taking a gamble. They’ve openly declared that this Major is their only goal for the season. With the high-profile signing of s1mple, it’s all or nothing. A failure would likely trigger roster changes — though even success may not stop them. Still, betting everything on one tournament might just work, especially with karrigan’s legendary Major presence, as we saw at the recent Shanghai Major.
Teams like Spirit, The MongolZ, and Falcons remain unpredictable. They have the potential to win it all — or crash out in the first playoff round, depending on form and bracket draw.
Knock knock.
– Who’s there?
– Donk.
– Donk who?
– Donk killed you through three walls before you even heard the knock.
Key Players and New Blood to Watch
As always, the spotlight is on the stars. s1mple’s return to the starting lineup is one of the biggest stories. Does he still have the drive and firepower to dominate a new generation? We’ll find out in the group stage.
Chasing the MVP title are names like ZywOo, donk, m0NESY, NiKo, torzsi, and 910. Each one can carry a series on their own. Donk has been performing at a level close to peak ZywOo, and if Spirit make it to the semifinals, he becomes the frontrunner for the individual award.
There’s also a crop of exciting debutants: alex666 (B8), Buzz (OG), jottAAA (Aurora), regali (FlyQuest), tN1R (HEROIC), and molodoy (FURIA). These players are not just here to participate — they could break the bracket. It’s always the dark horses that make Majors truly unforgettable.
Roster Rumors: The Heat After the Major
As always, the end of a Major means roster moves. Some are already confirmed: HEROIC’s coach sAw and SunPayus are set to join G2 after the tournament. There are whispers of kyousuke moving to Falcons, while Wildcard may be building an all-American lineup. Changes are also rumored in Liquid and Virtus.pro.
Players are aware of what’s coming. Some are playing their last matches for their current teams, while others feel the pressure of management already making decisions. This mental strain can break rosters — especially in the high-stakes playoff rounds. FaZe are walking the tightrope more than anyone. Their all-in strategy may pay off, or it could mark the end of the current roster as we know it.
Stickers, Content, and Highlights: The True Economy of the Major
BLAST is known for top-tier visuals and production — but will we finally see a graffiti-worthy moment again? Recent Majors lacked iconic plays, but with so many young, explosive players, the chance for a clip to go down in history is real.
Stickers remain a massive part of the Major’s economy. Even players who don’t reach playoffs can make between $100,000 and $150,000 from sticker sales alone. The deeper the run, the higher the payout. For some winners, sticker revenue matches or even surpasses their prize money. It’s no exaggeration to say that a Major can change lives — not just because of trophies, but because it etches a name into CS history.
The regional question also remains open. Europe still dominates globally, but who claims second place? The MongolZ have delivered strong results for Asia. Liquid are trying to revive the North American scene, while paiN and FURIA keep Brazil in the mix. In terms of sheer strength, Asia might have the edge. But in terms of quantity and depth, North and South America are still battling for relevance.
Your Turn to Tier: Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge
Think you know how the Austin Major will unfold? Now’s your chance to prove it. In the Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge, you can create your own tier list, make bold predictions, and climb the leaderboard by correctly guessing team placements and MVPs.
The higher you rank, the better your rewards — from valuable CS2 skins to the ultimate prize: an AWP | Dragon Lore. Whether you’re aiming for glory or just want to test your CS knowledge, the Pick’em Challenge gives you a front-row seat to the chaos. Predict right, flex hard.
Final Thoughts: Will NA Reboot, and Has the Vitality Era Truly Begun?
Austin Major 2025 is more than just another Major — it’s a turning point for entire regions. Can North America regain its footing and become competitive again? Do Liquid or Complexity have what it takes to surprise in any stage of the tournament?
What’s the difference between a smoke grenade and a Tier-3 org?
One disappears after 18 seconds. The other does it after First Stage.
But the biggest question is not just whether Vitality will win. It’s whether they can finish the Major with the same dominance they’ve shown all year. If they do, we’re not just witnessing a tournament victory — we’re watching the official beginning of the Vitality era. An era where they become the measuring stick for every team in CS2.
