Stockholm reportedly remains a priority for the CS:GO Major

The organizers of the PGL Major Stockholm, which will be the first CS:GO Major since StarLadder Berlin in September 2019, are still commited to hosting the competition in Stockholm, Sweden, according to a report by HLTV.

There has been concerns over the last days whether Stockholm is prepared to host a prestigious live event such as the Major, especially after Valve, CS:GO and Dota 2 developer, revealed that it is considering alternative locations for The International 10. The news follows a vote by the Swedish government and the Swedish Sports Federation not to accept esports into the Sports Federation.

Sources told HLTV that plans to hold the 2021 CS:GO Major in Stockholm have not been affected by this impasse between the Swedish authorities and the organizers of TI10. PGL, who organized several Counter-Strike tournaments in the past, including the PGL Major Kraków in 2017, is committed to hosting the Major in the Swedish capital for the first time.

Since TI10 was postponed in April 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Valve has been working with Swedish officials to organize a safe and successful event for Dota 2‘s biggest championship return. Swedish groups like Stockholm Live and Visit Stockholm assured Valve that TI10 would qualify for similar conditions that elite sporting events received.

But Valve’s request to have TI10 reclassified as an elite sporting event ended up declined by the Swedish Minister of the Interior. Without the official green light from Swedish authorities, Valve said that players, talent, and staff would likely get their visa to enter the country denied due to international travel restrictions that are still in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have started looking for possible alternatives elsewhere in Europe to host the event this year, in case the Swedish government is unable to accommodate The International – Dota 2 Championships as planned,” Valve said yesterday. TI10 is scheduled to be played in the Aviici Arena, which is the same venue PGL intends to host the CS:GO Major.

TI10 remains scheduled for August 5 to 15 with more than a $40 million prize pool. The PGL Major Stockholm, on the other hand, is set to take place from October 23 to November 7, with only the playoffs held in front of a live crowd. ESL was supposed to host a Major in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2020, but the plans were scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PGL Stockholm Major will feature a $2 million prize pool up for grabs, which is a record prize pool for Valve-sponsored tournaments.