The Majors are the most important tournaments in Counter-Strike—the event every player dreams of attending, hopes to qualify for, and, if they are truly one of the elite in the game, the opportunity to lift one of the most prestigious trophies in esports and be crowned a Major champion. The problem with Counter-Strike Majors is that not all trophies are made equal. There isn’t just one Major trophy, as the tournament organizer creating the Major gets to design their own, with their ideas, their style, and their control. I kinda wish Valve would step in and establish one consistent trophy for all Majors.
That said, the variety in trophy designs does make them unique at times—some classy and classic, some wild and extravagant. While some focus on the tournament name and the organizer itself, others adopt a minimalistic approach.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this time around, for this article, I am the beholder. I’m going to share my thoughts on the best Counter-Strike Major trophies, and I’d love to hear your opinions as well. We all have different tastes, and what I like might not be what you like. It’s time to test the Counter-Strike community and see what they love (and hate) about Major trophies!
To start, I want to give some honorable mentions for trophies I admire before diving into my top 3:
- PGL Major Krakow 2017 – Champions: Gambit
One of the craziest and most unexpected runs we’ve ever had at a Major featured a classic and clean trophy that truly shone and screamed “Major trophy.” The photos of big Zeus holding it—and it still looking grand—speak volumes. The team photo with all the champions showcases it well in all its glory. However, it’s missing some small details, which is why it didn’t make my top 3.
- Starladder Berlin Major 2019 – Champions: Astralis
Okay, hear me out here. I know this trophy is iconic because of the infamous bottom falling out (and the device’s face—if you haven’t seen it, go watch the live trophy lift). But honestly, the size, the grand look, the colors, and the team logos at the base all contribute to its charm. If it had been made of better materials, I think this might have been my number one.
Top 3 Counter-Strike Major Trophies
3rd – IEM Rio Major 2022 – Champions: Outsiders
The Rio Major finally took place after its initial cancellation due to COVID. Everyone was eager to see what the Brazilian crowd would bring. ESL’s chosen trophy for this event was classic in style—large, shiny, reflective, and truly powerful, as a Major trophy should be!
When the unlikely champions, Outsiders, lifted the trophy, it even made the very tall Jame look small. Some players struggled to handle it, and I remember Qikert carrying it around, looking so proud yet surprised by its weight. This trophy made you feel like a champion who had won something truly special.
2nd – PGL Antwerp Major 2022 – Champions FaZe Clan
The Antwerp Major trophy is completely unique in design, golden in color, and breaks away from the “norm” of silver, which really makes it look impressive. The black accents enhance the gold, making it stand out more and create the WOW factor. Sometimes, trophies that feature the company’s name or logo too prominently take away from what a trophy should be, but PGL found the perfect balance. You can see from the picture below that the word MAJOR is the most prominent, followed by PGL Antwerp 22. It’s a nice way of including the names without detracting from the trophy itself.
The wings, as I will call them, on the sides with the gold trim gave this trophy the perfect look for lifting, and if you browse through the photos here, you can see how the players proudly lifted the trophy above their heads. My main criticism is that it could have been larger and grander, but the color and unique design don’t quite earn the golden trophy a gold medal—just a silver one from me.
1st – ESL One Cologne/Katowice trophies from 2014 to 16: Champions – MANY listed below!
For the winner, it is iconic, it is historic, and for me, very nostalgic. This nostalgia dates back to before I worked my first Major. At that time, I was watching from home, seeing the best teams in the world fight it out for the grandest of trophies as their Major prize. That trophy then became part of history and a legendary legacy for the game, even outside of Majors.
The ESL Major Series One Katowice 2014 trophy
The ESL One Cologne 2014 trophy with the emotional photo of GeT_RiGhT achieving his dream:
This trophy design would go on to be used at multiple Majors, becoming a staple starting at Katowice in 2014 and ending at Cologne in 2016, spanning five Majors with four organizations lifting it.
The legendary Virtus.Pro lifting the first Major Katowice trophy:
Champions that lifted this Major trophy design:
- ESL Major Series One Katowice 2014 – Champions: Virtus.Pro
- ESL One Cologne 2014 – Champions: Ninjas in Pyjamas
- ESL One Katowice 2015 – Champions: Fnatic
- ESL One Cologne 2015 – Champions: Fnatic
- ESL One Cologne 2016 – Champions: SK-Gaming
FalleN lifting the Cologne 2016 trophy with SK Gaming:
While Cologne and Katowice are not Majors today, they are considered the very elite events in our game that every player dreams of winning. Whenever you talk to professional players about their dreams and goals, it starts with the Major, and then they mention Cologne and Katowice. I think this is because of the five Majors that were held across these two cities with this truly special trophy!
Fnatic lifting the Katowice 2015 trophy:
This Cologne trophy was last used in 2019 when Team Liquid won it with nitr0, EliGE, Twistzz, NAF, Stewie2k, and adreN coaching. In 2020, COVID happened, and in 2021, NAVI won the new version used today.
This version of the Katowice trophy was last used in 2015, when fnatic won the Major title with pronax, olofmeister, flusha, JW, krimz, and Devilwalk coaching. From 2016 onwards, the trophy shifted to a cup shape, similar to something like the Premier League or FA Cup trophy, but for me, nothing can replace the grandeur of the original one used from 2014 to 2016.
Fnatic lifting this trophy one final time at Katowice in 2015 before it was used exclusively in Cologne:
I love this trophy—the size, the small details, the bands that wrap around it, the history behind it, and how grand it looks with a strong base at the bottom to hold it. It truly is an iconic piece of Major history that has yet to be beaten, even by Majors held many years after it.
And with all that said, this ends my top 3 Counter-Strike Major trophies. Let me know what you think of my choices and what your top 3 Major trophies would be on Twitter or Instagram. I’m interested to see what other members of the community think compared to my opinion.
Oh yeah, and one last thing, on a side note—medals. I’m not sure how much of the community knows this, but the players of teams do not get the trophies. They normally go to the organization’s offices, and players often don’t get anything for the wins they achieve. ESL has done a fantastic job of awarding medals for 1st and 2nd place at their IEM events that the players can keep. I wish we would see this more, and I would advocate for it, as it means a lot to the players and coaches of the teams, especially considering they don’t get the trophy itself.
It would be so nice if, at the end of their careers, they had these medals to commemorate the achievements they worked so hard for. At the very least, all Counter-Strike Majors should have medals, and Valve should start enforcing this. When I speak to them at the Shanghai Major, this will be my first suggestion…oh, and talent voice lines, haha!
Thanks for reading, guys! Enjoy the Perfect World Shanghai Major!
