CS2 could make its esports debut this week, but pro players have the final call

So, what are you doing Wednesday night? For the professional Counter-Strike players competing at ESL Pro League season 18, and for the organizers of the event itself, they could be deciding whether or not to make a drastic change in the middle of the tournament.

Last week, Valve stoked the flames of anticipation for the release of CS2 with a simple question, prompting players around the world to clear their schedules ahead of what could be the full launch of the long-awaited sequel/update on Sept. 27. But the schedule for the pros in Malta for the ESL Pro League has the second round matches of the playoffs taking place on that day.

ESL has already reached out to players and teams at the Pro League to ask them if they would consider a switch to CS2 “as soon as possible, which would most likely be for the semifinals or grand finals,” aaccording to a statement from ESL reported by Ryan Friend for Dust2.us. According to Dust2, a decision has not been made yet by ESL and the teams, and the responses from the teams are currently unknown.

As noted by HLTV, 66 matches have already taken place during ESL Pro League season 18, meaning a last-minute switch to CS2 for the semifinals and grand final would be absolutely unprecedented. Not only would it completely alter the impact and results of the tournament, but given that a majority of polled teams have admittedly not started practicing CS2 yet, it’s hard to fathom that a majority of teams still competing would agree to a switch.

But a full release of CS2 tomorrow could mean the timetable for the game’s arrival in pro play gets moved up. HLTV speculates that IEM Sydney, which is slated to begin on Oct. 16, could end up being the first event featuring CS2.