7 Biggest CS2 Tournament Sponsors

Have you seen the havoc that broke out during the BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024 and IEM Katowice championships? Then you’ve also seen an astonishing scale of those events and all that impressive promotion, gaming hardware, prize money, and the overall setup. Who pays for these Counter-Strike celebrations? Here’s a quick overview of the biggest CS2 tournament sponsors in the world.

Before talking about the top CS2 competition sponsors, it’s worth mentioning the state of the game’s championships ecosystem. Although we said our goodbyes to CS:GO, 2024 began with a bang for Counter-Strike 2, with first tournaments like IEM Katowice already breaking viewership records. So, being a global sensation, CS2 LANs and online events stay extremely popular among e-sports players and fans alike. The success of the game’s newest version also means increased interest from potential sponsors, as record viewer counts translate into enormous exposure. Simply put, the CS has never been a more attractive platform for advertisement, and it shows.

With this in mind, let’s check out the top seven major CS2 tournament sponsors of all time.

#7 GG.BET

As a long-term partner of the BLAST Premier and PGL’s competitive events, GG.BET is one of the numerous CS2 tournament sponsors. Developed by e-sports experts, this international betting service offers a secure, AI-driven customer experience of betting on a lineup of traditional (40+) and electronic sports (30+) disciplines.

GG.BET is a significant contributor in the Counter-Strike arena that hosts its own online and offline events, produces esports content, and sponsors tier-one teams like NAVI and Team Vitality. That’s why you could’ve seen pro players showcasing the company’s logo on their jerseys and websites. The brand was also recognized as the Best Esports Operator by the EGR Operator Awards and SiGMA Europe Awards in 2023.

Sponsored tournaments (Offline, prize pools):

1. PGL Major Stockholm 2021, $2,000,000
2. PGL Major Antwerp 2022, $1,000,000
3. PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, $1,250,000
4. BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024, $190,000

#6 1xBet

1xBet is one of the oldest CS2 tournament sponsorship partners, being a prominent gaming industry promoter since 2007. The brand enables millions of fans to bet on a wild variety of events in esports and traditional disciplines, all the while offering some CS-specific bonuses.

The prestigious SBC Awards recognized this bookmaker as the Esports Operator of the Year in 2020. 1xBet has been sponsoring ESL’s CS2 events since the dawn of time, and it’s now an official partner of the first-ever PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024 championship. The betting service pledges to provide all the necessary financial and media support the event might need. 1xBet also partners with several pro Counter-Strike teams, including The Mongolz, OG Esports, MIBR, and Team Spirit.

#5 Acer Predator

When it comes to hardware promotion, Predator rightfully belongs to the list of leading sponsors of Counter-Strike 2 tournaments. Over the years, the company has been an official global partner of IEM Katowice and ESL Challenger, with its banners and logos presented everywhere across the events’ venues, commercials, and websites. The collaboration with such prominent CS events puts the brand on the frontline of e-sports championships. In exchange for promotion, Predator also provides the coolest gaming equipment to boost pro players’ performance to maximum.

Predator’s premium technologies, innovative AI-ready hardware, and iconic device design has captured the imagination of many CS2 teams, professional and otherwise. There is a broad range of exquisite gadgets explicitly created for gamers — top-tier laptops equipped with Intel Core processors, powerful desktops, next-gen PC gear, projectors, and more. Simply put, the brand strives to be the hardware provider of choice for the game’s pro players.

#4 Monster Energy

This company has been pretty much everywhere over the last five years. And when it comes to major CS2 event sponsors, it’s only reasonable to see an energy drinks business among them. We all know that some matches during professional tournaments are played closer to nighttime (and we also suppose that you’ve had more than a few sleepless gaming nights with friends). So, it definitely won’t hurt players to have some boost, especially considering that competitive matches can take a long time. That’s probably why Monster Energy keeps successfully renewing its partnership with ESL annually, including securing a sponsorship slot for the start of CS2 matches at IEM Katowice 2024.

This California-based brand is one of the leading energy drinks and alternative beverage manufacturers, and shows consistent long-term support for e-sports athletes. As a long-standing advocate of iGaming, Monster Energy helps fans and CS2 teams from all leagues to stay vigilant during their championships.

#3 DHL In Motion

Who would have thought a delivery company would be one of the biggest Counter-Strike 2 championship sponsors? And yet, here it is. DHL In Motion has been ESL's essential logistics partner since 2018, which you can see for yourself in DHL-branded some fans display during LAN tournaments over the years. The company also manages Counter-Strike trophy tour transportation-wise, organizes the DHL MVP awards for the ESL Masters pros, and supports the “DHL Drop” trivia quiz.

As an international brand, DHL offers a competitive portfolio of logistics services. Their portfolio includes everything you might need, from national and global parcel delivery and express in more than 220 countries to industrial supply chain management, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, and more. For CS2 event organizers, the brand is an invaluable sponsor that boosts esports awareness worldwide.

#2 United States Air Force (USAF)

This is another unexpected member of our largest CS2 tournament sponsors list. While supporting Majors and other ELEAGUE events since 2018, the U.S. Air Force also became the first official U.S. Armed Forces partner of the ESL Counter-Strike Pro Tour in North America in 2020. The partnership featured integrations for the Aim High broadcast and the introduction of "Wingman Wednesday" tournaments on ESEA. Now, you can also see USAF’s logo across IEM Katowice and Cologne commercials, venues, and websites.

Additionally, the U.S. Air Force partnered with the Cloud9 team, so its logo was shining brightly on players’ jerseys during several recent CS events. The military organization was also the Report Card partner on the CS HUB in the United States. By partnering with ESL, the Air Force got the perfect chance to reach their target demographic to inspire and recruit the best talents who will protect national interests in the sky and space. And considering the direction modern military technologies are taking, the jokes about gamers being the prime recruit category might suddenly stop being just jokes.

#1 Intel

So, here is the badassest of them all. A world-class global technology brand that builds the future of esports, Intel has been among the key sponsors of CS2 tournaments for over a decade. In 2024, Intel is still ESL’s official presenting partner at all major events, which is reflected in the championships’ commercials and the omnipresence of the brand's logo.

Intel drives exceptional PC gaming innovations, making pro players and casuals alike follow its technological advancements. The brand keeps securing CS2 partnerships that scale up new gamer-centric features across CPU, GPU, and memory. Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), started in 2006, is now one of the oldest and most prestigious international tournaments, attracting the world's best Counter-Strike talents.

While constantly pushing the limits of hardware performance throughout its long history, the industry-leading company has stood unconditionally with the e-sports ecosystem and professional gaming from its very beginning. By leveraging emerging technologies and investing millions of dollars, Intel manages the main Counter-Strike leagues and supports other brands and publishers. The brand is also invaluable for the development community, propelling gaming experiences and player capabilities to new heights.

Sponsored tournaments over multiple years (Offline and online, prize pools):

1. IEM Katowice
2. IEM Cologne
3. IEM North America
4. Intel Grand Slam
5. IEM Chengdu 2024, $250,000

Other Famous CS2 Tournament Sponsorship Partners

There you have it, a top list of CS2 championship sponsors. As the game’s new installment keeps gaining momentum, we might see even more brand-new tournaments and leagues. Considering new investors and sponsorships that are currently emerging on the scene, such as Challenger mode partnering with PGL for its first CS2 major in 2024, the process is already underway. In any case, now you know about the leading sponsors of Counter-Strike 2 tournaments that have been supporting our favorite game for years.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that companies like RedBull, Puma, and Logitech G cooperate directly with pro CS2 teams, providing e-sports players with their products in exchange for brand logo promotions. For instance, Logitech partners with NAVI, Astralis, G2, and ENCE. Also, rich and influential people like Magic Johnson, Sergio Agüero, Lionel Messi, and Oleksandr Zinchenko actively invest in Counter-Strike teams.