ESL One Rio cancelled and now the only 2020 CS:GO Major

ESL One Rio Major will now take place in November, replacing the second CS:GO Major of the year. There will be only one Major in 2020 as the esports industry slows down to a crawl due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. With ESL One Rio canceled, what happens next in the CS:GO scene?

When is ESL One Rio Major?

ESL One Rio Major occurs from November 15 to 22 and replaces the second CS:GO Major competition of the year, but with an increased prize pool of $2 million.

The May 2020 @CSGO Major in Rio has been rescheduled to November 19-22 due to the COVID-19 situation. The event will remain at Jeunesse Arena and the prize money will be added to the November Major, upping it to $2,000,000https://t.co/WXxJGdSkbK

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 23, 2020

The only CS:GO Major of 2020 takes place at the same venue, the Jeunesse Arena. All tickets will be valid for the November dates, although ESL will allow CS:GO fans to claim a full refund if they wish to cancel.

“Our decision is an extremely tough one, but health and safety have to take absolute priority. Given the very difficult circumstances for live events, we still wanted to give the Brazilian fans the CS:GO Major they deserve.” said Ulrich Schulze, Senior Vice President of Product at ESL. “We ask everyone to stay safe and we are pleased to be able to continue to deliver some quality CS:GO esports content to the community during these troubling times, while we prepare the Rio Major for November.”

2020 will be the first year since the CS:GO competitive circuit began in 2013 for only one Major event. ESL One Rio is the first CS:GO Major in South America and tickets sold out at the time of writing.

ESL and Valve will announce further details about roster eligibility rules and new dates for different stages of the tournament. Later this year, ESL plans to reveal new rules for invitations and qualifiers for the event.  Fans can’t wait to see how teams handle the new dates and if they go through with any roster changes.

The COVID-19 coronavirus continues to make a profound impact on the esports industry. Many tournaments will be canceled or moved online. COVID-19 affects over 3.5 million people worldwide and caused more than 15 thousand deaths. Many sports events still risk cancelation with even the Tokyo Olympics in doubt. As more and more people stay home, there has been an upsurge in players in video games and esports.

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Written by Rohan Samal